SZS Course

Admission to the Master’s Degree programme requires a Bachelor’s degree or another qualification obtained abroad, recognised as valid under the applicable laws.

Admission to the Master’s programme requires a Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent qualification obtained abroad, recognised as valid under the applicable legislation.

Attendance for the course is not compulsory. Lecturers of many courses will make lecture recordings available to students, as indicated in the individual Syllabi.

https://youtu.be/IoisoD1J7Fk?si=tT036pf5tIfLhvsA
Admission requirements

Graduates holding degrees in the following classes have direct access to the personal preparation assessment: L-38 (Animal Science and Production Technology), L-25 (Agricultural and Forestry Science and Technology), L-26 (Food Science and Technology), LM-42 (Veterinary Medicine) under DM 24 October 2004 No. 270; as well as classes 40 (Animal Production Science and Technology), 20 (Agricultural, Agro-Food and Forestry Science and Technology), and 47/S (Veterinary Medicine) under DM 3 November 1999 No. 509. Graduates with a foreign qualification recognized as suitable by the Degree Programme also have access.

Applicants who hold a Bachelor’s degree in classes other than those listed above, or a three-year university diploma, may also be admitted, provided they have earned at least 60 CFU (university credits) in the following scientific-disciplinary sectors: FIS/01–FIS/08; MAT/01–MAT/09; BIO/01; BIO/02; BIO/03; BIO/05; BIO/10; BIO/11; BIO/12; CHIM/03; CHIM/06; AGR/01; AGR/02; AGR/07; AGR/09; AGR/10; AGR/11; AGR/13; AGR/15; AGR/16; AGR/17; AGR/18; AGR/19; AGR/20; VET/01; VET/02; VET/03; VET/04; VET/05; VET/06; VET/07; VET/08; VET/09; VET/10; INF/01.

Of the required 60 CFU, at least 30 CFU must be earned in the scientific-disciplinary sectors of the AGR and/or VET areas.

Preparation and assessment methods

For graduates in class L-38 from the University of Pisa, the personal preparation assessment is automatically considered successful.

For other candidates, the Degree Programme Council will assess their preparation in biology and chemistry, possibly with the support of a dedicated committee tasked with reviewing their academic background. For admission, knowledge of a European language at least at level B2 is also required as part of the personal preparation criteria.

Means of verifying personal preparation: candidates’ personal preparation will be assessed by evaluating the syllabuses of the examinations taken in the three-year degree and/or master’s degree courses, or other university-level qualifications submitted (Master’s degrees, specialisations, etc.); an interview may also be requested.
Knowledge of the European language at level B2 must be demonstrated through the presentation of appropriate certification or will be verified by the commission by examining the syllabus of the student’s home degree course.

The main goal of the Master’s Degree programme is to train graduates with advanced skills in various fields of agro-livestock sciences, with a particular focus on eco-friendly technologies for forage crop cultivation and livestock systems for monogastrics, polygastrics, small species, aquatic species, and invertebrates, emphasizing animal welfare and low environmental impact.

During the programme, particular attention is given to:

  • eco-friendly technologies for forage production
  • livestock systems and animal welfare
  • farm biosecurity and methods for identifying health issues
  • safety, quality, and ethical and commercial enhancement of animal products
  • assessment of environmental impacts and management of environmental and socio-territorial data
  • design of agro-livestock facilities and structures
  • technical (automation and robotics), social, product, and process innovation
  • economic and valuation disciplines for professional practice

Graduates acquire skills to work in the management and design of agro-livestock systems, ensuring alignment between production, system resources, and the needs of consumers, citizens, and society as a whole.

Graduates can work as self-employed professionals as Agronomists and Foresters, upon obtaining the relevant professional license. They may also, if they have earned the required number of credits in the sectors specified by current regulations, take the entrance exams for secondary education teaching training programmes.

Bodies

The Council of the Degree Programme (CoS), composed of the faculty responsible for the educational activities and student representatives enrolled in the programme, ensures the smooth running of all activities. It exercises the powers established by the University of Pisa’s Statute and regulations.

