Specialist Study
Fisheries

The Specialist Study Fisheries belong to the Biotechnical sciences, Agriculture, Fishery. The duration of the studies is one academic year (2 semesters, i.e. 60 ECTS).

The studies are organized and managed by the Committee for Postgraduate Specialist Studies, whose president is Prof. Dragan Bubalo, PhD

About the Study:

• Reasons for starting the Specialist Study Fisheries

  Fisheries, as a form of using biological resources, is a part of agriculture in its broader sense. It has very distinct features due to the specific media it is done in (water), specific organisms (fish, invertebrates, and water plants), and due to the cultivating and take component, and the simultaneous need for water and wildlife protection measures. This results in its definition as a separate scientific branch within the agricultural field, with organized postgraduate studies worldwide. Having said all this, we need to acknowledge the continuous need for expert and interdisciplinary, highly educated people, who will be able to manage and enhance this scientific branch. These needs are even more emphasized in view of the future accession of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union. The readiness of the Faculty of Agriculture, as the country's leading scientific and educational institution to face these challenges is visible from its rich scientific and expert production, as well as the openness to the newest findings worldwide, and the cooperation with numerous similar institutions in Europe that organize expert studies comparable to ours.

  In 2006, the Faculty of Agriculture of the Zagreb University celebrated the 87th anniversary, and it is one of the oldest and the best organized faculties of agriculture in this European region.

  The Faculty of Agriculture has been organizing and developing the postgraduate studies of Fisheries for more than 3 decades. These postgraduate studies are unique and recognized in this region, and many foreign students attended and completed them, not only among agronomists, but also experts of other profiles. Until 2003, these studies were Masters postgraduate studies. In 2003, they were harmonized with the ECTS system, and transformed into postgraduate doctoral studies that received credentials from the National Committee for higher education and the Senate of the Zagreb University. In the meantime, the new Law on Scientific Activities and the Higher Education was passed, and the Faculty of Agriculture started a new and unique doctoral study of Agriculture that also contains scientific components of Fisheries, and the existing studies are being transformed into this expert study - Fisheries. The tradition was retained to engage experts from other parts of Croatia (continental and seaside), which was developed since the beginning of the studies. This is why these studies have meets all criteria for further successful development.

• Openness of the Study to student mobility

  The studies have always been open to foreign students due to the broadness of the agricultural field, and students of biotechnical and other scientific areas were always welcome, primarily from science and biomedical fields. This practice will continue, which is visible from the conditions of application.

  The mobility is guaranteed by the possibility to gather part of the ECTS credits by attending courses in other scientific and educational institutions in Croatia and abroad.

• Coditions for applying

  Completed graduate studies in biotechnical or other scientific field (Master of Science according to the Bologna 3+2 system; Bachelor of Science or equivalent according to the previous system). The applicants with the completed graduate studies outside the biotechnical studies may have to take and pass additional differential courses, which will be determined for each individual case by the faculty Committee.

  Applicants with the completed vocational studies with 240 or more ECTS credits may also apply (in compliance with the Statute of the Zagreb University, Art. 55, par. 7).

  The students who graduated at a foreign high school institution may enrol under the same conditions, providing that they submit a Confirmation of the validated courses issued by a competent institution in the Republic of Croatia.

  The Conditions of Application are published by open advertisement in public media.

• Competences acquired after the completion of the Study

  The aim of the studies is to educate experts capable of independent expert activities, and enhancement of the scientific branch. They will gather the necessary basic knowledge, and they will be able to work independently and jointly at sea and continental waters, in cultivation and take of fish, and other water organisms. They will be able to organize and manage expert projects, critically read expert literature, and transfer expert knowledge into practical activities.

• Academic title acquired after the completion of the Study

  University Specialist in Fisheries (Univ. Spec. in Fisheries)

• Structure

  In the first semester of the studies, basic mandatory courses are taken, while in the second semester the students chose optional courses. One A group course (Types of Fisheries), and one B group course (Types of cultivation) are mandatory. Other courses are chosen from group A, B, and C.

  In order to enrol in the second semester, all students must obtain the certificates containing the attended first semester courses, i.e. they need to have the first semester validated. During the second semester, the students must complete the expert thesis (5 ECTS). This thesis may be defended after all courses have been successfully passed.

  The second semester courses can be chosen from other postgraduate studies in Croatia or abroad. The whole second semester may be completed in another institution. Such Application should be approved by the competent Faculty Committee.

  Completed courses from the doctoral studies at the Agricultural Faculty (up to max. of 18 ECTS credits) may be acknowledged as optional courses.

• Criteria and Conditions for transfer of ECTS credits

  The courses that are taken as optional may be taken within the other studies in Croatia or abroad, and they bring the number of ECTS credits in accordance with this postgraduate studies. The decision for this is taken by the competent faculty Committee.

  Almost all courses from these studies may be organized in the English language. Such Application should be approved by the competent Faculty Committee for each individual application.

  These one year studies should be completed not later than in two years time. The students who do not complete the studies within this timeframe should submit a written application to the competent Faculty Committee stating the reasons for the extension of the studies. The Committee shall take decisions in each individual case.

• The conditions for the eligibility to the graduation certificate for the study program, as part of the life-long education

  At any time, students can apply for the Transcript of Records (courses completed and passed by a definite time), which can be obtained in the Faculty Secretariat.

   

Completion of the Study

The student completes the studies by a public defence of the final expert thesis, information on which is published at the Faculty information board at least five days before the defence. The application for the final expert thesis should be submitted to the competent Faculty Committee by the student in cooperation with his/her mentor and two professors, who constitute the Committee for the assessment/defence of the completed thesis. The application should include the topic, the type and the structure of the thesis. At its session, the Committee discusses the proposed topic of the thesis, as well as the proposed Assessment and Defence Committee members, and accepts or returns them to the mentor together with the proposed changes. After the topic and the members of the Assessment/Defence Committee have been accepted by the Faculty Committee, the student may proceed with the defence of the final thesis. At the time of the defence, all courses and other obligations must be completed and successfully passed.

The maximum duration of these studies (from enrolment till the defence of the thesis) is two years, including the graduation year.

Conditions for the organization of the Study

Study program locations: The main location of the studies is at the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb. Some courses are managed in co-operation with other institutions - Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Veterinary Faculty, and Faculty of Mathematics and Science of the Zagreb University, The Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb, the Faculty of Agriculture of the Osijek University, the Dubrovnik University, the Oceanographic and Fisheries University and Institute in Split, and at the Faculty of Biotechnology in Ljubljana.

Space and equipment data: The main study facilities are located at the Faculty of Agriculture with more than 20 laboratories, 5 scientific testing facilities, and the largest agricultural library in the Republic of Croatia. In 2005, with the support of the Ministry of Science, Education and sports, a new pavilion was opened with various modern laboratories for scientific and expert research. Such structure provides daily connection to the latest scientific knowledge and top-level work in the field of science. Part of these capacities will be used for these studies, with the emphasis on the Fishery laboratories with the nursery at the Department of Fisheries, Apiculture and Special Zoology. Their facilities and equipment will be used for some of the courses taught at other institutions.

Optimal number of students: The optimal number of students is up to 8. In case if some of the courses attract less than 3 students, they will be given the opportunity to acquire the knowledge through consultations with the teachers.