The SML Master‘s application campaign will begin in April, according to a calendar specific to each course, which can be consulted on the Ecandidat application site, under the heading “Training offer”.
To find out more, go to the “Practical information” section at the bottom of the SML Master’s page.
Sunday 06 April 2025
We offer training in geosciences, coastal and marine environment professions through the research unit of the Ocean Geosciences Laboratory based in Plouzané (IUEM, UBO) and Vannes (UBS), in close collaboration with the IFREMER Marine Geosciences Institute.
The expertise of these two units covers a wide range of topics: from coastal dynamics to the evolution of the Earth’s mantle, including the dynamics of rifts, margins, ridges and sediment, paleo-climatic and paleo-environmental recording. The work is based on a multidisciplinary and multiproxy approach based on instrumental poles: ocean spectrometry pole – instrumental pole in geophysics – pole in sedimentology/micropaleontology/palynology.
The strong points of this mention are the numerous land and sea sites carried out throughout the training, the intervention of high-level researchers from both institutes, the possibility of research internships, among other possibilities, within IUEM, IFREMER or SHOM.
Ocean Geosciences(GO)
The Ocean Geosciences Course is closely linked to the Geo-Ocean laboratory. Graduates of this master’s degree will be able to develop and design research projects, provide expertise and advice within public or private organisations in the fields of geosciences and, in particular, marine geosciences. This master’s degree allows students to pursue a doctorate in the field of marine geosciences, particularly in the following areas: margins, ridges, rifts, mineral resources, sedimentology, palaeoenvironment, palaeoclimates and marine geochemistry.
Download the full presentation of the training and its scientific and local context.
Feedback from the field course in the Alps
Feedback from the field course in England
See the training sheet in the official UBO catalogue
Coastal and Shoreline Resource Management and Engineering (IGRECL)
The IGRECL course is clearly aimed at non-academic professional integration in the management of coastal and shoreline resources with SMEs in the sector, local authorities and large groups whose work affects these environments. At the end of this course, students will have multidisciplinary skills in the management and exploitation of mineral and biological resources, with an understanding of the concepts of risk and vulnerability. These skills will enable them to adapt, anticipate and respond to coastal zone management strategies, taking into account the European legal and socio-economic framework.
MOVE (PETROLEUM EXPERTS)
Since December 2018, UBO’s STU (Earth and Universe Sciences) courses have had free access to PETROLEUM EXPERTS’ MOVE software suite, under an agreement signed between the UBO’s Earth Sciences Department and this company. The commercial equivalent of this donation of the MOVE software suite is £1,308,000.00.
This software is the most complete structural geology analysis and modeling “toolbox” available. It provides a complete digital environment to report in 3 dimensions on geological properties and characteristics by reducing the risks and uncertainties of geological models. It is a platform for the integration and interpretation of geophysical data, section construction, 3D model construction, kinematic restoration and validation, geo-mechanical modeling, fracture modeling, fault role modeling and analysis of the relationships between faults and tectonic constraints.
The Earth Sciences Department and the University of Brest (UBO) sincerely thank PETROLEUM EXPERTS Limited for their donation for the free use of the MOVE software suite. This tool will allow us to train our students in Licence 3 (at the UFR Sciences et Techniques du Bouguen) and in Master 1 and 2 (at the IUEM, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer) to use in the classroom this professional software commonly used in design offices, consulting firms and large geoscience companies working on geological reservoirs. For doctoral students, the databases at their disposal (most often bathymetric data and dense seismic reflection profiles) can thus be significantly enhanced according to the objectives of their thesis work.
More informations :
Kingdom Suite
UBO’s Earth Sciences learning path benefit from the free availability of the Kingdom Suite Software distributed by S&P Global through the University Grant Program, which is updated every year since 2008.
Kingdom Suite software is a worldwide reference for 2D and 3D seismic interpretation and allows the integration of geophysical and geological data offering a wide variety of uses in fundamental and applied research. The software is used in the classroom for Master’s degree courses in Ocean Geosciences and Coastal Resource Engineering and Management. It is also used during sea teaching campaigns and for projects conducted individually by doctoral students at the Ocean Geosciences Laboratory.
The Department of Earth Sciences and the University of Brest (UBO) sincerely thank S&P Global for the accreditation they have received for the free use of the Kingdom Suite software.
QGIS
Free and Open Source Geographic Information System
Matlab
Programming language for technical calculation, paid software, license acquired at the Laboratory.
Octave
Technical calculation programming language, free numerical calculation software comparable to MATLAB.