Composition

Full professors:

  • Professor Roberta Ciampolini
  • Professor Francesco Paolo Di Iacovo
  • Professor Marco Mariotti
  • Professor Mina Martini
  • Professor Stefania Perrucci

Associate professors:

  • Professor Carlo Bibbiani
  • Professor Francesca Bonelli
  • Professor Antonio Felicioli
  • Professor Filippo Fratini
  • Professor Baldassare Fronte
  • Professor Mario Giorgi
  • Professor Simone Mancini
  • Professor Chiara Mariti
  • Professor Margherita Marzoni Fecia di Cossato
  • Professor Roberta Moruzzo
  • Professor Roberto Amerigo Papini
  • Professor Francesca Pedonese
  • Professor Francesco Riccioli
  • Professor Claudia Russo
  • Professor Sergio Saia
  • Professor Federica Salari
  • Professor Barbara Turchi

Researchers:

  • Dr. Iolanda Altomonte
  • Dr. Leonardo Catena
  • Dr. Maria Claudia Curardi
  • Dr. Diana Fanelli
  • Dr. Alice Giusti
  • Dr. Giulia Granai
  • Dr. Lisa Guardone

Students Representatives:

  • Dr. Adriano De Cristofaro
  • Dr. Dina Giannotti
  • Dr. Adriano Tenace

Head of Teaching Unit:

  • Dr. Stefano Degl’Innocenti Detto Lucchesi

The Joint Committee, chaired by the President and composed of an equal number of faculty members and student representatives, serves as a permanent observatory of teaching activities and provides guidance or recommendations to the Degree Programme Council.

Regulations (the Regulations approved for the Master’s STPA programme are confirmed)

Art. 1 – Purpose
These Regulations govern the operating procedures and define the composition of the Joint Faculty-Student Committee, hereinafter referred to as the Joint Committee of the Aggregated Degree Programme in Animal Production Science and Technology. Art. 1 – Establishment
The Aggregated Degree Programme in Animal Production Science and Technology establishes a Degree Programme Committee in accordance with Article 36 of the Statute of the University of Pisa. Art. 2 – Composition
The Joint Committee of the Degree Programme is composed of an equal number of faculty members and student representatives in the Degree Programme Council and is chaired by the President of the Degree Programme or a delegate. The University’s general Regulations set out the number, composition, and procedures for selecting the members. Art. 3 – Functions
3.1 – The following functions are assigned to the Joint Committee of the Degree Programme (Article 36 – Statute of the University of Pisa):

  • to carry out monitoring activities of the educational offer and the quality of teaching, as well as the services provided to students by professors and researchers;
  • to identify indicators for the assessment of the outcomes of the aforementioned activities; to provide opinions on the activation and discontinuation of the degree programme;
  • to provide opinions on the regulations and the curricula of the degree programme;
  • to provide opinions on the consistency between the credits assigned to the educational activities and the specific objectives of the degree programme;
  • to provide opinions on the annual report concerning the progress of teaching activities.

3.2 – In relation to the ANVUR self-assessment, the Joint Committee of the Degree Programme shall perform its functions taking into account the guidance of the Departmental Joint Committee. 3.3 – The Joint Committee may establish working groups to study or manage specific and defined topics. 3.4 – The results of the activities carried out by the Joint Committee of the Degree Programme shall be submitted for ratification/approval by the Degree Programme Council and communicated to other bodies (Degree Programme Councils, Departmental Joint Committee, Department Council). Art. 4 – Activities 4.1 – The Joint Committee of the Degree Programme must be operational throughout the year, maintaining contact and communication with the Departmental Joint Committee. 4.2 – Meetings of the Joint Committee of the Degree Programme are convened by the President, who also sets the agenda, with at least five days’ notice prior to the scheduled date, and are conducted according to the standard rules generally applicable to collegiate bodies. All meetings of the Committee must be duly minuted. Minutes and any documents produced must be appropriately stored and made available to the Department, so that each body can, within its respective remit, take into account the guidance, observations, and recommendations contained therein. 4.3 – At the beginning of each academic year, the Joint Committee of the Degree Programme shall prepare, subject to approval by the Degree Programme Council, a calendar of meetings to ensure continuity of sessions. Art. 5 – Approval of the Regulations 5.1 – These Regulations are approved by the Degree Programme Council. Any amendments shall require approval and resolution by the Degree Programme Council. 5.2 – Upon entry into force of these Regulations, all provisions contained in equivalent or subordinate normative sources that conflict with them shall cease to have effect.

