Analysis, planning and sustainable management of land and territory

Cartine geografiche
Analysis, planning and sustainable management of land and territory
Course sheet
A.Y. 2025/2026
Master programme
LM-48/80 R - Pianificazione territoriale urbanistica e ambientale/Scienze geografiche
Master programme
120
ECTS
Access
Open with entry requirements examination
2
Years
Course location
Milan
Language
Italian
The Master's Degree Course in Analysis, Planning and Sustainable Management of the Territores (APGEST) is a two-year programme that trains graduates with LM 48 or LM 80 degrees who will be:
- trained in the fields of urban and land planning, territorial sciences, cartographic representation and communication of geographical knowledge and the cultural and environmental heritage of territories;
- able to use traditional and innovative tools in the fields of geography, cartography, urban and land planning for the analysis, management and representation of territorial data;
- able to collaborate with stakeholders to promote communication and a culture oriented towards the protection, enhancement and enjoyment of the landscape and territory.
- able to develop and coordinate projects for environmental and landscape management, regeneration and restoration, and projects for the enhancement and promotion of territories within the framework of regional, national and international calls for proposals;
- familiar with the architecture and operation of various information systems (GIS) for territorial analysis and management and cartography production;
- will be able to describe and analyze not only the transformations that characterize a given territory, but also all the socio-economic and political processes and dynamics that are both the origin and result of these transformations;
- will be familiar with the characteristics, purposes and scope of application of various urban planning tools and will be able to contribute to their drafting, revision or updating;
Finally:
- Graduates of the LM-80 class will acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to take the admission tests for training courses to become geography teachers (Class A21) in secondary schools and teachers of other competition classes (A 12), subject to meeting the ministerial requirements.
- LM 48 graduates will acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to independently draft planning tools and related implementation measures, subject to passing the qualifying examination. They will also be able to take the admission tests for training courses to become teachers in middle schools (lower secondary schools) of technology (Class A60).
To achieve these objectives, the course is organized in such a way as to provide all enrolled students with a cultural foundation in geographical sciences, urban planning and land planning. This is achieved through a first year of common core courses for both classes and a second year that still includes a large number of common courses.
1. LAND PLANNER
Function in a work context:
The Land Planner is an LM 48 graduate who, after passing the qualification exam, will be able to work as an expert designer and freelancer directly in the drafting of planning tools and implementation devices related to them.
Among other things, the land planner is a reference figure for:
-land, landscape, environmental and urban planning;
- carrying out and coordinating complex and specialized analyses of territorial, landscape and environmental structures;
- coordination and management of environmental assessment and feasibility activities of territorial plans and projects;
- the drafting of planning tools and related implementation devices.

Skills associated with the function:
To carry out these functions, thanks to the courses and workshops provided by the master degree plan and also through external internships and the preparation of the degree thesis, graduates will acquire the following skills:
- knowledge of construction and management of geographic information systems (GIS) for the analysis and management of the territory;
- capacity of analysis, monitoring and territorial and environmental evaluation;
- knowledge of the management and evaluation procedures of territorial planning acts and related complex programs;
- ability to draft planning tools and related implementation devices.

Career opportunities:
Thanks to the transversal and multidisciplinary skills that they possess and that they has acquired during their studies, the land Planners are fundamental and indispensable professionals. They will play a crucial role in the drafting and elaboration of any urban planning tool, at a regional level (such as the Regional Landscape Plan), at a general level (such as the General Town Plan) and at an implementation level (such as the Detailed Plan and the Allotment Plan). In Italy they can therefore be employed in the public administration (Regions, Provinces, Municipalities, Mountain Communities, in the technical offices and land registers, in the general and local directorates dedicated to the territory), in professional engineering and architecture studios, in associations and organizations for the protection and enhancement of the territory and its resources. LM 48 graduates will be able to draw up planning tools and implementation devices related to them and will be able to carry out this activity independently as expert designers and freelancers after passing the state qualification exam.
Furthermore, LM48 graduates will be able to access preparatory and qualifying courses for teaching Technology in lower secondary schools, as provided for by current legislation.

