Master's Degree in Forest Engineering (2nd Edition)

• Compulsory: 60
• Optional: 15
• Compulsory external internships: 6
• Master's final dissertation: 9
o Total: 90

The Study Plan of the Master's Degree in Forestry Engineering from the USC consists of 90 ECTS credits, distributed in 2 courses of 60 and 30 ECTS credits each, covering a total of three semesters and including all the theoretical and practical training that the students must acquire to obtain the title.
Three compulsory modules of 20 ECTS credits each (Order CIN/326/2009)
- Module 1: Forest industries and energies.
- Module 2: Forest planning and improvement on a territorial scale.
- Module 3: Business organisation and forestry and natural environment policy.
Three modules corresponding to the three specialties of the master's degree, of which students must take five subjects (15 ECTS credits):
- Module 4: Specialty in protected spaces.
- Module 5: Specialty in forest fires.
- Module 6: Specialty in models for forest management.
Finally, the compulsory module:
- Module 7: External internships (6 ECTS credits) and master's thesis (9 ECTS credits).

- Specialty in Protected Spaces
- Specialty in Forest Fires
- Specialty in Models for Forest Management

In the first year of the master's degree, the 60 common ECTS credits will be taught. Of these compulsory modules, 30 ECTS credits are taught in the first semester and another 30 ECTS credits in the second semester.
In the first semester of the second year, the six optional subjects of 3 ECTS credits that are offered for each of the three specialties of the master's degree are scheduled, of which students must take five subjects (15 ECTS credits).
Furthermore, in that same semester, the last compulsory module of the master's degree is planned to be completed, related to external internships (6 ECTS credits) and the master's thesis (9 ECTS credits).

• Admission profile

  The recommended entry profile for students of this Master's Degree in Forestry Engineering is that of those students who have previously acquired the skills set out in section 3 of the Ministerial Order that establishes the requirements for the verification of the official university degrees that qualify for the exercise of the profession of Technical Forest Engineer and their training must be in accordance with that established in section 5 of the aforementioned Ministerial Order. As indicated in Article 18.4 of RD 822/2021, undergraduate students who have yet to pass the TFG and a maximum of 9 ECTS credits are allowed to access and enroll in a University Master's Degree, although in In no case will you be able to obtain the Master's degree if you have not previously obtained the Bachelor's degree. In the case of the USC, this access is regulated by the agreement of the Governing Council of 10/28/2022.

• Minimum number of ECTS enrollment credits per student and school period

  • Compulsory: 60
  • Optional: 15
  • Compulsory external internships: 6
  • Master's final dissertation: 9
  o Total: 90

  The Study Plan of the Master's Degree in Forestry Engineering from the USC consists of 90 ECTS credits, distributed in 2 courses of 60 and 30 ECTS credits each, covering a total of three semesters and including all the theoretical and practical training that the students must acquire to obtain the title.
  Three compulsory modules of 20 ECTS credits each (Order CIN/326/2009)
  - Module 1: Forest industries and energies.
  - Module 2: Forest planning and improvement on a territorial scale.
  - Module 3: Business organisation and forestry and natural environment policy.
  Three modules corresponding to the three specialties of the master's degree, of which students must take five subjects (15 ECTS credits):
  - Module 4: Specialty in protected spaces.
  - Module 5: Specialty in forest fires.
  - Module 6: Specialty in models for forest management.
  Finally, the compulsory module:
  - Module 7: External internships (6 ECTS credits) and master's thesis (9 ECTS credits).

• Tutorial action and reception

  El Plan de Acción Tutorial de la EPS de Ingeniería presenta un conjunto de acciones que tienen por finalidad guiar, orientar y acompañar al alumnado durante sus estudios universitarios.
  https://www.usc.gal/gl/centro/escola-politecnica-superior-enxenaria/pla…

• Access

  Access

  Poderán acceder ás ensinanzas oficiais de Master:
  1. As persoas que estean en posesión dun título universitario oficial español.
  2. Aquelas que teñan un título expedido por unha institución de educación superior do EEES que faculta no país expedidor do título para o acceso a ensinanzas de mestrado.
  3. Os titulados conforme a sistemas educativos alleos ao EEES sen necesidade de homologación dos seus títulos, previa comprobación pola Universidade de que os ditos títulos acreditan un nivel de formación equivalente aos correspondentes títulos universitarios españois e que facultan no país expedidor do título para o acceso a ensinanzas de posgrao.
  REQUISITOS ESPECÍFICOS
  Requírese un Grao con atribucións profesionais que habilite para a profesión de Enxeñeiro Técnico Forestal.
  O alumnado estranxeiro, a efectos de poder seguir axeitadamente os ensinos, deberá acreditar coñecementos de lingua española ou galega mediante un título de nivel B1 ou Celga II respectivamente, ou outros de nivel superior. Este requisito non será aplicable a alumnado procedente de países de fala española ou portuguesa. De non estar en posesión dalgún dos títulos, a USC realizaralles unha proba de nivel e, de non superala, deberán asistir a un curso intensivo de galego ou español no primeiro semestre ata alcanzar o nivel requirido.

