Environmental Biology

Prospects of graduates

Knowledge
The graduate has advanced interdisciplinary theoretical and practical knowledge of biological-ecological and environmental sciences. He/she is able to analyse the structure, dynamics and functions of ecological systems and to understand the principles, mechanisms and processes of the organisation of these systems. The student will acquire a modern ecosystem and integrated approach to the conservation of nature, landscape and the environment (ENV). They will be able to assess the impact of harmful and toxic elements and compounds on life on Earth (from individuals to species to communities, including humans) and on the different components of the environment. Can formulate and analyse interactions between biota, abiotic environment and the environment, as well as ecological and environmental problems at global, regional and local levels and is able to propose practical solutions leading to their elimination or removal, preferably through ecological restoration processes and the use of biological remediation methods. Can predict, identify and assess the impacts of human activities and the consequences of global Earth problems on biota, ecosystems, the environment and human health. Understands ecosystem service valuation models. Knows the methods of scientific work, can design, implement and statistically evaluate ecological and environmental experiments. Applies knowledge and skills in the design and management of environmental projects. Knows the legislation in the field of environmental impact assessment, in the field of individual environmental components and its use in practice, understands the interconnection of legal regulations, knows the basic competences in the field of representation of a state administration body or other entity in administrative proceedings related to environmental law. In many subjects, it links theory with practice through the analysis of case studies, experiments and projects presented by experts and practitioners. He has knowledge of environmental trends in the world, Europe and Slovakia, is familiar with basic strategic and forecasting concepts and has an overview of their use in the environment, especially in the field of biodiversity and climate change. Evaluates, develops and implements several educational methodological approaches to achieve the objectives of environmental education in formal and non-formal education settings.
Skills
The graduate is able to assess the real ecological and environmental sustainability of proposed solutions, e.g. in the case of agriculture, forestry, water management and climate change. Applies his/her knowledge in the analysis of a selected area in terms of ecosystem services provided, their specification, importance and evaluation. Is able to assess the appropriateness and effectiveness of conservation interventions, define key issues as well as strengths and weaknesses in the practical conservation of nature and landscape and the environment. Can select and assess the feasibility of approaches to ecological restoration of ecosystems and landscapes, and predict their effectiveness and outcome. Knows methods of (bio)remediation of environmental burdens, contaminated components of the environment and brownfields. He has practical experience with the activities of departmental organizations of the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic, especially the State Nature Protection of the Slovak Republic, the Slovak Environmental Agency, the Slovak Museum of Nature Conservation and Caving, as well as institutions and enterprises dealing with environmental issues and waste management. It applies the acquired theoretical knowledge and acquired experience to the implementation of its own environmental education, training and awareness programme and applies adequate instructional educational techniques to promote environmental literacy of various target groups. The student is able to develop his/her own proposal and budget for an environmental or ecological project. Evaluates the state of the environment under the current "business as usual" model and predicts the possibilities of future developments in the intent of green initiatives based on existing scenarios. He is able to carry out the so-called post-project analysis/monitoring (defined by the EIA process) of selected environmental components and with his professional input to actively enter into any phase of the EIA process and thus fulfils the criteria for training for assessors of the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic. He/she can apply the relevant legislation in solving problems related to the care of the natural and environmental environment and its individual components. The graduate carries out basic and applied research independently or in a research team. He/she is able to approach his/her work creatively and with initiative. He/she is able to select the appropriate method and design of data collection for the analysis and synthesis of the studied problem, and is able to interpret the obtained results correctly. Knows the nature of the biological-ecological and environmental data obtained and can apply adequate statistical methods to their processing. Is able to use GIS applications to solve practical problems. Is able to process a scientific article and knows the different ways of presenting the results. He is a professional who not only understands the nature of biological, ecological and environmental data in practical application, but is also able to process them independently in databases and in a geographical information systems environment, which in practice usually represents the workload of at least two staff members.

Competencies
She will apply her interdisciplinary biological-ecological-environmental training in a variety of public and private operational, administrative, management, scientific research, consulting, as well as manufacturing domestic and international institutions. These include, in particular, state and non-governmental nature and landscape conservation organisations, state and local government bodies, scientific institutions and universities, specialised laboratories, as well as organisations dealing with remediation, environmental issues and environmental education.

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Conditions of admission

An applicant for the second cycle of studies for the academic year 2026/2027 must have completed a Bachelor's degree in a programme of study in the same or a related field of study as the one for which he/she is applying.
The entrance examination for the second degree of study in both full-time and part-time form of study
in the academic year 2026/2027 will be held as follows:
1. applicants for study programmes of the Faculty of Business Administration of the MBU may be admitted without entrance examinations on the basis of a proposal of the person responsible for the study programme in case the number of applicants for the study programme does not exceed the planned number. The basic condition for their admission will be the successful completion of a bachelor's degree in the same or a related field of study as the one to which they are applying;
2. if the number of applicants for a given study programme significantly exceeds the planned capacity of the faculty, the applicants will be admitted on the basis of the results of the entrance examination (written tests). The entrance examination may also be conducted online. The decision on the form of the entrance examination is the responsibility of the person responsible for the study programme. The successful candidate must achieve a minimum pass mark of 50 % in the written test (in the case of a combined subject teaching programme, the pass mark relates to the test for each subject).

