Five new EHEA degrees in the 2010/11 academic year

07/04/2010

Food Science and Technology
The food industry is a chemical transformation industry which cannot be dissociated from its biological component, the objective of distributing food among the population. For this reason there is a need to prepare future professionals who are fully familiar with all of the stages of the food chain.

The course provides interdisciplinary training in basic knowledge of biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics, together with the skills needed to understand the nature of foodstuff, the causes of its deterioration, the fundamental principles of food processing and possible improvements in consumption.

Upon completing the degree graduates will have acquired a global vision of the agro food world; and be familiarised with raw materials and their characteristics; with conservation and transformation systems; and with how all these activities work together to ensure global food safety and quality.

UAB offers an ideal framework for teaching and research in this field, since it houses prestigious research centres and support services, among which are the Food Technology Plant Special Research Centre (CERPTA), the Service for Experimental Farm and Fields, the Research Centre on Agrigenomics (CRAG), the Pilot Fermentation Plant, the Animal Health Research Centre (CReSA), and the ALBA Synchrotron Laboratory.

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
The nanoscience and nanotechnology sector provides knowledge of the properties and manipulation of materials at atomic, molecular and macromolecular scale. It is one of the main forces behind the new industry and society of knowledge. Nanotechnological applications are revolutionising several different industrial and scientific fields (medicine, communication, production and storage of energy, food technology, security, etc.) and in the immediate future will become an increasingly strategic sector. There will be therefore a great demand for specialists in these fields.

This degree offers interdisciplinary training by combining knowledge in the subjects of physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics with application fields such as technologies, materials, biotechnology, medicine and health, energy and the environment.

The course provides students with specific skills needed to understand the fundamental concepts of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology; their applications in problem solving processes; the study of material properties at nanoscale; assessment of risks for health and environmental and socio-economical impact associated with chemical substances and nanomaterials; etc.

Accounting and Finances
Current changes in the global economy have worsened due to a lack of knowledge in financial risk management and a certain laxness in control regulations and accounting analyses of certain firms. This has made even more evident the social need of experts in the fields of financial information management and analysis at all levels.

The course offers versatile training in the area of social sciences, with a detailed specialisation in the sector of accounting and finances, and at the same time extended skills in the fields of business, economics and law. In addition to this degree, students will be able to enrol in a Minor in Accounting and Taxation or in Financial Consulting, and pursue a professional career in banking, insurances, financial consultancy, auditing or consulting firms.

Lectures are given at the Faculty of Business and Economics of the Sabadell campus. The only other university in Spain to offer this degree is University Carlos III, which began the degree in 2008/09. This degree however is quiet common in Europe's English-speaking countries, the most well-known being the Accounting and Finance degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Business and Technology
Business organisations have changed rapidly in the past few years. That is why it is essential to train professionals with solid business and economic skills who master the technological processes of business information systems and are capable of applying these skills to help organisations achieve their goals and objectives.

The course combines solid training in business with technical skills which provides students with the competences needed to apply information and communication theories to the management of organisations. This is possible by complementing economics and business modules with others related to computing. Students can choose three different specialisations offered in three different Minors: Management of Business Administration Information Systems, Management of Financial Information Systems and Management of Computer Infrastructures.

Lectures are given at the Faculty of Business and Economics of the Sabadell campus. The new degree in Business and Technology, together with the degree in Accounting and Finances, was designed to offer greater specialisation to the current three-year degree in Business Studies. No other university in Catalonia offers similar studies in Business and Technology. However, there are a number of European universities offering similar degrees in this field, such as University of Münster, Germany; University of Aston, UK; University of Tilburg, The Netherlands; and University of Toulouse I, France.

Business Management
Work opportunities in business management are greatly influenced by the creation of businesses, their internationalisations, innovation and changes in technology and new ways of organising work.

The course provides students with basic and integrated training in business organisation and administration structures especially focused on small and medium-sized businesses, as well as in the economic and social frameworks in which they are created and undergo development. Emphasis is put on entrepreneurial spirit and the values of efforts, responsibility, creativity and commitment with the business world.

The degree in Business Management adequately combines the theory and practice of business management with specialised skills in entrepreneurship within the context of commercial organisation and management. A significant part of the programme focuses on the entrepreneurial spirit and in the way in which it is related to the innovation, recognition of opportunities and development, and the creation of business initiatives, all in response to new emerging profiles in the business world.

Lectures will be held in Manresa at the UAB-affiliated University School of Social Sciences.