Composition

  • Professor Filippo Fratini (Faculty Member)
  • Professor Marco Mariotti (Chair of the Cdl)
  • Professor Federica Salari (Faculty Member)
  • Dr. Adriano de Cristofano (Student)
  • Dr. Dina Giannotti (Student)
  • Dr. Adriano Tenace (Student)

The Review Group, appointed by the Chair of the Degree Programme and composed of the Chair and faculty members of the Degree Programme, a student representative, the Head of the Teaching Unit of the Department of Veterinary Sciences, and at least one representative from the professional sector, is responsible for conducting a periodic and scheduled process of monitoring and reviewing the teaching activities of the Degree Programme. The three-year Review Group, in addition to handling procedures related to ministerial AVA accreditation – such as completing the SUA-CdL form, drafting review reports, and preparing the annual monitoring report – has initiated discussions aimed at more clearly defining the professional profiles and career opportunities associated with the programme. The results of the review and other activities related to the Degree Programme are subsequently discussed within the Joint Committee and the Degree Programme Council, ensuring the involvement of all stakeholders. The Review Group is shared with the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Animal Production Science and Technology.

Regulations

Art. 1 – Purpose
These Regulations govern the operating procedures and define the composition of the Degree Programme Review Group, hereinafter referred to as the Review Group. Art. 2 – Establishment
The Chair of the Degree Programme appoints the Review Group, which remains in office for the entire term of the Chair. During the three-year period, in the event of a member’s resignation, the Chair may appoint a replacement. Art. 3 – Composition
The Review Group is composed of the Chair of the Degree Programme (responsible for the review), any additional faculty members of the Degree Programme, a student representative, the Head of the Teaching Unit, and at least one representative from the professional sector. Art. 4 – Functions
4.1 – The Review Group is responsible for carrying out a periodic and scheduled review process, with the aim of:

  1. assessing the adequacy and effectiveness of the degree programme
  2. investigating the causes of any unsatisfactory results in order to implement all appropriate corrective and improvement measures.

The review activities carried out by the Review Group are structured as follows:

  • the effects of corrective actions already undertaken in previous academic years;
  • the strengths and areas for improvement identified through the analysis of quantitative data (entry into the university system, progression through the study programme, entry into the labour market, student and graduate feedback) or from issues observed or reported regarding the educational pathway;
  • the measures aimed at introducing corrective actions for the critical elements identified or at implementing improvements.

4.2 – The Review Group is responsible for preparing the review report of the degree programme, which may be annual or cyclical. In particular:

  • The annual review is prepared each year in order to monitor and promote the improvement of the effectiveness of educational activities, their tools, services, and infrastructure.
  • The cyclical review is typically prepared at multi-year intervals, depending on the duration of the degree programme and the frequency of accreditation, and in any case in preparation for a periodic accreditation visit. The report primarily highlights the continued validity of the educational objectives and the management system used by the degree programme to achieve them.

The cyclical review cannot therefore replace the annual review, which must be prepared every year as the perspectives of analysis are different.
In the event of a curriculum modification, it is necessary to prepare, in addition to the annual review, the cyclical review.