Q Suite
Les formations en Sciences de la Terre de l’UBO bénéficient depuis 2022 de la mise à disposition gratuite de la « Q-suite » distribué par la société QPS. Cette suite comporte plusieurs logiciels principalement dédiés à la bathymétrie :
-Le logiciel Qinsy. Il est dédié à la préparation des missions ou surveys océanographiques, à l’acquisition hydrographique et traitement en temps réel à bord des navires pour la bathymétrie multifaisceaux, mais aussi l’imagerie sonar latéral, la magnétométrie.
– The Quimera software is dedicated to the processing and interpretation of data following multibeam bathymetry surveys. It makes the processing of hydrographic data didactic and as simple and intuitive as possible. Qimera is currently the most powerful application for all bathymetric processing applications: integrating the latest technologies and design to optimise ease of use. This software is compatible with the main sonar data formats, and has revolutionised data management through the creation of dynamic data flows.
– The Fledermaus software. For 4D geospatial analysis with video integration and film editing. A standard for presentation and communication that integrates into the QPS workflow and allows the integration of multibeam, reflectivity, water column and other GIS data on the same view.
The QPS suite is used in the classroom for Master’s teaching purposes for the Ocean Geosciences and Coastal and Littoral Resources Engineering and Management courses. It is also used during teaching campaigns at sea and for projects carried out individually by doctoral students of the Ocean Geosciences Laboratory. It is also used for hydrographic degree training.
The Department of Earth Sciences and the University of Brest (UBO) would like to express their sincere thanks to the company QPS for allowing them to use the software free of charge.
Christine AUTHEMAYOU (Send an email)
M1 : Aurélie PENAUD (Send an email)
M2 : Christine AUTHEMAYOU (Send an email)
Evelyne GOUBERT (Send an email)
This international specialty is co-accredited by IUEM to UBO and by ENSTA Bretagne. It aims to provide students the knowledge of the physical and dynamic properties of the marine environment and related engineering elements (especially ships). It has 4 courses: Ocean and Climate Physics (POC), Marine Geophysics (GM), Naval Hydrodynamics (HN) and Data sciences. GM, HN et POC have a common block in M1: fluid mechanics, solids, applied mathematics, data analysis, numerical modelling. The specializations for each course are more important in M2. The SDO course is only offered in M2. The training is based on long academic or industrial research internships at the end of M2.
This Master’s degree allows access to doctoral training within the framework of the Doctoral School of Marine and Coastal Sciences, as well as to jobs as a research engineer in many regional, national or foreign companies. The context in Brest is particularly developed for marine science and technologies.
The new Ocean Data Science course opened at the start of the 2020 academic year. Following this pathway and then taking a year of Marine Geomatics at ENSTA Bretagne (subject to admission by application) will lead to a diploma from this leading engineering school.
The Marine Physics/Marine Sciences program in cooperation with graduate engineering schools in Brest, is international and taught essentially in English (see the site for more information).
The program focuses on the physics of the sea (POC specialty), of the Earth particularly under the sea (GM specialty) and of ships and naval structures (HN specialty). In M1 the common scientific basics (Fluid and solid mechanics, applied maths, numerical analysis) are taught. In M2, the specific knowledge of each specialty is taught. Projects and internships are essential in the program. Relation with research centres and with private companies are central to research training.
Attending and validating this specialty and then validating the (one-year) specialty Marine Geomatics (provided the results of the M2 are good) would lead to obtaining the Engineering Degree of ENSTA Bretagne.
More precise information in English about our program and how to apply can be obtained with contacting Master.Marphys@univ-brest.fr
The course is based on the Laboratory for Ocean Physics and Satellite remote sensing (LOPS), the Laboratory of Environmental Marine Sciences (LEMAR), both of IUEM laboratories, the Hydrography, Oceanography and Meteorology department of SHOM, the Laboratory of Coastal Hydrodynamics of CEREMA.
Opportunities: research, teaching and research, consulting firms (impact of ocean circulation, or extreme events on offshore structures, on coastal erosion, on marine ecology, on exploitation of marine resources, or changes in pollution levels).
The course is based on the Geo-Ocean Laboratory (GO), which is a research unit, and the Marine Geosciences Department of Ifremer.
Opportunities: research, teaching and research, research and development in the fields of marine energies, offshore / petroleum, marine mineral resources, and in consulting firms (sedimentary transport, coastal risks…).
The course is based on the Dupuy de Lôme Research Institute (IRDL, FRE, Brest) and the Institut de Recherche de l’École Navale (IRENAV).
Opportunities: research, teaching and research, consulting firms and test centres, marine energies, architecture and shipbuilding.
Xavier CARTON
Send an e-mail
Olivier Arzel
Send an e-mail
Cécile GRIGNÉ
Send an e-mail
Pierre-Michel GUILCHER
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Xavier CARTON
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EGEL (Expertise and Management of the Coastal Environment) is one of the eight Master’s degrees in the SML field (Marine and Coastal Sciences) at IUEM. Created in 2000, it is, historically, one of the first specialised training courses on coastal and marine environment management in France with a network of more than 500 alumni trained over the last 20 years.
