All courses are taught in English (100%). Participants have to write all assignments, reports and their Master's theses in English.
(At UACh [Chile], the language of instruction is Spanish.)
The lecture period for the SPRING programme at TU Dortmund University starts in general at the beginning of October with the SPRING opening ceremony and a two-day orientation phase. Students are requested to arrive in Dortmund a week in advance to take care of administrative matters.
The start of the second year will be announced by each partner university well in advance.
All courses will be held in person.
SPRING combines intensive training in development theories and strategies, planning concepts and methods, and implementation and monitoring tools with practice-oriented field studies aimed at elaborating regional development plans and programmes in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The programme focuses on the specific cultural and socio-economic contexts in the developing world.
SPRING places its emphasis on development management at the level between macro-regional and community-based planning.
Development planning is seen as a problem-oriented management tool with the following objectives:
SPRING is a two-year Master's programme. The first year of the programme takes place at TU Dortmund University, followed by a second year at one of the five partner universities in Ghana, Tanzania, the Philippines, Brazil or Chile.
The SPRING curriculum consists of 10 modules. The corresponding courses of the modules are offered as lectures, seminars, exercises, workshops and excursions.
The first year of the SPRING programme at TU Dortmund University consists of the modules one to six. Modules seven to 10 are offered by the SPRING partner universities.
First year
Module 1 Planning Approaches and Key Skills for Planning (8 CP)
Module 2 Master's project (12 CP)
Module 3 Land, Housing and Infrastructure in a Global Perspective (20 CP)
Module 4 Planning Tools (6 CP)
Module 5 Planning Theory and Governance (7 CP)
Module 6 Socio-Economic Dimensions of Urban and Regional Planning (7 CP)
Second year (total 60 CP)
Module 7 Planning and Research Methods
Module 8a) Policy Planning and Implementation in Ghana
Module 8b) Policy Planning and Implementation in the Philippines
Module 8c) Urban Planning and Management in Tanzania
Module 8d) Planning, Governance and Public Policies for Sustainability in Brazil
Module 8e) Policy Planning and Implementation in Chile
Module 9 Development Planning Workshop
Module 10 Master's thesis
Detailed information about courses and course contents can be found in the SPRING Module Handbook.
The entire second year of the programme takes place abroad at a SPRING partner university either in Ghana, Tanzania, the Philippines, Chile or Brazil where students complete their studies. Field research for planning workshops/studios and the Master's thesis are carried out in the country of the partner university.
Include: living expenses, accommodation and health insurance
Germany: approx. 970 EUR per month
Brazil: approx. 1,035 USD per month
Ghana: approx. 650 EUR per month
Tanzania: approx. 750 USD per month
Philippines: approx. 800 EUR per month
Chile: approx. 750 EUR per month
High proficiency in English:
TU Dortmund University
Department of Spatial Planning - SPRING
August-Schmidt-Straße 10
44227 Dortmund
Germany
or
application.spring@tu-dortmund.de
Further information about the application process can be found here.
Part-time employment is not advisable because the SPRING programme is a full-time study programme.
At all SPRING universities (except for Brazil and Chile), accommodation in student hostels on campus is organised by SPRING for all participants who have formally expressed their desire to stay in these facilities. This is organised well in advance in order to provide students with an affordable place to stay the very moment they arrive in Dortmund, Kumasi, Dar es Salaam, and Manila. Rent for a single room in a student residence is approx. 50 to 340 EUR per month, depending on the country. The universities in São Paulo and Valdivia provide special support to find accommodation via the private housing market.
Additional extra-curricular trainings, seminars, online seminars and events are organised on a regular basis.
SPRING is member of the AGEP Network and students therefore benefit from the various course offers of other AGEP study programmes.
A university with a unique profile:
Since its founding in 1968, TU Dortmund University has developed a special profile encompassing 17 departments ranging from science and engineering to social sciences and cultural studies. The university has around 30,000 students and more than 6,500 employees, including 330 professors. 5,800 of all students have an international background, which constitutes 19.5% of the total student body.
TU Dortmund University has a strong focus on research. The university’s departments – e.g. mechanical engineering (with its emphasis on production and logistics), physics, biochemical and chemical engineering, statistics and computer science, and education research – are well known for their outstanding research achievements both nationally and internationally.
Students at TU Dortmund University can choose from classical subjects and innovative courses of study such as medical physics or degree programmes in spatial planning, statistics, and journalism. A particular focus is on teacher training. TU Dortmund University is one of only a few universities in Germany that offers professional teaching qualifications for all types of schools.
TU Dortmund University is part of the University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr). Together with its partner universities, Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Duisburg-Essen, the UA Ruhr is one of the largest and most powerful university alliances in Germany. The alliance is strong in international research and offers students the opportunity to participate in courses offered by all three universities and earn credits with minimal bureaucratic effort.
With more than 6,500 employees, TU Dortmund University is one of Dortmund’s largest employers and has helped drive the transformation of the city and the Ruhr region from Europe’s largest coal mining and steel production area into a high-tech and service location as well as a cultural metropolis.
Dortmund is located in the heart of Europe. It is the largest city in the Ruhr region and is home to the Borussia Dortmund (BVB) soccer club. All of this contributes to the many advantages that will make studying in Dortmund an unforgettable experience. Apart from destinations for football fans, there are many other places of interest to discover in Dortmund and the Ruhr region.
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