4.3 – The individuals directly and actively involved in the preparation of the review are:

  • The Degree Programme Review Group, responsible for the review, with the role of completing the available format/template;
  • Department Quality Officer, with the role of validating the review reports of the Degree Programmes within their Department;
  • The Department Council and the Degree Programme Council, with the role of approving the review reports of the Degree Programmes

Art. 5 – Activities 5.1 – The Review Group must be operational throughout its term of office, meeting several times during the preparation of the review report. 5.2 – Meetings of the Review Group are convened by the Chair of the Degree Programme, who also sets the agenda, with at least five days’ notice prior to the scheduled date, and are conducted according to the standard rules generally applicable to collegiate bodies. Art. 6 – Approval of the Regulations 6.1 – These Regulations are approved by the Department Council. Any amendments shall require approval and resolution by the Department Council. 6.2 – Upon entry into force of these Regulations, all provisions contained in equivalent or subordinate normative sources that conflict with them shall cease to have effect.

Composition

  • Professor Francesca Pedonese (Coordinator)
  • Professor Marco Mariotti (Chair of the Cdl)
  • Professor Roberta Nuvoloni (Chair of STPA)
  • Professor Sara Minieri (Faculty Member)
  • Professor Margherita Marzoni Fecia di Cossato (Faculty Member)
  • Professor Barbara Turchi (Faculty Member)
  • Ms. Jessica Perillo (Student Representative)
  • Dr. Adriano Tenace (Student Representative)
  • Dr. Tommaso Mearini (External Professional)
  • Dr. Stefano Degl’Innocenti, also known as Lucchesi (Academic Coordinator)

The Internship Committee, composed of the Degree Programme faculty, is responsible for overseeing all activities related to internships.

Composition

  • Professor Carlo Bibbiani (Coordinator)
  • Dr. Alice Giusti (Faculty Member)

Degree Programme Quality Assurance System

The Quality Assurance System is a set of activities through which the Department of Veterinary Sciences implements its Quality Policy, in accordance with the requirements of the national public system for the evaluation of the quality of universities and research institutions, while interacting with the University Evaluation Unit and the University Quality Assurance Board.

The CdS, as part of the Department’s Quality Assurance system, is committed to continuous improvement through discussion with students and representatives of the world of work. The AQ system works on the evaluation, implementation and revision of the CdS through annual actions (SUA Form, Annual Monitoring Form, Report on student evaluation questionnaires) and periodic (cyclical review, every 3-5 years).

Actions on annual basis

At the end of each semester, the University Quality Presidium surveys student opinion by means of online questionnaires to assess teaching methods, with the aim of finding out how the performance of the courses and, more generally, of the degree course as a whole is perceived by the students, who are its main users. The results of the evaluations are forwarded to the chairs of the degree programmes.

The students of the CdS are required to fill in the teaching evaluation questionnaires; in addition, their representatives attend the meetings of the CdS Council, the Review Group, the CdS Joint Lecturer-Student Committee and the Department’s Lecturer-Student Committee, where they communicate the needs of the student body and are required to inform all their colleagues of the actions taken to evaluate and review the CdS.

The Chair of the Board of Studies and the Joint Lecturer-Student Committee of the Board of Studies analyse the teaching evaluation questionnaires; for courses where critical issues are highlighted, they urge lecturers to propose improvement actions and monitor their effectiveness.

The CdS Chair prepares the SUA-CdS, which is also discussed in the CdS Joint Committee and in the BoD Council.

The Review Group draws up the Annual Monitoring Form, which is a commentary on the national quality indicators of student flow, internationalisation and integration of graduates into the labour market provided by the National Agency for University Evaluation and Research (ANVUR). The Monitoring Form is brought to the attention of the BoD for approval.

The Department’s Joint Lecturer-Student Committee collects all the reports drawn up by the LDCs, drafts a report on the teaching activities carried out in all the LDCs active in the Department and proposes possible improvements to each one; it also analyses any criticalities concerning the general management of the Department (use of classrooms, library, etc.).

The CdS Chair, assisted by the Review Group, analyses the proposals of the Department’s Joint Lecturer-Student Committee and proposes improvement actions that are discussed in the CdS Council.

The Degree Programme Council considers the proposals arising from the work of the various Committees, discusses them, approves them, and monitors their implementation and dissemination.

Cyclical actions

The Review Group every three to five years has to draw up the Cyclic Review Report.