  Admission

  For general access of students with a degree that qualifies them for the profession of Technical Forest Engineer, the admission criterion will be the average grade of the academic record of the access degree (100%).
  Graduates will have priority over students who meet the requirements established in RD 822/2021. If they request admission, the number of credits they have pending will be applied as a priority criterion and, in the event of a tie, the average grade of the file.

The general objective of the Master's Degree in Forestry Engineering is the training of senior technicians trained to plan, project, organise and direct forestry spaces and the goods and services they provide. Among its specific objectives are to protect the soil, conserve and regulate water resources, ensure the protection and conservation of wild flora and fauna species, improve the rural environment, study and organise the repopulation and conservation of the mountains and take advantage of the resources
forestry, both for its transformation by the industry and for direct enjoyment, as well as building forest trails and designing facilities for the storage, drying and transformation of wood. To this end, knowledge is also acquired on combating plant pests and diseases, fire prevention and management, management of protected areas and genetic improvement of forest species. It is intended that students who complete the Master are professionals prepared to practice the regulated profession of Forestry Engineer and know how to manage forest resources in a rational and sustainable manner.
• The main objective of the specialty in Protected Spaces is to provide the necessary knowledge so that students are able to design planning and conservation actions for this type of spaces in their social context, with the perspective of ecosystem management and environmental services developed in a scenario of global change and sustainability.
• The main objective of the specialty in Forest Fires is to provide the necessary knowledge so that students are able to design prevention and fight strategies against forest fires. To this end, the phenomenon of fires is treated comprehensively, taking into account very diverse disciplines that allow future graduates to build a broad and solid base from which to make decisions in the performance of their profession.
• The objective of the specialty in Forest Management Models is to provide the necessary knowledge so that students are able to develop growth and production models of forest systems and implement them in computer simulators to make predictions.

• Competencies

  BC01 - Have acquired advanced knowledge and demonstrated, in a scientific and technological or highly specialised research context, a detailed and well-founded understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects and work methodology in one or more fields of study.
  BC02 - Knowing how to apply and integrate their knowledge, their understanding, their scientific foundation, and their problem-solving abilities in new and imprecisely defined environments, including multidisciplinary contexts, both researchers and highly specialised professionals.
  BC03 - Know how to evaluate and select the appropriate scientific theory and the precise methodology of their fields of study to formulate judgments based on incomplete or limited information including, when precise and relevant, a reflection on the social or ethical responsibility linked to the solution that is proposed in each case.
  BC04 - Be able to predict and control the evolution of complex situations through the development of new and innovative work methodologies adapted to the specific
  scientific/research, technological or professional field, generally multidisciplinary, in which their activity is carried out.
  BC05 - Knowing how to transmit in a clear and unambiguous way to a specialised or non-specialised audience, results from scientific and technological research or the most advanced field of innovation, as well as the most relevant foundations on which they are based.
  BC06 - Have developed sufficient autonomy to participate in research projects and scientific or technological collaborations within their thematic field, in interdisciplinary contexts and, where appropriate, with a high component of knowledge transfer.
  BC07 - Be able to take responsibility for their own professional development and specialisation in one or more fields of study.
  CEM1-04 - Knowledge and ability to develop and apply technology in the field of renewable energies in the forest and natural environment.