2. GEOGRAPHER

Function in a work context:
The geographer is an LM 80 graduate who, in the context of support for the complex processes of landscape protection, planning and management, will be able to be complementarity with other professional figures specialized in design, urban and planning and land management. The Geographer will be able to collaborate in the creation of: - cognitive frameworks and landscape reports; - traditional cartographic representations and in GIS environment; - monitoring of landscape context transformations; - mapping of possible critical issues related to unsustainable transformations of the territories; - landscape quality recognition activities and for the identification of prescriptions for the use of landscape assets. The Geographer can also operate in the sector of the production of thematic digital cartography at different scales, in the drafting of technical texts and as a specialist in the recovery and conservation of the territories. Finally, Geographers can collaborate with other professional figures specialized in the fields of communication and education to build strategies and manage projects in many areas: - communication and awareness on landscape matters; - environmental, landscape and sustainability education as a function of the school system at all levels and of the general public; - participatory processes related to territorial management. They will also be able to draw up editorial projects, carry out communication projects relating to the landscape through social media, prepare proposals in response to national and international tenders and calls aimed at raising funds for the management, recovery and/or protection of the landscape.

Skills associated with the function:
LM80 graduates will be able to carry out the functions listed above, first of all thanks to knowledge of: i) the characteristics of landscapes and the territorial processes that determine their evolution, ii) the regulatory bases of the protection and management of landscapes, and iii) the principles and tools of sustainability. Moreover they will have specific skills in analyzing the landscape and its representations (including, for example: collecting information from different sources, direct and indirect, in an organized manner, designing and carrying out field surveys, analyzing data, using GIS).
They will also have developed the skills useful for the critical deepening of knowledge on landscape, for the interpretation and evaluation of landscape dynamics and, through both geographical studies and multidisciplinary insights, transversal skills particularly useful in this field in which it is necessary to be able to integrate disciplinary knowledge and different territorial scales. To further advance the skills related to the aforementioned functions, the LM80 graduates will be able to consider continuing the third level university education (e.g.: II level Master, etc..)

Employment opportunities:
The skills of the LM80 graduates are required in public administrations at various scales, national and international agencies, consortia and other territorial management bodies, non-governmental organizations, consultancy firms. In addition, LM80 graduates will be able, as required by current legislation, to access preparatory and qualifying courses for teaching geography in the secondary school.
Students of the Master degree course in Analysis, planning and sustainable management of the territories who wish to participate in the ERASMUS and ERASMUS + programs will have 3 Erasmus contact persons at their disposal, one for each of the partner departments, and will be able to count on agreements with foreign universities:
- Ruprecht-Karls-Universitat Heidelberg
- Kobenhavns Universitet
- University of Warsaw
- Universidad de Castilla - La Mancha - Ciudad Real
- University of Helsinki
- University of Zagreb
- Sorbonne University - Paris
- Charles University - Prague
- University of Geneva
- IGOT-Ulisboa - Lisbon

For further information and updates, see page: https://www.unimi.it/en/international/study-abroad/studying-abroad-erasmus

Abroad, as part of the ERASMUS and ERASMUS+ programmes, students will be able to:
- obtain credits by following courses and passing the relative exams for the free choice 9 ECTS;
- carry out internships in foreign companies and professional studios;
- carry out all or part of the degree thesis (agreeing on the topic and implementation phases also with a UNIMI professor within the interdepartmental teaching board).
Attendance is highly recommended, but not compulsory.
Enrolment
Graduates in the degree classes:
L-6 Geography,
L-17 Architectural Sciences,
L-21 Territorial, urban, landscape and environmental planning sciences, and, L-32 Sciences and technologies for the environment and nature, as well as in the corresponding classes relating to the D.M. 509/99, as well as four-year graduates in old master degree classes, can access to the degree Master course in Analysis, and planning and sustainable management of territories. Those who have a degree from another bachelor class can also access it, provided that they demonstrate that they possess the necessary skills to successfully pursue their studies and that they have acquired 60 ECTS in at least four distinct groups of scientific-disciplinary sectors among those below specified:
- agronomic-biological-ecological group: AGR / 01- / 03, AGR / 05, AGR / 08- / 10, BIO / 03, BIO / 05, BIO / 07;
- anthropological-psychological-social group: BIO / 08, M-DEA / 01, M-PSI / 01, M-PSI / 05, SPS / 07- / 10;
- architectural-engineering and territorial planning group: ICAR / 01- / 05, ICAR / 15, ICAR / 18, ICAR / 20- / 22;
- chemical-physical-geological group: CHIM / 03, CHIM / 06, CHIM / 12, FIS / 06- / 07, GEO / 02- / 03, GEO / 05, GEO / 09, GEO / 10- / 12;
- economic-legal group: ING / IND / 35, IUS / 01, IUS / 03- / 04, IUS / 09- / 10, IUS / 13- / 14, SECS-P / 01- / 03, SECS-P / 05- / 08, SECS-P / 12;
- geographical group: GEO / 04, M-GGR / 01- / 02;
- computer-mathematical-statistical and land representation group: ICAR / 06, ICAR / 17, INF / 01, ING-INF / 03, ING-INF / 05, MAT / 01- / 09, SECS-S / 01- / 06.
Finally, candidates who are in possession of another bachelor qualification obtained abroad and recognized as suitable will be able to be enrolled, provided that they demonstrate that they possess the curricular requirements and the adequacy of the personal preparation necessary to successfully pursue their studies.
In addition to meeting the curricular requirements, in case of doubts about personal preparation arising from the analysis of grades obtained in courses related to the scientific-disciplinary sectors listed above, the admissions committee will schedule an interview, which may be in person or remotely. The date of the interview will be agreed upon with the student.
The interview may also be conducted before the bachelor's degree, which, for the purposes of enrolment for the 2025-2026 academic year, must be obtained by 31 December 2025.

