Geoscience MSc
There are honourable traditions regarding the training of geosciences in the Faculty of Science and Informatics of the University of Szeged. Although there was no gradual training in geosciences between 1922 and 1940, numerous geography-natural history and chemistry-natural history secondary school teachers obtained doctoral degree in geology during this period. While later many of them became famous university teachers, leading industrial geologists, others as “scientist teachers” provided high quality education for the future generations in secondary schools. From 1947 the existence and the form of the training often changed and the hardly launched gradual education was interrupted in 1953.
At the University of Szeged and at its legal predecessors the uninterrupted gradual training of geosciences is in progress since 1959. To a certain extent the structure of this program slightly differs from the ordinary 5-year-long program and is very similar to the three-step (BSc, MSc, PhD) structure of the Bolognas system. The similarity manifests itself in the threefold division. The 2-year-long basic part of the program with numerous participants is followed by a 3-year-long geoscientific training in groups few in number. Between 1959 and 1999 after finishing the second year some of the geography teacher students (about 2-5 students yearly) are offered to continue their studies in the 3-year-long geosciences training program. The successful geography training that is of high wide interested maintained by the Institute of Geography and Geology consists of a 2-year-long basic training and a 3-year-long professional training. As the part of this training, the geological specialization was introduced in 1988, where 10-15 students graduated annually. After that the most outstanding students are offered to participate in the 3-year-long doctoral (PhD) training in the Doctoral School of Geosciences or the Doctoral School of Environmental Sciences. The majority (80%) of graduated students is working in the profession or is a student in one of the doctoral schools at present.
During the basic training (with high number of participants) and the specialised training (with less number of participants) that were proceeding simultaneously for more decades, the teachers gained experiences both in lecturing and in tutoring the students. These skills can be well-utilised in the new training program as well. All the subjects of the Geosciences MSc program is based on the main and the specialised courses of the previous 5-year-long training program, which are revised both from the point of view of content and didactics as to meet the new training requirements.
The research results accomplished in the major are represented by the flourishing research work, the high-quality publication activity, the national and international scientific cooperations and the successful research projects carried out by the lecturers and the students of the institute for decades. These results have been and are continuously integrated to the adequate subjects-matter. All the persons participating in the training have scientific degree (1 person is the member of the Academy, 4 persons are Doctors of Science, 1 person is Candidate of Science and 14 persons obtained a PhD Degree). The scientific profile of the workshops has been renewed several times in the history of the department. The common research topics of the lecturers and students are in connection with the programs of the doctoral schools. Even before and after the structural renewal of the doctoral training (2001) the Institute of Geography and Geosciences played an initiative role in accrediting two PhD programs: the Doctoral School of Geosciences and the Doctoral School of Environmental Sciences.
The preparedness of those leaving the university after they have obtained geosciences master degree makes them possible to find employment in scientific research centres, local governments, national professional services and professional authorities, industrial institutions, research companies, small and medium-sized companies. The students gained master degree in geosciences satisfy the long-term social requirements as the coordinators of various laboratory and field research programs and as specialists who are able to process and interpret data. The modern scientific attitude and the balanced theoretical and practical knowledge of geosciences make them able to accomplish various organising and coordinating tasks in scientific life, at various institutions and in industrial resource-research and to pursue their vocation to get acquainted with the Earth and protect it.
The fundamental aim of the master program is that the students after obtaining their degree enter the labour market with strong theoretical background and up-to-date practical preparedness. The students who received geosciences degree are able to plan and coordinate research programs independently, to find theoretical and practical solutions for the geoscientific problems of industry, agriculture and society in an independent and proactive way. On the one hand they are able to accomplish directing tasks at the authorities of geology, mining, water and environmental protection and on the other hand they are capable to prepare environmental impact assessment studies. They can become well-prepared and cooperative co-workers in the workgroups of the academic and industrial research institutions.
As the professionals graduated in geosciences MSc is in the possession of high-quality, reliable and complex knowledge in geosciences and in the related fields as well, and as they are able to use the scientific language at high level in at least one foreign language, they are able to recognise problems and to solve theoretical and practical tasks independently.
The geoscientific researchers are able to collect data characterising the processes of the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, the pedosphere and the atmosphere, to analyse these data in quantitative and qualitative ways and to draw conclusions based on the results. They ensure the renewal of experts in the fields of research and technological development requiring high-level geoscientific knowledge and in addition they also ensure the renewal of PhD student and later on the lectures in higher education. Based on the employment statistics of many years on the students graduated in the above presented majors and the specialisations, it can be concluded that researchers with master degree in geosciences are needed in the following fields:
1. professional management in mining and geology
2. water management, protection of water resources, professional management of water services
3. sustainable use of alternative energy (geothermics, wind energy, solar energy)
4. professional management of environmental protection and environmental industry
5. waste management
6. companies operating in the field of environmental protection and environmental industry
7. professional management in soil science and soil conservation
8. local governments, regional development centres
9. energy sector (fossil and alternative energy)
10. agricultural/land registering/building and construction administration offices
11. nature protection, national parks (geological nature protection)
12. museums, archaeology
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