Double degree with Master's Strategic Spatial Planning at the Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH) Karlskrona, Sweden
Other partners: Universitatea de Arhitectură și Urbanism Ion Mincu, Bucharest, Romania / University of Lisbon, Portugal / Ecole d'Urbanisme de Paris, France / Centre Marc Bloch Berlin, Germany / Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain / IRS Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space, Erkner-Berlin, Germany
Courses are held in English.
The "European Urban Studies" Master's programme (EUS) addresses current challenges of cities in the context of a globalised world. The EUS programme pays special attention to questions of social cohesion, urban housing, cultural diversity, sustainable planning and mobility. The programme works with an understanding of urban studies that combines competences from the disciplines of urban planning, urban sociology, urban design, landscape and spatial planning. It provides a transdisciplinary and comprehensive approach for studying the development of cities in Europe and worldwide.
The Master's programme is aiming at educating researchers in the field of urban studies. It will provide knowledge and academic skills to analyse, research and plan, particularly for students who want to start a professional career in urban planning, research and academic institutions and the wider field of civil society. The teaching programme intends to prepare for self-organised research projects and thereby for further studies (PhD) as well.
The interaction of the different subject areas outlined below allows for a differentiated examination of various issues:
Study brochure: https://www.uni-weimar.de/de/architektur-und-urbanistik/institute/ifeu/studium/european-urban-studies-msc/
The two-year Master's programme in European Urban Studies offers an interdisciplinary and comparative perspective on urban research. The academic education is focused on research on urban problems in contemporary cities in Europe, research strategies and methods, an intellectual framing on the international discourses in urban studies and the development of a European perspective on urban issues.
The main instructional forms are seminars, lectures, a study project and a research project. Central to the study programme is the research project in Europe. The topic of the project is developed by the student himself/herself during the first two semesters. It will be carried out under the guidance of the professors in the appropriate area of studies during the third semester at a partner university or research institute abroad. The research project will be accompanied by a virtual project supervision seminar. The semester abroad offers very good opportunities to conduct research in a new environment and to build international networks. The result of the research project will be presented in a colloquium and in the form of a research article. Furthermore, the results of the case study can contribute to the Master's thesis and later on also serve as a preparation for a PhD.
The curriculum of the first two semesters is a combination of thematic and theoretically oriented seminars and lectures, a language course, a research training and a study project, which altogether will prepare students gradually for the research project in the third semester and the writing of the Master's thesis in the fourth semester. Modules such as European Cities, Urban Sociology and Urban and Landscape Planning will make students familiar with different theoretical and thematic points of view and enable them to develop their individual interests in the field of urban studies. In two seminars, special attention will be paid to research methodology, strategies and design culminating in an individual research exposé with a time schedule. The preparation of the research proposal will be also supported by the study project in the second semester. This comparative project with an integrated research training will be conducted in cooperation with a European partner university. Within the study project, an exemplary research process will be carried out. Students will learn how to plan, organise and carry out a research project. Possible exchange formats with the partner university are block seminars, online courses, guest lectures or excursions.
PDF DownloadThe semester contribution is approx. 340 EUR per semester. This is allocated to student services & the student council. It includes the "Deutschlandticket", which provides free regional public transport (bus and train) in all of Germany. Moreover, it provides student discounts for meals at the university cafeteria, for theatre and museum tickets, and access to the university sports complex. Additionally, the student ID card costs 20 EUR (one-time fee).
In Weimar, living expenses tend to be lower than in larger German cities. We recommend that students budget approx. 1000 EUR per month:
Students coming from outside the EU need to provide proof of financial resources amounting to 992 EUR per month in order to obtain a residence permit.
There are scholarships granted by the university as an institution. There are scholarships based on academic merit and/or social engagement for second-year and more senior students.
The International Office grants scholarships through the Erasmus+ programme that support students (including international ones) who are going abroad for studies or internships.
Students must have obtained a university degree (or similar) from a German or an international university with at least 180 CP in the disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning/ regional planning, urban design, geography, urban sociology, political, social and cultural sciences, European studies and all related disciplines and provide a B2-english-level. Additionally, students must pass a selection procedure.
The application documents are, among others: a CV, a motivation letter and an essay.
Motivation letter: The motivation letter is a very important part of the application procedure. Please prepare it with great care! Your motivation letter (in English, up to 6,500 characters with spaces) should focus on the following points:
Essay: Please submit an essay reflecting on urban issues or your own publication within the field. The essay should not exceed 3,000 characters, including spaces. Feel free to draw inspiration from a relevant urban studies book or author and share your insights on their work.
There are opportunities for students who are looking for teaching and research assistantships at the university or part-time jobs with local companies and within the service sector of the city.
Jobs are offered on the "Pinnwand" message board of the university, on the job portal operated by the Career Service, and on the "Studierendenwerk Thüringen's" Job Search platform.
International students from outside the EU are only allowed to work a limited number of hours in Germany (140 full days or 280 half days per year). Student jobs at the university are exempt from this rule.
You can find accommodation in Weimar through the "Studierendenwerk Thüringen", which manages more than 1,000 apartments in the student halls of residence. These halls of residence are located at various locations in the city and are geared towards different needs and preferences. Accommodation costs between 250 and 350 EUR per month, depending on the size and location. The university itself does not provide accommodation.
If you want to rent a room through the "Studierendenwerk Thüringen" – which we strongly recommend to all newly arriving students – it is paramount to apply as early as possible as spaces are limited.
Further information: https://www.stw-thueringen.de/en/housing/residential-homes.html
Online application: https://www.stw-thueringen.de/en/housing/application/online-application.html
Typically, between two and up to five students share an apartment. Students have their own bedrooms and share a kitchen and a bathroom. Most rooms are furnished (bed, desk, chair, cupboard, shelf), but kitchenware and appliances are not included. Mentors for international students provide assistance in settling in during the first couple of days and also organise events.
Students advertise private and shared flats on the message board ("Pinnwand") on the university website: https://www.uni-weimar.de/de/universitaet/aktuell/pinnwaende/bereich/wohnen/.
The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar Career Service supports students both during and after their studies: https://www.uni-weimar.de/en/university/studies/career-services/.
The Bauhaus Career Navigator at https://www.uni-weimar.de/en/university/studies/career-services/bauhaus-career-navigator/ supports your successful career start in Germany.
More support programmes of "Studierendenwerk Thüringen":
To activate the map, click on the "Show map" button. We would like to point out that data will be transmitted to OpenStreetMap after activation. You can find out more in our privacy policy. You can revoke your consent to the transmission of data at any time.