Upon enrolment, students must choose the master's degree class in which they will obtain their degree (LM 80 or LM 48). Students may also change their choice of master's degree programme by the end of their second year, with the advice of the tutor assigned to them in their first year, in order to choose the programme best suited to their professional aspirations.
Applications from students transferring to Analysis, Planning and Sustainable Management of the Territory from other master's degree programmes at this or other universities will also be evaluated by the admissions committee.
In this case too, the committee will assess the possibility of admitting applicants and whether they should be admitted to the first or second year. The committee will also assess the possibility of partially or totally validating master's degree exams taken at other degree programmes or other universities if they are consistent in content and objectives with the teaching programmes provided in Analysis, Planning and Sustainable Management of the Territory.

Admission

Application for admission: from 22/01/2025 to 30/09/2025

Application for matriculation: from 02/04/2025 to 15/01/2026


Attachments and documents

Admission notice

Learn more:
Programme description and courses list
year
Courses or activities Max ECTS Total hours Language SSD
Compulsory
Information Systems and Statistics for the Territory 12 104 Italian ICAR/06
First semester
Courses or activities Max ECTS Total hours Language SSD
Compulsory
Ecology 6 48 Italian BIO/07
Urban and Spatial Plannig 1 12 96 Italian ICAR/20
Valorization of Cultural and Territorial Heritage 9 72 Italian M-GGR/01
Second semester
Courses or activities Max ECTS Total hours Language SSD
Compulsory
Construction Law 6 48 Italian IUS/10
Physical Geography and Land Use Planning 6 48 Italian GEO/04
Policies and Tools for the Sustainability of the Rural Territory 6 48 Italian AGR/01
Open sessions
There are no specific sessions for these activities (e.g. open online courses).
Courses or activities Max ECTS Total hours Language SSD
Compulsory
English Proficiency B2 (3 ECTS) 3 0 English NN
Optional activities and study plan rules
- Student must choose the master's degree class in which he/she will obtain the title:
- LM 48 Territorial, urban and environmental planning
- LM 80 Geographical sciences
This choice can be changed throughout the course of study.
be activated by the A.Y. 2026/2027
First semester
Courses or activities Max ECTS Total hours Language SSD
Compulsory
Soft Skill Lab: Public Speaking 3 24 Italian NN
Optional
Coastal and Port Planning and Management 6 48 Italian ICAR/02
Didactics of Geography 6 48 Italian M-GGR/01
Environmental and Economic Relevance of Georesources 6 48 Italian GEO/09
Laboratory Investigations of Earth Sciences 3 24 Italian GEO/03 GEO/09
Landscape Ecology 6 48 Italian BIO/03
Lithological Maps 6 48 Italian GEO/02 GEO/07
Place Marketing 6 48 Italian SECS-P/08
Remote Sensing, Geomatics and Spatial Planning 6 48 Italian ICAR/06
Representation and Communication of the Territory 9 72 Italian M-GGR/01
Territorial Systems and Local Development 9 72 Italian M-GGR/01
Second semester
Courses or activities Max ECTS Total hours Language SSD
Compulsory
Urban and Spatial Plannig 2 12 96 Italian ICAR/21
Optional
Applied Geomorphology 6 48 Italian GEO/04
Biogeography 6 48 Italian BIO/05
Environmental Anthropology 6 48 Italian M-DEA/01
Farming in an Urban Landscape Lab 3 24 Italian AGR/20
Geomorphological Hazards and Risks for Landscape and Geoheritage Management 6 48 Italian GEO/04
Laboratorio casi di studi nell'edilizia 3 24 Italian IUS/10
