Program Overview

Program Overview

The master's program in Historical Urban Studies examines the city of today in its historical continuities and fractures. Students will address the specific forms of design and lifestyles of European urban life and their developments compared to their international counterparts. The program aims to provide an understanding of fundamental aspects of key topics in the following modules: Public Space and Urban Culture; Urban Governance and Public Sector; Resources and Protagonists of Urban Production; Visions, Innovations and Identities; Deconstructions, Reconstructions and Change of Role Model; and City as a Network. Students will test and evaluate theoretical knowledge and skills through practice, develop creative ideas in projects, and implement these ideas according to their target group.

Program Details

• Degree: Master of Arts
• Standard period of study: 4 semesters
• Credit points: 120
• Program start: Winter semester
• Admission: Open admission
• Language of instruction: German / English

Admission Requirements

Prospective students applying to the master's program in Historical Urban Studies must possess a first university degree in history, political science, cultural studies, literary studies, art studies, music studies, media studies, business and economics, architecture, monument conservation, sociology, philosophy, urban/regional/landscape planning, cultural and social geography, or psychology. The program is taught in German, and applicants must provide proof of German skills at a specific level. Additionally, applicants must submit proof of English skills at CEFR level B2.

Program Structure

The master's program is composed of compulsory and elective components. Different perspectives are utilized to understand the processes and structures of the production, design, and use of urban living spaces. Students complete the program by writing a master's thesis. A proposed course schedule is available, which contains examples of when to take certain modules and is a recommendation for how to complete the degree program within the standard period of study.

Study and Examination Regulations

The study and examination regulations provide detailed information on the program structure, module descriptions, and assessment methods. The current version of the regulations applies to new students.

Content and Modules

The master's degree program Historical Urban Studies consists of modules that combine curriculum content on a specific topic and often include various study and teaching formats such as lectures, practical tutorials, seminars, and practical projects. Students are required to earn a specific number of credit points and complete certain coursework and assessments in each module. A module list is available, which offers a current overview of all the modules in the program.

Internships

Students have the option of completing a five-week internship as part of the elective component of the program.

Stays Abroad

The degree program is designed to enable students to incorporate a stay abroad into their studies while remaining within the standard period of study. The study abroad officer in the faculty will assist students with selecting a university and creating a course schedule.

Acquired Skills

Graduates of the program are equipped to critically evaluate and re-design past, present, and future problems in urban development using an interdisciplinary approach. They can analyze urban spaces as designed, lived, and imagined places and understand their historical development. The program provides graduates with the necessary fundamental knowledge of processes and structures of the production, design, and transformation of urban living spaces.

Career Prospects

Graduates of the Historical Urban Studies program find work in a wide variety of fields and professions, including public relations, advertising and marketing, tourism, consulting, cultural affairs, monument conservation, neighborhood management, and communication. They may also work in university or non-university research and teaching, or be professionally active in political parties and associations, international non-governmental organizations, or municipal, state, or national, or EU institutions involved in urban construction and development.