The postgraduate interdisciplinary university study programme Environment Protection and Nature Conservation has:

  • obligatory courses
  • general electives
  • specialist electives in different fields of science:
    • biology
    • chemistry
    • agriculture
    • technology

The teaching is done in the first three semesters: in the 1st and 2nd semester students take obligatory courses. Doctoral students are assigned a supervisor and co-supervisor during the 1st semester. General and specialist elective courses are offered in the 3rd semester, and the doctoral students start doing research for a research paper in the 4th semester. In the 5th semester students take active part in various obligatory and elective activities: lectures, study trips, round tables, conferences, laboratory work. The 6th semester is dedicated to writing a doctoral dissertation. The teaching can be organized as lectures as well as consultation, seminars, individual or group research, etc. The organization and delivery of the postgraduate study programme are defined in the Ordinance on Study Programmes and Studying of the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University.

First semester
Obligatory courses

Hours for all compulsory subjects: 25 hours of classes.
The teaching is organized as lectures, seminars and discussions.
CourseHoursLecturesSeminarsPracticumsECTSTeacher
Introduction to Environment Protection and Nature Conservation25151007Dr. D. Šubarić, full professor
Dr. N. Velić, associate professor
Environmental Physics2515556Dr. J. Obhođaš, assistant professor
Environmental Chemistry2515556Dr. Valentina Pavić, associate professor
Geology2515555Dr. N. Vdović, senior assistant research fellow
Ecology2515556Dr. E. Merdić, full professor
Dr. O. Antonić, full professor
For progression to the 2nd semester students need to earn 24 ECTS.

Second semester
Obligatory courses

The teaching is organized as lectures, seminars, practicums and workshops.
CourseHoursLecturesSeminariSeminarsECTSTeacher
Methodology of Writing Research Papers25151006Dr. B. Hackenberger Kutuzović, full professor
Statistical Methods in Environmental Science25150106Dr. Sunčana Geček, assistant research fellow
Biodiversity and Introduction to Nature Conservation2515556Dr. E. Merdić, full professor
General elective6
General elective6
Students must choose two general electives

General electives

CourseHoursLecturesSeminarsPracticumsECTSTeacher
Legal economic and social view of environmental protection20101007Dr. S. Singer, professor emerita
Dr. S. Oberman Peterka, associate professor
Dr. R. Odobaša, associate professor
Ecological Projects1510506Dr. M. Mihaljević, associate professor
Environmental Microbiology1515005Dr. I. Sviličić Petrić, assistant research fellow
Geoinformatics and Remote Sensing1510055Dr. O. Antonić, full professor
Dr. M. Jurišić, full professor
Environmental Modelling and Management1510055Dr. Sunčana Geček, research associate fellow
Dr. Tin Klanjšček, research associate fellow
Ecotoxicology155555Dr. T. Smital
Dr. B. Hackenberger Kutuzović, full professor
Forest Ecology1510505Dr. O. Antonić, full professor
Application of Radioactive Isotopes155555Dr. J. Barešić, assistant research fellow
Physicochemical Processes in the Environment1515005Dr. M. Dutour Sikirić, assistant professor, associate research fellow
Dr. D. Jurašin, assistant research fellow
Organic Agriculture1515005Dr. B. Stipešević, full professor
Renewable Energy Sources1510055Dr. D. Kralik, full professor
Basic Waste Management Technologies1510505Dr. M. Mulabdić, full professor
Sustainable Waste Management1510506Dr. G. Heffer, full professor
Dr. I. Plaščak, assistant professor
Environmental Impact Assessment1510506Dr. Ivan Vučković, research associate fellow

For progression to 3rd semester students should earn 48 ECTS.


CourseHoursLecturesSeminarsPracticumsECTSNositelj Teacher
Specialist elective5
Specialist elective5
Specialist elective5
Thesis proposal15

Third semester

Students choose three specialist electives (in the fields of biology, chemistry, agriculture and technology) and earn 15 ECTS.
In the third semester students also submit the thesis proposal.
To submit the thesis proposal, students need to have earned 48 ECTS and met all the requirements for the third semester. The procedure of submitting the thesis proposal includes completing the submission form and the public defence of the thesis proposal. The assessment committee is appointed by the Council of the Postgraduate Study. The assessment of the thesis proposal can be:
The thesis proposal is accepted
The thesis proposal is rejected
Students earn 15 ECTS for submitting and defending the thesis proposal.