Nationally recognized, EGEL aims to prepare students for careers in planning, environmental engineering and research in the field of coastal and marine management. A multidisciplinary Master’s degree in excellence (geography, planning, biology, ecology, law, economics, chemistry, etc.), it offers a cross-disciplinary approach to the knowledge, understanding and management of coastal and marine issues in a logic of transition and sustainability of territories.
Our training is divided into two years.
The first year (M1) is considered as a disciplinary refresher course. It is therefore more focused on the acquisition of knowledge and methodologies. However, this does not prevent students from being in the field on a regular basis (data collection, meetings with stakeholders, boat trips, etc.).
The second year (M2) is more professional, as it is based on numerous applications of knowledge and professional situations: workshops over several months, organisation of round tables, field trips, transplanted classes in the territories to meet the needs of stakeholders, etc.
The course allows students to validate a “research” or “professional” pathway, but the master’s degree is generally applied (especially in M2). At the end of the course, most students enter the job market. However, it should be noted that each year, some students decide to extend their studies by doing a PhD in one of the Institute’s research laboratories.
The professional opportunities at EGEL are very varied: protection and management of coastal and marine heritage; fishing and aquaculture; study, management, restoration of fauna/flora/habitats; management of protected areas (MPAs, reserves, etc.); cartography, geomatics, GIS, database; mediation, awareness-raising, scientific animation; coastal risks (study, prevention); management, coastal development; animation, coordination of sea and coastal public policies; study, management, monitoring of water; energy (especially sustainable energy sources); tourism and sports activities, pollution and waste, etc. (non-exhaustive list).
The Master’s degree is carried out by two laboratories specialized in the fields of maritime economics (AMURE) and agricultural economics (SMART-LERECO), both dealing with the dimensions of sectors, markets, resources, environment and territory. The training course is linked to all the strategic axes of the two laboratories, which involve researchers from five supervisory bodies: UBO, l’Institut Agro Rennes-Angers, Ifremer, INRAE and CNRS, located in Brest, Rennes, Nantes and Angers.
The speciality Applied Economics refers to the analysis of the organization and dynamics of the agricultural and maritime sectors, agri-food sectors and coastal territories to enable a sustainable exploitation of resources and environmental and risk management. It trains the skills required to meet the needs of direct employment opportunities such as engineering departments, professional structures, companies, local authorities or government departments in terms of economic analysis.
This speciality is composed of a unique training course, entitled Agriculture, Sea, Environment (E2AME). Fully co-habilitated with l’Institut Agro Rennes-Angers, the E2AME master’s degree focuses on the economic analysis of the agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture sectors, the agri-food sectors and the marine and coastal environment, with an objective of sustainable exploitation of resources and the environment.
The courses taught in the Master’s programme are based on the research activities of the AMURE laboratory, whose three research areas are:
The aim of the course is to train high-level lawyers specialized in the law of the sea, the coastline and maritime activities.
The second year of the course is open to work-study contracts or apprenticeship contracts. Most of the teaching takes place at the UFR Droit et sciences économiques 12 rue de Kergoat in Brest.
There are many professional opportunities after completing this course. Graduates can work in the fields of insurance, banking and the sectors of activity covered by all operators (private or public companies) in the maritime sector; in the field of legal advice, studies and expertise; in professional and trade union organisations, maritime social benefit organisations, maritime cooperatives; in the territorial or national internal administration and the Community administration.
They can work as company lawyers or consultants (experts, lawyers after passing competitive examinations); as lawyers in harbours, in the fields of marine renewable energy, maritime and harbour safety, maritime works, shipbuilders; as project or contract managers (risk management in companies, contract managers in insurance); as agents or brokers (insurance); as project managers or managers in representative or public bodies (e.g. regional fisheries committee, natural marine parks); as legal advisors in the maritime sector (e.g. in the maritime sector); administrative lawyer (after competitive examination) in the State or territorial civil service or in the European institutions.
The Master’s degree DEAM is one of the eight Master’s degrees in the field of “Marine and Coastal Sciences” of IUEM.
The objective of the course is to train professionals who can be in charge of detecting, analysing and dealing with legal problems relating to the various fields of maritime activities and the law of the sea. They are able to draw up documents for litigation cases, following up on contentious cases, defining, designing and drafting useful documents, legal acts and regulations.
Created more than 40 years ago, this Master’s degree is today recognised as a training course of excellence in the field of maritime spaces and activities law. The course is supported by a large network of alumni who put their experience at the service of students (conferences, training). This network also facilitates the search for internships, work-study programmes and the professional integration of young graduates.
