CERNAS

Research Center
for Natural Resources,
Envioronment and Society

Education & Training

CERNAS is hosted by three Higher Education Polytechnic Institutes (from Coimbra, Castelo Branco and Viseu), whose main mission is to produce and transfer knowledge, preferably applied knowledge, that can be used for the benefit of society.

CERNAS researchers are actively involved in the persecution of education and training objectives of the host institutions, as they assume the critical mass of human resources available.

ESAC, ESACB, ESAV and ESTGV offer a wide range of education courses, mainly divided in tree typologies. The Technological Specialization Course (CET) is a non-top post-secondary education which seeks to confer the qualification level V of the National Qualifications Framework. This type of qualification is obtained through the combination of a secondary general or vocational training, with a post-secondary technical training. It focus on preparing top level professionals for relevant gaps, within SME´s with similar scope activity, in the central region of Portugal. It does not preclude the pursuit of studies towards a bachelor degree or master degree, actually it motivates, but it is assumed as an intermediate step towards development of highly demand professional skills.

The offer of first cycle (bachelor) and second cycle (Masters) covers a wide range, and is regulated by the Decree-Law No. 74/2006, of 24 March. The courses are taught in different departments of ESAC, ESACB, ESAV and ESTGV.

The cycle of studies leading to a bachelor degree lasts 3 years, which corresponds to 180 ECTS. The cycle of studies leading to the degree of Master has a duration of 2 years which are equivalent to 120 ECTS. This course of study includes:

  • A specialization course, consisting of an organized set of curriculum units called masters course, which corresponds to a minimum of 50% of the total credits of the course;
  • A scientific dissertation, or project work, unique and specially made for this purpose, or a professional traineeship, subject to final report, depending on the specific objectives sought, which corresponds to a minimum of 35% of total credits of the course.

Given the close proximity that CERNAS keeps to the business world, students are increasingly encouraged to complete an internship in a professional context. A master’s degree is awarded to students who, by approving all curricular units that integrate the curriculum of the master program, and passing the act of public defense of the dissertation, project work or internship report have obtained the number of credits.

Being hosted by Polytechnic Organizations, CERNAS has to comply with Decree-Law nº 49/2005, which does not allow the polytechnics to award PhD degrees.

Despite that, CERNAS is entailing conversations with some of the Universities in the region, which do not possess research or cycle of studies in the CERNAS field of action but have complementary fields of research, to develop a join PhD study cycle in the agriculture and food sector. Given the particularities of the region in what concerns its physiographic and climate setting that produces a diversity of contrasting sub-regions, originating a wide number of products and assets with high added value, in a diversified productive sector, a doctorate cycle course is needed to prepare specialists with the right competences in the various domains pertinent to sustain competitiveness, growth and sustainable development. For this reason CERNAS will strive to develop a Doctoral Programme in association with an external entity to award the degree.

Furthermore, IPC, IPCB and IPV are engaged in the construction of the European Research and Higher Education Area, and in the creation opportunities at regional level to fully develop the potential of its human resources. During the 2015-2020 cycle, CERNAS will actively strive to become involved in several international frameworks at the Master Course level, namely in the Erasmus Mundus programme, and in the Edulink programme. To this end CERNAS researchers started to establish contacts with potential partners.

A brief presentation about the second cycle (Masters) offers in ESAC, ESACB, ESAV and ESTGV is available in sub-pages

A more detail information about ESAC, ESACB, ESAV and ESTGV Higher Education offer can be found in the following links:

ESAC offer

ESACB offer

ESAV offer

ESTGV offer

Education & Training
Education & Training
Education & Training
Education & Training