Mundus Urbano — International Cooperation and Urban Development

Study mode:On campus Study type:Full-time Languages: English
Local:$ 9.74 k / Year(s) Foreign:$ 9.74 k / Year(s)  
StudyQA ranking:6767 Duration:24 months

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The Interdisciplinary ERASMUS MUNDUS Master's Course 'International Cooperation and Urban Development' addresses the rapid urbanization process in the Global South and looks at possibilities to prevent or alleviate the problems invariably associated with it. Conventional wisdom of town planning has proven of little use to deal with the situation: the highly complex phenomenon calls for innovative and complex responses that incorporate physical, managerial, economic and social elements simultaneously. Since a large proportion of investments in this field involve foreign aid and finance, a second focus is placed on international development cooperation.

The 2-year course is innovative in its transdisciplinary set-up, arranging knowledge around an emerging global phenomenon rather than starting from the conventional academic faculty framework. Tuition is shared by four prestigious universities in Germany, Italy, Spain and France. All teachers are internationally distinguished scholars and practitioners in the topic of their respective training module, which guarantees a level of quality, which could not be attained by relying on one university's faculty alone. The multinational composition of both students and academic staff fosters the creation of a world-wide professional network - an indispensable asset in this particular professional setting.

The first year of the Masters program consists of a keystone course dedicated to an integral understanding of space, society and technology in urban development in the context of proceeding globalization. It is taught at Technische Universität Darmstadt (Germany) and enables students to conceive, oversee and evaluate comprehensive urban projects in the framework of sustainable development. The second year of studies aims at providing further specialization in one of three fields of knowledge. Specialization options - always linked to international cooperation as a common denominator - are:

(A) Development economics (in Rome)

(B) Sustainable Emergency Architecture (in Barcelona)

(C) Urbanism, habitat and and International Cooperation (in Grenoble)

The resulting double qualification allows a graduate from this course to subsequently fill a professional niche unattended in the conventional university system.Tuition is in English and applicants must have a first university degree plus a minimum of one year work experience in a professional context related to the course. Graduates are awarded a double degree (MSc.) and are eligible for subsequent PhD studies in the EU.

The first year of the Mundus Urbano program consists of keystone courses on current issues in urban development planning. Each course is taught as a one-week full time workshop by a scholar or practitioner with international recognition in their field. The isolated modules are connected by a cross-cutting lecture series.

Modules Year ONE -, all students (TU Darmstadt):
Urban Development Strategies: strategic and micro planning; response to globalization pressures; urban governance; regional planning.

Urban management, governance: decentralization; participatory budgeting; land management; program and project funding.

Housing policies: tenure and finance; micro credits; neighborhood upgrading; large housing estates; self-help housing.

Physical planning, urban design & ecology: urban design, participatory planning, cultural heritage development.

Sustainable urban infrastructure & technology: sanitation, mobility, healthy cities, disaster mitigation.

Conviviality and culture: millennium goals and poverty reduction, conflict management and violence prevention; gender mainstreaming; migration and urban social segregation

International cooperation skills: project planning and project cycles; costing and evaluation methods; aid and funding agencies, fund raising, publicity strategies.

Academic skills: research methods, surveying, tuition and presentation didactics.

Year TWO of the Mundus Urbano program is conducted at partner universities in Rome, Barcelona and Grenoble (students choose one destination).

In order to be accepted as a student in the Masters program, applicants must fulfill a set of eligibility criteria, including academic qualification, relevant work experience, English language proficiency, and a clear justification for selecting this course in the light of personal interest and career objectives.Requirements include:Possession of a university degree that is at least equivalent to a European Bachelor's degree. Marks obtained in previous university studies must be `good´ or better.The degree must be in a field related to architecture, urban planning, geography, political science, sociology, anthropology, or (development) economics.Basic understanding of urban development and/or international cooperation aquired through a minimum of one year of work experience in a profession related to these subjects.Proof of English language proficiency through TOEFL, IELTS, or UNICert. Minimum TOEFL score for applications: 570 (paper based),88 (internet based) or 213 (computer based). Minimum IELTS score: 6.5. Minimum UNICert level: III. Applicants whose native language is English or who received their previous university degree from an exclusively English speaking university are exempt from this requirement. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL paper-based test score : 570 TOEFL iBT® test: 88 Work Experience At least 1 year(s) of work experience is required.

There are a limited number of Erasmus Mundus scholarship available for this program. Please indicate your interest in applying for the scholarship on your application form.

Other financing opportunities exist through the DAAD who provide scholarships for masters study within the development field. Please contact your local DAAD office for details. Please check for further financing opportunities.

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Study mode:On campus Languages: English
Local:$ 1.95 k / Year(s) Foreign:$ 1.95 k / Year(s)
Deadline: May 31, 2024 118 place StudyQA ranking: 6816