Building Sustainability in Urban Futures (MBA)

Introduction This Master’s degree programme is a comprehensive, interdisciplinary course for those who plan a career in real estate project planning and management with a focus on implementing sustainability and acknowledging the relevance of different urban contexts. The concept of the German “Energiewende” – literally, energy transition – has gained international attention. It includes a variety of measures that aim at making Europe's largest economy free of fossil fuels and nuclear energy. In order to attain this, all areas of energy production and consumption will have to go through a transition process. Besides mobility and industry, buildings are therefore one of the key factors for a successful Energiewende. Advantages and Opportunities The programme has an orientation on practical implementation. Whereas building a house has become a manageable task, things become much more complicated when considering the urban environment and wider interests such as energy efficiency. Strategic concepts for communication and cooperation are crucial for success when dealing with large-scale projects. The Master’s degree programme in building sustainability focuses therefore not only on economic and technical perspectives but also aims at imparting basic knowledge in other relevant disciplines. This means that the scope of the programme is both broad and specific at the same time. The combination of technology, management, and sustainability-related topics is therefore a unique opportunity for young professionals to extend their skills. Graduates will be able to moderate and manage complex projects in the planning, construction, and real estate sectors. The programme provides the knowledge and skills for assessing projects from economic, ecological, and technical perspectives as well as for creatively, both in teams or independently, finding solutions considering various stakeholder interests. Graduates will be able to enter the labour market (private and public sectors) or continue on with postgraduate studies. EUREF Campus The main study location is the European Energy Forum (EUREF), built around the historical Gasometer in Berlin-Schöneberg. The campus is the setting of an innovative community, which includes applied research, economic, and policy consultancies that are mainly based on the philosophy of sustainability. Students (who are the future building experts) study in close cooperation with leading enterprises and institutions located on the EUREF campus. This enables students to also become acquainted with practical projects in the field of energy, sustainability, and management.