Land Use & Land Cover Changes Analysis 3 24 Italian AGR/02
Landscape Systems Analysis 9 72 Italian M-GGR/01
Measuring Vegetation Lab 3 24 Italian BIO/04
Mixed Farming Systems and Landscape 6 48 Italian AGR/18
Social Psychology for Sustainability and Participation 6 48 Italian M-PSI/05
State Exams for Professional Certification: Urban and Regional Planner 3 24 Italian ICAR/21
Structural Geology and Landform Evolution 6 48 Italian GEO/03
Urban and Land Planning Lab 3 24 Italian ICAR/20
Conclusive activities
There are no specific sessions for these activities (e.g. open online courses).
Courses or activities Max ECTS Total hours Language SSD
Compulsory
Final Exam 12 0 Italian NN
Optional activities and study plan rules
- Choose one course among:
Courses or activities Max ECTS Total hours Language Lesson period SSD
Landscape Systems Analysis 9 72 Italian Second semester M-GGR/01
Representation and Communication of the Territory 9 72 Italian First semester M-GGR/01
Territorial Systems and Local Development 9 72 Italian First semester M-GGR/01
- Earn 12 CFU by choosing two courses among:
Courses or activities Max ECTS Total hours Language Lesson period SSD
Applied Geomorphology 6 48 Italian Second semester GEO/04
Biogeography 6 48 Italian Second semester BIO/05
Coastal and Port Planning and Management 6 48 Italian First semester ICAR/02
Didactics of Geography 6 48 Italian First semester M-GGR/01
Environmental and Economic Relevance of Georesources 6 48 Italian First semester GEO/09
Environmental Anthropology 6 48 Italian Second semester M-DEA/01
Geomorphological Hazards and Risks for Landscape and Geoheritage Management 6 48 Italian Second semester GEO/04
Landscape Ecology 6 48 Italian First semester BIO/03
Lithological Maps 6 48 Italian First semester GEO/02 GEO/07
Mixed Farming Systems and Landscape 6 48 Italian Second semester AGR/18
Place Marketing 6 48 Italian First semester SECS-P/08
Remote Sensing, Geomatics and Spatial Planning 6 48 Italian First semester ICAR/06
Social Psychology for Sustainability and Participation 6 48 Italian Second semester M-PSI/05
Structural Geology and Landform Evolution 6 48 Italian Second semester GEO/03
- Acquire 9 CFU among all the training activities offered and all the courses activated by the University, provided that they are consistent with the training project, after evaluation by your tutor. For this purpose, the courses activated by the course and not already chosen can be selected, or the laboratories proposed by the course of study, such as:
Courses or activities Max ECTS Total hours Language Lesson period SSD
Farming in an Urban Landscape Lab 3 24 Italian Second semester AGR/20
Laboratorio casi di studi nell'edilizia 3 24 Italian Second semester IUS/10
Laboratory Investigations of Earth Sciences 3 24 Italian First semester GEO/03 GEO/09
Land Use & Land Cover Changes Analysis 3 24 Italian Second semester AGR/02
Measuring Vegetation Lab 3 24 Italian Second semester BIO/04
State Exams for Professional Certification: Urban and Regional Planner 3 24 Italian Second semester ICAR/21
Urban and Land Planning Lab 3 24 Italian Second semester ICAR/20
Conclusive activities
There are no specific sessions for these activities (e.g. open online courses).
Courses or activities Max ECTS Total hours Language SSD
Compulsory
Internship 3 0 Italian NN
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Location
Milan
Course locations
Lections will be held in Citta Studi and in Via Festa del Perdono.
https://www.unimi.it/en/university/offices-and-facilities

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