Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability
| Study location | Italy, Florence |
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| Type | Graduate, full-time |
| Nominal duration | 2 years (120 ECTS) |
| Study language | English |
| Application fee | €20 one-time Application fee is non-refundable |
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| Entry qualification | Undergraduate diploma (or higher) For the admission to the Master Degree Program in Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability a student has to comply with curricular and personal preparation requirements. To satisfy the curricular requirements the student must hold a Bachelor Degree (or higher level degree) in one of the following Bachelor Classes (or an equivalent degree): The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English / French / Italian / Spanish. Often you can get a suitable transcript from your school. If this is not the case, you will need official translations along with verified copies of the original. |
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| Language requirements | English Students must also hold at least a B2 certification for English language in reading and listening, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Certification must be awarded no later than 5 years prior to the enrollment date by the Language Centre of the University of Florence (Centro Linguistico di Ateneo – CLA; www.cla.unifi.it/changelang-eng.html) or by other internationally recognized organizations. The certificate is not required in case of previous academic degree in English language, or in case the applicant is a native English speaker. |
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| Other requirements | At least 1 reference(s) should be provided. |
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| More information |
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Overview
The Master Degree Program in Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability (MES) is conceived to provide the new generation of engineers with those technical skills requested by the job market to support the industry transition towards a more sustainable and green productive paradigm. The traditional background of a mechanical engineer is enriched with competences on legislation and methods in the field of sustainability and circular economy. The program makes use of modern teaching approaches to steepen the learning curve and to facilitate the knowledge application to industry relevant case studies. Specific attention will be given to project works, developed in teams, and assigned in cooperation with industrial partners. Within the MSc program, three different curricula have been created, each of which pursuing a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of the United Nations Agenda 2030:
• Design: focuses on product development with a structured innovation approach, comprehensive life cycle analysis and design, and production with the most sustainable technologies (contributes to SDG 9 – Industry innovation and infrastructure).
• Energy Technologies: deepens the understanding of the generation and management of renewable energies and storage technologies, as well as the design methods and tools for system components and balance of plant (contributes to SDG 7 – Affordable and clean energy).
• Mobility: gives insight in the development of the next generation of electric vehicles and their interaction with infrastructure, within the broader context of sustainable and automated mobility (contributes to SDG 11 – Sustainable cities and communities).
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Knowledge and understanding
To accomplish the scope of the Master Degree, the student shall demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of:
• the multidisciplinary normative, methodological, technological and instrumental context related to the ecological transition of systems, services and products;
• methodologies, technologies and tools for the sustainable development of a product, process or service;
• advanced design tools for modelling and simulation of components or systems;
• (optionally and alternatively, based on the selected curriculum)
⁃ systems and methods for virtual representation, modelling and 2D and 3D geometric reconstruction;
⁃ the main renewable energy sources and energy storage systems, as well as the criteria for their integration with conventional production systems;
⁃ thermodynamic, thermo-fluid-dynamic, thermo-chemical and electrical phenomena underlying the main energy conversion systems;
⁃ the mobility system, its constitutive elements and the tools for its characterization and description, and technical knowledge of vehicles for the development of sustainable mobility environment;
• tools for statistical analysis of data and their processing;
• methods and tools for teamwork.
Skills and abilities
To accomplish the scope of the Master Degree, the student shall demonstrate ability to:
• identify, formulate and solve multidisciplinary industrial engineering problems, considering technical, social, environmental and commercial constraints;
• carry out engineering projects, working in a multidisciplinary environment;
• select and apply methods for the development of new processes, systems and components, with particular reference to sustainability;
• conduct complex experiments and manage instrumentation and advanced software;
• communicate and transfer information, ideas, problems and solutions to specialist and non-specialist personnel;
• an ability to professionally present problems, solutions, analyses and results through written reports and verbal presentations.
Judgement and approach
To accomplish the scope of the Master Degree, the student shall demonstrate ability to:
• independently analyze data and information, draw objective conclusions and make consequential decisions;
• comprehend the ethical implications of design choices and technologies employed or developed;
• identify the need for new knowledge and a capability for autonomous and continuous learning and updating in the relevant engineering area.
Programme structure
In the first year all curricula of the MSc in Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability share the majority of courses. The curricula are then differentiated then differentiated by specific courses and project works in the second year.
Students need to opt for one of the three curricula, detailed in the official website, by means of the submission of a study plan. The student can select the desired curriculum, specify the option for each course slot with multiple alternatives and select the free-choice courses.
In proximity of the submission deadline for the study plans, the School of Engineering organizes a
presentation of the different Master Degree programs and of the opportunities offered by the research laboratories in the different Departments of the School to support students in their choices.
In the Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability program, students need to opt for one of the three curricula:
- DESIGN
- ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
- MOBILITY
More information on the study plan is available on the program website
Career opportunities
The Master Program provides the students with a portfolio of competences that will make them ready to enter a variety of careers in the mechanical engineering field, with specific focus on the fast-growing market of sustainability, where qualified engineers are requested. Moreover, it is an open door on further studies at PhD level and a future in research. Career opportunities are global and rapidly increasing because of the widespread environmental concerns and the massive investments of the European Community in energy transition and environmental protection through the Next Generation EU program. Specifically, the Master Degree Program trains engineers in the following professional roles:
• Mechanical systems designer for sustainability
• Designer of energy systems for sustainability
• System designer for sustainable mobility
• Coordinator of industrial innovation and ecological transition processes
GMT
GMT