The Master's programme “Stadtforschung – Urban Studies” offers students the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of the rapid development of cities, their diverse everyday life, their complex planning and their future challenges. It is offered jointly by the Department of Social Sciences and History at TU Darmstadt and the Department of Geosciences/Geography at Goethe University Frankfurt. Students can choose from a wide range of courses in the participating subjects – sociology, history, political science, architecture and human geography. The language of instruction is German.
Prof. Dr. Nicolai Hannig, (Modern History, TU Darmstadt)
„The city of the future is being created now: between sustainability and social justice, smart cities and the climate crisis – our master's programme prepares you to understand this change in a historical context, but also to help shape it.
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Prof. Dr. Sybille Frank, (Urban Sociology and Sociology of Space, TU Darmstadt)
„Modern cities are anchor points for urban lifestyles. The master's programme provides unique insights into the social dynamics of urbanised societies, their everyday practices and forms of community – but also their inequalities and conflicts.”
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Picture: Claudia Ba
Prof. Dr. Robert Pütz, (Human Geography, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt)
“Cities have always been hubs in the global circulation of capital, knowledge and other factors. In the age of planetary urbanisation, urban lifestyles are spreading across the globe and becoming the driving force behind the changes of the Anthropocene. Such geographical references and scales are the focus of the master's programme, as are the political, ecological and social challenges that arise from them."
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Study plan
The following links contain all the regulations for the Master's programme. These include the study and examination regulations, the curriculum and the module descriptions. The admission requirements are listed in the study and examination regulations.
The two Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) are among the most prominent locations for urban research in the German-speaking world. At Darmstadt Technical University, the Institutes of History, Sociology and Political Science, as well as the Department of Architecture, have been collaborating on urban research for many years. The Institute of Human Geography at Goethe University Frankfurt contributes its expertise in globalised urbanisation processes to the study programme.
The programme qualifies students for a growing professional field that deals with the complex challenges of cities in the areas of urban management, urban education and public relations, citizen participation, neighbourhood development, urban monument preservation and archiving, as well as consultative urban planning.
Enrolment in the programme is possible for both the winter and summer semesters.
Online applications for the winter semester are usually possible from 1 June of each year. Online applications for the summer semester are usually possible from 1 December of each year.
The respective application deadlines are published in May and November of each year on the page listed below.
In addition to the online application form, you must submit your degree certificate and diploma supplement or comparable documents from the degree programme leading to your first degree.
No. You can apply even if you do not yet have your bachelor's degree certificate. If you are admitted for the winter semester, you can submit your bachelor's degree certificate by 1 September of the following year at the latest, and for the summer semester by 1 March of the following year at the latest. Applicants who do not have their degree certificate must submit a current transcript of records.
The admission requirement for the Master's programme is a Bachelor's degree in one of the following reference programmes.
• Architecture, B.Sc. (if at least 40 CP have been acquired in social science modules)
• Geography, B.A. with a focus on ‘Human Geography’ from Goethe University Frankfurt
Graduates of other bachelor's degree programmes must be able to demonstrate that they have acquired 120 CP worth of credits that are not significantly different from the skills taught in the reference degree programmes.
Details of the entry-level skills taught in the reference degree programme at TU Darmstadt and in the BA Geography programme at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main are set out in the skills description in Appendix II.
No, the Master's programme in Urban Studies does not have any admission restrictions.
The language of instruction for the programme is German. Individual modules/courses may be offered in English. This will be indicated in the module description. It should be assumed that academic literature will be read and studied in English.
For international students, passing the German Language Examination for University Admission of Foreign Applicants (DSH-2) is a prerequisite for admission.
Initial enrolment takes place at TU Darmstadt. Students are then enrolled at Goethe University Frankfurt. TU Darmstadt will send the necessary data to Goethe University Frankfurt for this purpose.
No. No administrative fees or contributions to student unions and student services are charged for the secondary enrolment (Section 22 (4) ESO and Section 61 (1) HessHG).
Examination
The Department of Social Sciences and History at TU Darmstadt and the Department of Geosciences/Geography at GU Frankfurt have agreed on joint study and examination regulations.
Examinations and their assessments are entered by the lecturers in the campus management system of the university offering the examination. At the end of each semester, Goethe University Frankfurt transmits the examinations taken there and their assessments to TU Darmstadt.
All examination achievements are managed by the Student Office of Department “Social Sciences and History” at TU Darmstadt, regardless of which of the two participating universities they were completed at. Module achievements and examination results can be viewed via TUCaN.
Yes. You have access to both the Moodle platform at TU Darmstadt and the Moodle platform at Goethe University Frankfurt. Your login details will be created during the enrolment process. Individual courses are managed by the university offering them.
Final theses are issued and supervised at the Department of Social Sciences and History at TU Darmstadt or at the Department of Geosciences/Geography at Goethe University Frankfurt.
The thesis is assessed by the respective supervisor and another member of the professorial group at TU Darmstadt or Goethe University Frankfurt.
The Master's degree is awarded by both universities. The certificate is signed by the Dean of Department “Social Sciences and History”, and the President of TU Darmstadt. The Master's certificate bears the seal of TU Darmstadt and the logos of RMU, Goethe University Frankfurt and TU Darmstadt.
Examination Board
The Examination Board ensures that the provisions of the degree programme regulations and the implementing provisions (APB) are complied with (Section 9 (1) of the General Examination Regulations of TU Darmstadt).
Responsibilities of the Examination Board
- Admission: Formal entrance examination
- Admission: Substantive entrance examination (30-minute oral examination via Zoom)
- Recognition of academic achievements from master's degree programmes already commenced
- Recognition of academic achievements from abroad
- Approval of internships (see internship regulations)
Requests to the Examination Board must be submitted via the Student Office of Department 02 (TUDa).
Yes, it is possible to study part-time upon request. This allows for a more flexible, extended period of on-campus study. Instead of 30 CP per semester, 15 or 20 CP must be earned. The processing time for the final thesis is doubled.
Yes, in the third semester offers a time slot for studying abroad. Students can choose from the existing ERASMUS cooperation programmes offered by Department “Social Sciences and History”.
Academic advice is provided by the student counselling services of the participating institutes. Questions regarding the application and organisational preparation for the stay overseas are answered by the department responsible for internationalisation in Department “Social Sciences and History” (TUDa). The examination board is responsible for recognising the credits earned.
Yes, in the third semester, you have the option of completing an optional career-oriented internship worth 10 CP instead of a study project or a stay abroad. This corresponds to approximately 8 weeks of full-time work. For part-time positions, the duration of the internship is extended in accordance with the amount of work performed. All questions regarding the internship are regulated in the internship regulations for the degree programme.
Due to limited capacity, individual modules require a separate application to the module coordinators/teaching staff. This applies to modules from the elective area of the Institute of Human Geography (GU) and the teaching research projects of the Institute for Sociology (TUDa) in the practical area of the programme. Information on how to apply can be found in the respective module descriptions.
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