The Master's Degree in Coastal and Marine Biology and Ecology (CMBE, LM-6) is a two-year programme with free (non-selective) admission, based at the Ecotekne Campus (Lecce) and taught in English. It targets students passionate about biodiversity and ecosystems seeking a high professional qualification at international level.
It delivers education in fundamental and applied marine biology and ecology, integrating eScience with traditional approaches to understand the ecological mechanisms of coastal, transitional and marine ecosystems. It offers two tracks: 'Marine Biology and Ecology' (MBE), on marine biology and ecosystems, and 'E-Biodiversity and Ecosystem Sciences' (EBES), on the foundations of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning and eco-informatics. It requires at least 120 ECTS/CFU.
It is Italy's first marine biology and biodiversity course taught entirely in English and the only one offering a double degree, via the agreement with the University of Lille (MBE track); further agreements are being developed for EBES. The course is connected with the European research infrastructure LifeWatch ERIC.
Faculty involved in European projects and Erasmus+ offer mobility of up to 12 months. Career prospects include research and consultancy in public bodies and companies for the conservation and management of coastal and marine ecosystems, protected areas and environmental assessment, plus PhD programmes; practical training is supported by a research boat and equipped vehicles.

Admission to the Master's Degree in Coastal and Marine Biology and Ecology requires a three-year degree (or a three-year university diploma), or another qualification obtained abroad and recognised as suitable. Candidates must possess the following curricular requirements, expressed in CFU (University Formative Credits) referring to the groups of disciplinary sectors listed below:
1) Group 1 (General, Systematic, Environmental and Applied Botany; Zoology; Ecology): from 12 to 40;
2) Group 2 (Comparative Anatomy and Cytology; Physiology; Biochemistry; Genetics; Microbiology): from 6 to 20;
3) Group 3 (Mathematical Analysis; Probability and Mathematical Statistics; Mathematical Physics; General and Inorganic Chemistry; Organic Chemistry): from 12 to 30.
To be admitted to the subsequent assessment of the adequacy of their personal preparation, candidates must have at least 60 CFU in total (the sum of the credits held across the three groups). In addition, students must have an adequate knowledge of English (equivalent to level B2), assessed during the initial-preparation test; this does not apply to native English-speaking students.

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