  CEM1-01 - Ability to draft, direct and execute projects for the development, sawmill, and furniture industries and for the use of renewable energy.
  CEM1-02 - Ability to draft, direct and execute projects in pulp and paper industries, fibreboard, particleboard and plywood industries and wood distillation industries.
  CEM1-03 - Knowledge and ability to design and size forest industry and product facilities.
  CEM2-01 - Knowledge and ability to design comprehensive sustainable development plans for forest regions and the development of management indicators.
  CEM2-02 - Ability to design declaration and/or management plans for protected natural spaces.
  CEM2-03 - Ability to design territorial planning plans, mountain areas and coastal areas.
  CEM2-04 - Ability to design hydrological planning actions and fight against desertification.
  CEM2-05 - Ability to control pollution of the natural environment due to industrial activity and waste management.
  CEM2-06 - Knowledge and ability to develop and apply technology in the field of forest genetic improvement.
  CEM2-07 - Ability to develop forest quality and environmental audit systems.
  CEM3-01 - Ability to analyse and diagnose the environment and the company itself, develop and manage business plans and carry out profitability studies on forestry investments.
  CEM3-02 - Knowledge for the rationalization of production processes and work methods.
  CEM3-03 - Knowledge of tools for economic and financial analysis and ability to manage economic resources.
  CEM3-04 - Knowledge of marketing strategies, market studies and distribution policies.
  CEM3-05 - Knowledge of communication, information, motivation, and personnel management tools.
  CEM3-06 - Knowledge of the basic problems that affect the design of forestry policy measures at the regional, state, and international levels.
  CEM3-07 - Knowledge of global strategies for the protection of the natural environment.
  CEM3-08 - Knowledge of sociology in the field of forestry and the natural environment.
  CEM4-01 - Ability to design planning and conservation actions for protected spaces in their social context, with the perspective of ecosystem management and environmental services, developed in a scenario of global change and sustainability.
  CEM5-01 - Ability to design prevention and fight strategies against forest fires.
  CEM6-01 - Ability to develop growth and production models of forest systems and implement them in computer simulators to make predictions.
  GC04 - Ability to apply and define criteria and indicators in the field of environmental auditing.
  CEM7-01 - Ability to carry out external internships in the professional field of Forestry Engineering and to make a report of the activities carried out during an external stay, acquiring knowledge about the reality of the career opportunities of the degree and having a first experience professional in a workplace.
  CEM7-02 - Completion, presentation, and defence, once all the credits of the study plan have been obtained, of an original exercise carried out individually before a university tribunal consisting of a comprehensive Forestry Engineering project of a professional nature in which the competencies are synthesized acquired in the teachings.
  GC01 - Ability to apply marketing and commercialisation techniques for forest products.
  GC02 - Ability to design, direct, prepare, implement, and interpret projects and comprehensive action plans in the natural environment.
  GC03 - Ability to plan, direct and manage first-class forestry industries and facilities and subsequent transformations.
  GC05 - Ability to develop techniques and projects in the field of renewable energies.
  GC06 - Ability to develop techniques and projects in the field of forest genetics.
  GC07 - Capacity for the development of forestry policies.
  TC01 - Capacity for analysis and synthesis.
  TC02 - Capacity for reasoning and argumentation.
  TC03 - Capacity for individual work, with a self-critical attitude.
  TC04 - Ability to work in a group and address problematic situations collectively.
  TC05 - Ability to obtain adequate, diverse, and updated information.
  TC06 - Ability to prepare and present an organised and understandable text.
  TC07 - Ability to make a public presentation in a clear, concise, and coherent manner.
  TC08 - Commitment to truthfulness of the information offered to others.
  TC09 - Skill in the management of information and communication technologies.
  TC10 - Use of bibliographic and Internet information.
  TC11 - Use of information in a foreign language.
  TC12 - Ability to solve problems through the integrated application of their knowledge.

