Urban Planning and Sustainable Transformation (UPST)

Program overview

This master's programme trains students to expand both creative and scientific competencies needed for shaping built and natural environments at global, regional and local scales. You will be encouraged to grow professionally and personally so you can confidently represent and advocate for sustainable spatial development.

The curriculum emphasizes analytical thinking and the formulation of evidence-based strategies to address specific spatial planning challenges. It also supports the development of an individual professional profile that enables independent work across a range of planning-science fields, blending practical, design-oriented and research-minded approaches.

Graduates are prepared for conventional careers in private planning offices and public administration as well as for further academic work: the programme qualifies students for research roles and for pursuing doctoral studies at national and international levels. Taught in English, the course is suitable for international students aiming for practice, policy or research careers in sustainable urban transformation.

What you will develop / be expected to achieve

• Creative and scientific skills for sustainable spatial planning and advocacy
• Analytically sound attitudes and scientifically grounded strategies for selected spatial-planning tasks
• An individual professional profile for independent work across diverse planning-science professions
• Qualification for careers in private offices and public administration, plus preparation for research and doctoral studies domestically and abroad

Curriculum overview

A detailed semester-by-semester breakdown of the programme’s courses and how the curriculum is organised is available in the semester overview (linked in the original). That document is the definitive source for the exact sequence of modules, timetables, credit allocation and assessment formats.

What to look for in the overview

The semester overview will show how core and elective components are distributed across the programme and how studio, seminar and project work are sequenced toward the master’s thesis. It should also clarify contact hours, workload per module and any practical elements such as fieldwork, workshops or collaborative projects with external partners — information that helps you plan financially, logistically and academically before arrival.

Typical key modules (examples you are likely to encounter)

• Studio-based urban design and planning projects that integrate theory and practice
• Sustainable urban development and environmental planning modules
• Spatial analysis, GIS and mapping methods for urban research
• Urban policy, governance and socioeconomic aspects of planning
• Mobility, infrastructure and resource-management courses
• Research methods and academic writing in planning
• Master’s thesis or capstone project synthesising design/research outcomes

Typical learning outcomes (what students usually gain)

• Ability to analyse and diagnose complex urban systems from social, ecological and technical perspectives
• Competence in applying planning methods, GIS and quantitative/qualitative research tools
• Skills to design and evaluate sustainable, resilient urban interventions and policies
• Experience working in multidisciplinary teams and communicating planning proposals to diverse stakeholders
• Capacity to carry out an independent research or design project culminating in a master’s thesis

Typical application requirements (check the programme page for the exact list)

• Bachelor’s degree in architecture, urban planning, geography, civil engineering or a related discipline (specific prerequisites vary)
• Official transcripts and degree certificates
• Proof of language proficiency (English and/or German as required by the programme)
• CV and motivation statement; portfolio may be requested for design-oriented applicants
• Letters of recommendation and any other documents specified on the programme page

For precise module titles, credit points, semester sequencing and formal entry requirements, consult the semester overview linked in the original course information.

Graduates are prepared for a wide range of roles in the planning sector, including positions in private planning offices, public administration, consultancy and non-governmental organisations working on urban development and sustainability. The programme’s combination of analytical methods and practical project work enables alumni to take on independent responsibilities in spatial planning practice.

The degree also provides a pathway to academic research and doctoral studies at national and international institutions for those seeking to specialise further or pursue careers in research and higher education.