The written tests will be written:
- from the pedagogical-psychological basis and the subjects of the SP (approbation subjects) in the scope of the university curriculum of the first degree for the study of biology, physics, geography, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, as well as approbation subjects implemented at the PF or FF UMB,
- from the pedagogical-psychological basis and from the overview of the technical application of mathematics and physics in the scope of the university curriculum of the first degree for the study of the teaching of technology,
- in applied informatics within the scope of the university curriculum of the first degree for the study of applied informatics,
- in geography and geology within the scope of the university curriculum of the first degree for the study of applied geosciences,
- in mathematics within the scope of the university curriculum of the first degree for the study of mathematics in data analysis and finance,
- in biology, ecology, monitoring and information systems within the scope of the university curriculum of the first degree for the study of environmental biology.

Conditions of admission to teacher study programmes, where one of the subjects is a subject implemented at the Faculty of Physical Education and Biology of the MBU, can be found on the faculty website (www.pdf.umb.sk).

Conditions of admission to teacher study programmes, where one of the subjects is a subject implemented at the Faculty of Physical Education and Biology of the MBU, can be found on the faculty website (www.ff.umb.sk).

Conditions of admission to teacher study programmes where one of the subjects of admission is physical education implemented at the Faculty of Physical Education and Health Sciences of UMB can be found on the faculty's website (www.ftvsz.umb.sk).

Conditions for international students

Applicants for Master's studies who have completed a previous degree abroad (except for the Czech Republic) are obliged to deliver by post or in person an officially certified copy of the decision on the recognition of a document of higher education in the relevant field of study obtained outside the territory of the Slovak Republic. Information on the recognition of documents of higher education is published on the website of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Slovak Republic:
https://uznavanie.minedu.sk/en/navigator/10
or on the website of Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica:
https://www.umb.sk/uchadzac/uznavanie-dokladov-o-vzdelani.html.

If the applicant does not deliver an officially certified copy of the decision on the recognition of a document of higher education by the time of verification of the fulfilment of the conditions for admission to the faculty, he/she may be admitted to the study with a condition. The applicant is obliged to submit the aforementioned documents no later than on the specified date of enrolment in the university studies.

Conditions of admission without the entrance exam

Candidates enrolled in study programmes of the Faculty of Business Administration of the MBU may be admitted without entrance examinations on the basis of a proposal of the person responsible for the study programme if the number of applicants for the study programme does not exceed the planned number. The basic condition for their admission will be the successful completion of a Bachelor's degree in the same or a related field of study as the one for which they are applying

Coordinator for students with specific needs

COORDINATOR FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIFIC NEEDS
doc. PaedDr. Patrik Voštinár, PhD. (no. dv. F 132); 048/ 446 7132;
email: patrik.vostinar@umb.sk

General information on the admission exam

The application deadline for bachelor's and master's degree programmes, both full-time and part-time, is 30 April 2026. For bachelor's degree programmes with physical education, the application deadline for the first round is 28 February 2026 and for the second round is 1 May to 31 May 2026. The postmark date is the date of the postmark.
An applicant may apply for multiple degree programs, and a new application must be submitted and documented for each program. A copy of proof of fee payment must be attached to each application. Without proof of payment of the fee, the applicant's application will not be accepted and will be returned.
The amount of the fee for the admission procedure for one study programme of full-time and part-time study is 35,- € (in case of sending also an electronic application 32,- €). In case of multiple applications, the amount is the same.
The fee is not refundable for applicants who have failed the entrance examinations or have not taken part in them. In case the applicant fails to attend the entrance examination for serious reasons, part of the fee will be refunded to him/her on the basis of an application, which must be delivered to the Study Department of the Faculty of Business and Economics of the MBU by the date of the entrance examination (the date of postmark is decisive).

Tests

written form

Apply the application for study

01.11.2025 - 30.04.2026
Performance of the entrance exam

10.06.2026 - 12.06.2026

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Anticipated number of applicants to be accepted: 20

Additions

Proof of Payment (paper form)
Curriculum vitae (paper form)

Annual tuition fees
Standard length of study: cost free
Study longer than the standard length of study program, parallel studies: 1200 €

The fee for admission procedure
application form: 35 €
E-application form: 32 €

Billing information

Billing information (also posted on www.platby.umb.sk):

1. Payment of the fee from EU countries:
Account name: Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica
Name and address of the bank: the State Treasury, Radlinského 32, 810 05 Bratislava 15
Account number/IBAN: SK75 8180 0000 0070 0009 5590
SWIFT/BIC: SPSRSKBA
VS (variable symbol): 5032 (for Master's applicants)
KS (constant symbol): 0308 - non-cash payments
S (specific symbol): birth number (for applicants from the Slovak Republic)
date of birth in DDMMYYYY (for foreign applicants)
Recipient message: applicant's name and surname
2.
Name of the account: Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica
Name and address of the bank: Všeobecná úverová banka, a. s, Mlynské Nivy 1, 829 90 Bratislava
Account number/IBAN: SK75 8180 0000 0070 0009 5590
SWIFT/BIC: SUBASKBXXXXXX
VS (variable symbol): 5032 (for applicants for Master's studies)
KS (constant symbol): 0308 - non-cash payments
SS (specific symbol): birth number (for applicants from the Slovak Republic)
date of birth in the form DDMMYYY (for foreign applicants)
Recipient's message: applicant's first and last name

Payment by postal order is not accepted due to the impossibility to identify the payer in the University's information system.

The payment of the admission fee must be made by bank transfer by the applicant or his/her authorised person no later than on the last day on which the application form can be sent. An application for studies without payment of the admission fee in the specified amount will not be accepted.

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Za akademický rok 2024/2025

Počet podaných prihlášok: 5

Počet prijatých uchádzačov: 5

Zdroj: CVTI SR