• Abilities and skills

  A/S3-02 - Evaluate the status of the project objectives (time, cost, and quality) during the execution phase and take corrective measures that affect the scope of the project.
  A/S3-03 - Integrate as a team member in organisations that operate based on projects.
  A/S3-04 - Apply criteria in the management of species and spaces protected by international instruments and European regulations.
  A/S3-05 - Implement Forest growth models in computer simulators.
  A/S3-06 - Use Forest growth simulators to make predictions and design silvicultural programs optimised in technical and economic terms.
  A/S3-07 - Develop business plans adapted to the forestry sector.
  A/S3-08 - Develop marketing plans for companies in the forestry sector.
  A/S3-09 - Design policy and strategy proposals in the forestry sector.
  A/S3-10 - Analyse conflicts in the forestry sector and propose solutions.
  A/S4-01 - Design plans, carry out actions and propose conservation strategies for places of geological and edaphic interest, species, and habitats in protected spaces.
  A/S4-02 - Design plans for the use of resources within protected spaces.
  A/S4-03 - Design genetic conservation plans for threatened populations.
  A/S4-04 - Select areas to protect.
  A/S4-05 - Value the environmental services of protected spaces from a social and economic perspective.
  A/S4-06 - Assess biodiversity considering different spatial-temporal scales.
  A/S4-07 - Design auxiliary facilities for public use management in protected spaces.
  A/S4-08 - Project environmental and tourist itineraries in protected spaces.
  A/S5-01 - Use operational fire behaviour prediction systems.
  A/S5-02 - Evaluate and estimate the impacts of fire in the different environmental compartments, as well as globally, and at different spatial and temporal scales.
  A/S5-03 - Plan fuel management actions, including prescribed fire and silvo-pastoral techniques.
  A/S5-04 - Design defence plans against forest fires.
  A/S5-05 - Carry out appraisals and assessments of damage from forest fires.
  A/S5-06 - Design restoration plans after forest fire.
  A/S5-08 - Use remote sensing and geographic information systems to analyse events and processes related to forest fires.
  A/S6-01 - Use a computer language to apply statistical tests and build the basic elements of forest models.
  A/S6-02 - Develop growth models for stands managed by the felling shift system using a computer language.
  A/S6-03 - Develop growth models for irregular stands using a computer language.
  A/S6-04 - Develop simple forest ecosystem models and analyse the structure of more complex models.
  A/S6-05 - Make predictions of the effect of global change on forest ecosystems.
  A/S6-06 - Evaluate the sustainability of different types of management, as well as their environmental benefits.
  A/S6-07 - Select the methodologies and use the appropriate tools for the development of models that simulate tree-underforest interactions and non-timber forest production.
  A/S7-01 - Analyse and describe the activity and organisation of the company in which you have carried out the external internships.
  A/S7-02 - Specify the specific activities in which you have participated during the external internships.
  A/S7-03 - Critically analyse the strengths and weaknesses of your previous training in relation to your responsibilities during external internships.
  A/S7-04 - Describe how your training has improved during the development of external internships.
  A/S7-05 - Develop a comprehensive project in the field of Forestry Engineering in which it is demonstrated that you have achieved advanced knowledge in that field.
  A/S7-06 - Make a presentation, in a limited time and for a panel of specialists, of the design, development and results of the project.
  A/S1-06 - Design different types of forestry industries.
  A/S1-01 - Size facilities for using forest biomass for energy purposes.
  A/S1-02 - Design the logistics for the use of forest biomass.
  A/S1-03 - Design and calculate metal and wooden structures with the technical building code.
  A/S1-04 - Calculate connections and support devices for structures.
  A/S1-05 - Use computer programs to dimension structures.
  A/S1-07 - Optimize the resources necessary for the production of products in forest industries.
  A/S1-08 - Design photovoltaic solar energy and photothermal solar energy installations.
  A/S1-09 - Estimate the wind potential of an area.
  A/S1-10 - Design and manage plantations of wood and herbaceous energy crops.
  A/S1-11 - Design health protection systems for wood and herbaceous energy crops.
  A/S1-12 - Identify, evaluate, write, direct, and execute forest industry projects of various types.
  A/S2-01 - Analyse the risks of environmental pollution that a forestry company can generate as well as the influence of environmental pollution on forest ecosystems.
  A/S2-02 - Analyse the risks of environmental pollution that a forestry company can generate as well as the influence of environmental pollution on forest ecosystems: Design and implement an environmental management system in a forestry company.
  A/S2-03 - Optimally plan forest management using different analytical techniques.
  A/S2-04 - Integrate Forest certification requirements into planning.
  A/S2-05 - Design a forest genetic improvement plan.
  A/S2-06 - Prepare territorial planning plans.
  A/S2-07 - Evaluate the status of territorial plans in execution, as well as the success or failure of those executed.
  A/S2-08 - Evaluate the existing hydrological risks in a basin and current or future changes in its status.
  A/S2-09 - Design hydrological risk prevention and hydrological restoration plans.
  A/S2-10 - Design proposals for the declaration of protected natural spaces.
  A/S2-11 - Design management and monitoring plans for protected natural spaces.
  A/S3-01 - Design, implement and track the development of project management plans.

• Knowledge

  erro "La aplicación utiliza un valor de tipo no válido para la operación actual."

Mobility

Student mobility is regulated through the “Regulation of inter-university exchange.” Exchange programmes are managed through the International Relations Office, such as
national exchange programmes (SICUE) as well as Europeans (ERASMUS) and from outside the European Union (exchanges with Latin American countries or English-speaking countries):
https://www.usc.gal/gl/servizos/area/internacional

Internships

The internship will consist of the students carrying out internships in a company or organisation for 150 hours (4 weeks) plus the preparation of the corresponding report, in order to obtain 6 equivalent credits (1 ECTS credit = 25 hours of internship).
The EPSE has nearly 500 agreements with companies and institutions so that students of the different degrees taught there can carry out external internships. In the field of Forestry Engineering, these agreements would offer a total of 120 places for external internships for Master's students, which can guarantee the availability of 25 annual places for new students. The complete list of companies and institutions with an agreement with the EPSE for carrying out external internships can be consulted on the center's website:
https://www.usc.gal/es/centro/escuela-politecnica-superior-ingenieria/p…
In addition, both teachers and students may propose new agreements between USC and other companies or institutions, which must be signed before the students join.
For the organisation, management and monitoring of external internships, a Master's External Internship Coordinator will be appointed, who will be part of the Degree Commission and will be in charge of assigning the internship centers and monitoring them. In addition, the Title Commission will assign the student an academic tutor from among the Center's Teaching and Research Staff, who will monitor the work carried out by the student and ensure the quality of the stay carried out, and an external tutor in the company, in charge to guarantee appropriate conditions for carrying out the internship.

The master's thesis aims to be an anticipated professional activity where the student applies the knowledge acquired in his training to a real and complex problem.
It will be presented and defended individually in a public act before a university tribunal, once all the credits of the syllabus have been passed.