Within IUEM, this Master’s degree is linked to the Laboratory of Environmental Marine Sciences (LEMAR/UBO-CNRS-IRD-Ifremer) and the Geo-Ocean Laboratory (GO/UBO-CNRS-Ifremer-UBS). Both laboratories include a lot of teachers-researchers and researchers likely to participate in teaching and/or offer internships to students.
This Master’s degree in Marine and Coastal Sciences prepares young scientists for a PhD with a strong background in marine and analytical chemistry. It also enables graduates to join an engineering school program or to work directly.
The professions targeted following the training are diverse: teacher-researcher in higher education, researcher in research organisms, senior environmental executive, expert for state services, project manager for local authorities…
The professional environments that welcome these new graduates are universities, research centres, chemical and/or environmental engineering departments, chemical analysis and quality control laboratories, and public service organizations.
Following this course, the graduate:
The Master’s degree ensures the coordination of the biotechnology training offer in Brittany, bringing the training offer closer to the current structure of research. The training is co-accredited by UBO and UBS and carried out in partnership with the Roscoff Marine Station and the University of Nantes. The multidisciplinary teaching team is based on a strong training-research link, an international visibility of the teacher-researchers involved, and the participation of professionals. The objective of courses 1 to 4 is immediate professional integration.
This Master’s degree brings the general knowledge and methodologies necessary for the biotechnological valorization of biological resources, while knowing the business world, the regulatory framework, but also the English necessary for commercial and professional exchanges.
The Master’s degree includes 4 courses carried by the UBO (P1) and by the UBS (P2-4), with a local M1 UBS allowing access to the M2 P1-3 and a M1 UBS relocated to the Catholic University of West North Brittany (ICO BN) specific to P4 (annex 1). Students from the local M1 will have the opportunity to continue their Master’s degree in M2 P4 and, conversely, students from the relocated M1 will be able to apply to M2 P2 or P3.
International course at IUEM (UBO) in Plouzané, with a M2 in English. This course is also open to 3rd year students of the École Supérieure d’Ingénieurs en Agroalimentaire de Bretagne Atlantique (ESIAB) as part of a specialisation course.
Fully distance learning, in continuing or initial training.
Relocated course at the Université Catholique de l’Ouest-Bretagne Nord (Guingamp), in initial or continuing training.
Possibility of professionalization contracts in M1 and M2.
The Master’s degree is carried out in co-accreditation between the UBO and l’Institut Agro Rennes-Angers (Rennes site). It is is attached to IUEM – Université de Bretagne Occidentale and mainly to the Laboratory of Marine Environmental Sciences (LEMAR/UBO-CNRS-IRD-IFREMER) and the Biology and Ecology of Deep Marine Ecosystems Laboratory (BEEP/UBO-CNRS-IFREMER). The specialization also refers to the multidisciplinary centre of competence in the field of marine and coastal sciences existing in Brest and especially at Ifremer, which is a key partner in the training offer.
The diploma responds to a strong request for excellence in training through fundamental and applied research in the fields of marine ecosystems (course 1) and in the field of management through an ecosystemic approach of fisheries resources and aquatic environments (course 2).
The aim is to prepare young doctoral scientists, representing 2/3 of the students, with a specialization in marine biological sciences and to connect with environmental issues related to the evolution of the oceans. The training also leads 1/3 of the students to research careers related to the professional fields of marine biology, to which are added for the third course new professional opportunities within the organizations in charge of the upstream part of the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
This course trains future scientists in the ecosystem-based management of living resources and marine environments.
They will have a high level of expertise in their scientific fields of reference, enabling them to carry out diagnostics and take appropriate decisions in complex situations and systems, both scientifically and in terms of the methods to be used and the diversity of interactions to be taken into account.
They are at the heart of scientific research, but are also capable of translating this knowledge into advice and project support. They implement relevant and innovative techniques in complex environments to act on territories and environments according to the analysis of the context and demand. They carry out experimental work.
The International Master in Marine Biological Resources (IMBRSea) is a joint Master’s programme organised by ten leading European universities in the field of marine sciences. IMBRSea covers a wide range of topics related to the sustainable use of marine living resources. By focusing on marine biological and ecological processes, the programme links the biology of marine organisms to environmental studies and marine policy and planning topics:
The program is also supported by fourteen marine research institutes belonging to the European Centre for Marine Biological Resources (EMBRC) and other associated partners.
Master’s coordinator
Marine Biological Sciences course
Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences course
IMBRSea course
European Institute for Marine Studies – 2018
The IUEM is member of the Interdisciplinary graduate School for the Blue planet ISblue