Specialist electives in the field of Biology

CourseHoursLecturesSeminarsPracticumsECTSTeacher
Aquatic Toxicity Tests1510055Dr. J. Horvatić, full professor
Biomarkers of Water Pollution1515005Dr. T. Smital, senior research fellow,
Dr. M. Erk, associate research fellow
Biology and Ecology of Free-Living Aquatic Nematodes1510505Dr. N. Turić, assistant professor
Dr. D. Čerba, assistant professor
Urban Entomology1510055Dr. E. Merdić, full professor
Ecology of Hematophagous Arthropods1510055Dr. S. Krčmar, full professor
Animals of Public Health Significance1515005Dr. M. Sudarić Bogojević, assistant professor
Plant Cell / Environment Interaction1510055Dr. I. Štolfa Čamagajevac. assistant professor
Heavy Metals and Metabolism1510055Dr. V. Pavić, associate professor
Genome and the Environment1510505Dr. M. Plohl, senior research fellow
Dr. Đ. Ugarković, senior research fellow
Photosynthesis and Oxidative Stress1510505Dr. V. Cesar, full professor
Applied Limnology1510505Dr. F. Stević, assistant professor

For each elective students must write a seminar paper.


Specialist electives in the field of Chemistry

CourseHoursLecturesSeminarsPracticumsECTSTeacher
Water Chemistry1510505Dr. M. Habuda Stanić, associate professor
Electrochemical Methods for Environmental Analysis1510055Dr. Lidija Jakobek, full professor
Biotechnology in Environment Protection1515005Dr. N. Udiković Kolić, assistant professor
Analysis of Inorganic and Organic Contaminants155555Dr. M. Ahel, senior research fellow
Air Chemistry1510055Dr. G. Pehnec, assistant professor

For each elective students must write a seminar paper.


Specialist electives in the field of Agriculture

CourseHoursLecturesSeminarsPracticumsECTSTeacher
Physics and Chemistry of Soil155555Dr. I. Jug, full professor
Dr. V. Vukadinović, full professor
Biotechnological Methods in Agriculture1510505Dr. V. Guberac, full professor
Dr. S. Vila, full professor
Models of Organic Vegetable Production155555Dr. Tomislav Vinković, associate professor
Invertebrates in Agriculture1510055Dr. E. Raspudić, full professor
Control of Small Mammals in Agriculture1510505Dr. V. Rozman, full professor
Protection of Game1510505Dr. T. Florijančić, full professor
Ecology of Phytopathogenic Fungi1510505Dr. K. Vrandečić, full professor
Dr. J. Ćosić, full professor
Allergy Plants Monitoring and Control158075Dr. E. Štefanić, full professor
Plant Ecophysiology1510505Dr. T. Teklić, full professor
Organic Grassland Farming1510505Dr. G. Bukvić, full professor
Soil Microbiology1510505Dr. Suzana Kristek, full professor
Ecological Importance of Composting1510505Dr. Z. Lončarić, full professor

For each elective students must write a seminar paper.


Specialist electives in the field of Technology

CourseHoursLecturesSeminarsPracticumsECTSTeacher
Waste Management in Food Industry1510505Dr. M. Tišma, associate professor
Dr. N. Velić, associate professor
Unit Operations in Eco-Engineering1510505Dr. M Planinić, full professor
Dr. A. Bucić-Kojić, full professor
Recycling Technical Waste in Agriculture1510505Dr. I. Plaščak, associate professor
Water Resources Management1510505Dr. L. Tadić, full professor

For each elective students must write a seminar paper.


Fourth semester

In the fourth semester students start doing research and drafting a research paper. The ECTS credits are earned when the paper is in print or published in a journal. Papers can be co-authored, but only the first author is awarded ECTS.

The scoring of research papers

Journal ECTS
Cited in CC (Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4) or ISI with IF (Q1 and Q2) 30
Cited in ISI (Q3 and Q4) but not in CC 20
Cited in other databases 10

For progression to 5th semester students should earn 75 ECTS.

Fifth semester

Extracurricular activities
In the 5th semester students should earn at least 30 ECTS doing extracurricular activities. The supervisor in cooperation with the programme director provides the list of activities and ECTS awarded, which is then approved by the Council of the Postgraduate Study. The maximum number of ECTS credits for extracurricular activities is presented in the following table:

Activity ECTS
Lecture at HEI (obligatory) maks. 5
Study visits maks. 5
Round table – organization maks. 6
Presentation at an international conference 10
Presentation at a conference in Croatia 5
Lab work maks. 12

 

Students must give a 30-minute lecture at a HEI, which is assessed by the supervisor and at least one member of the Council of the Postgraduate Study. The supervisor also confirms the student has participated in the organization of a round table, and suggests the credits earned for this activity. For study trips and laboratory work 1 ECTS credit is earned per day. For participation at conferences the maximum credits are earned only if the student is the first author of the presentation. The second author earns 50% of credits, and the remaining authors earn 20% of credits.

Students should submit certificates of attendnace or other proofs for each extracurricular activity.

Sixth semester

Doctoral dissertation 30 ECTS

  • The language, style and design of the dissertation should follow the current standards and procedures for writing research papers.
  • A doctoral student does not need to write a doctoral dissertation if he/she has published at least 3 research papers cited in CC (or WoS according to the revised study programme), which need to be linked to form a single unit, according to the regulations of the Council of the Postgraduate Study. The student must be the first author of all such papers.

The doctoral thesis is defended before the defence committee.