The master's programme urban future offers students from different disciplinary backgrounds the opportunity to study urban transformation processes in an inter- and transdisciplinary way. You will acquire the necessary subject-specific and interdisciplinary skills and knowledge that will enable you to work independently, scientifically, creatively and interdisciplinarily, to critically reflect on scientific findings and to act responsibly in the context of urban transformation processes. In each academic year, there is a specific cohort topic on which in-depth content-related knowledge and contacts in research-based practice are established.
Urban Futures (MA)
Profile
Main topics
With regard to disciplinary specialisation, three thematic specialisations are offered that describe central aspects of urban systems and focus on the design of spatial, social, infrastructural, cultural and aesthetic processes and structures – each from a different perspective: the built, social and digital city.
Built city
- Sustainable infrastructures
- Sustainable neighbourhood development
- Urban metabolism
Social city
- Demographic change, heterogeneity and social inequality
- Participation and active shaping of transformation processes
- Attitudinal and behavioural change
Digital city
- Analysis and visualisation of urban data
- Digital transformation in media, culture and economy
- Algorithmic ethics and responsibility
Study the city of tomorrow
The transformation of urban spaces into sustainable structures is one of the great challenges of our time. This transformation encompasses ecological, spatial, structural, social, cultural, design, infrastructural, technological and economic aspects equally and interdependently, for whose challenges there are no simple and sectoral solutions. The research-oriented master's programme urban futures enables you to think in a networked manner and to work in an interdisciplinary manner, to tap your creativity and innovation potential and to acquire profound knowledge and contacts for research-based practice.
Video Urban Futures
The major challenges of sustainable urban development include demographic change, climate protection strategies, measures as a result of social segregation, participation processes and big data in the context of urban infrastructure (smart cities). The master's degree in urban futures provides the technical and methodological competences required to carry out well-founded analyses of these tasks and to develop integral solutions.
Is this degree programme right for me?
In the master's programme, you will be enabled to think in a networked manner in the context of urban development and to work in an interdisciplinary manner, as well as to tap into your creativity and innovation potential. You will be provided with profound knowledge and contacts in research practice. The variety of content-related and methodological topics and questions inherent in the complexity of the topic of "Urban Future" cannot be fully covered in a four-semester master's programme. This makes it all the more important to practise an attitude of lifelong research-based learning during the degree programme in order to be able to move competently in the worldwide and constantly changing range of knowledge.
You bring these qualities with you
- Interested in research and engagement with building, social science or information technology issues in the bachelor's degree programme
- Interest in creative activity
- Analytical and conceptual way of thinking
- Independence, communication, organisational and team skills
Further information
- Year topic
- FAQ at the bottom of this page
- Information on career prospects
- Social Media: Twitter, Mastodon
FAQ
This list is intended to help you answer the most frequently asked questions about our master's programme urban futures. If you have any further questions, please feel free to send us a personal request via the e-mail address uz@fh-potsdam.de. We will answer you as soon as possible.
Contact
The colleagues at the student counselling service provide information to prospective students, first-year students, parents, teachers and students on all general questions about the degree programme. If you have specific questions or concerns about the master's programme urban futures, please contact the subject counselling service.
Subject Counselling Service
Manuela Delfanti
Subject Counselling Service

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Prytula
Career Prospects
Career prospects
You will be trained to conduct inter- and transdisciplinary research into visions of the future so that you can develop complex approaches to solutions for sustainable urban development in the context of building and housing, technical infrastructure and mobility, as well as demography and social structure. The competent use of data spaces and visualisations and other digital research methods is a central cross-cutting theme in all of the above-mentioned subject areas.
Extensive research projects and development projects are created in cooperation with practical partners from the economy, municipal administrations and scientific institutions. These enable a research-oriented study structure and direct participation in research and development processes within the framework of the study projects, internships and master's theses.
The concept of a transformation manager who works as an interface communicator, especially in the field of urban development and in the communication of political and social institutions or associations, serves as a model.
Possible areas of application
- Companies and institutions whose task is the production, design and mediation of urban living spaces, such as consulting companies, interface and communication design, research and development in the field of human-machine interfaces as well as cultural work, media and communication, marketing and tourism.
- International companies with a service portfolio for urban services and infrastructures
- Start-ups
- International organisations
- Access to management positions and higher service
Scientific career
The entitlement to a doctorate also opens the way to an academic career, e.g. in university or non-university research and teaching.
Study Content
Course of studies
The standard period of study for the full-time degree programme urban futures is four semesters and concludes with a master of arts degree. The study plan gives you a detailed overview.
Semester 1 | Visions of urban futures, city as a complex system, methods, electives |
Semester 2 | Inter- and transdisciplinary project, methods, electives |
Semester 3 | Research internship, electives |
Semester 4 | Master's thesis and colloquium |
Study content
In the master's degree programme urban futures, you will study with a high project component, which serves to translate and further develop the state of research taught in the degree programme into feasible concepts for urban problems in a practical manner. The focus is on promoting methodological competence while taking disciplinary in-depth studies into account.
In the currently valid module handbooks, study and examination regulations and statutes of the urban futures degree programme, you will find the module overview, a detailed description of the modules and study contents, the study plan as well as the statutes for the implementation of the university selection procedure for the master's degree programme urban futures.
Modules
- Visions of urban futures
- System City
- Futurology
- Reading Group
- Data Science
- Inter- and transdisciplinary project
- Project and Change Management
- Modelling of Complex Systems
- Individualised study (electives)
Research internship
In cooperation with municipal and city-related partners and under the supervision of lecturers, you will carry out a practice-oriented research internship of 560 hours.
Master thesis
- Master's thesis and colloquium with accompanying supervision
Results from the urban futures degree programme (selection)
Research projects
More projects
CMI.BA – Center for Metropolitan Innovation in Bratislava
Model project of an ecologically and socially sustainable building modernization of the Nová Cvernovka Foundation in Bratislava, Slovakia

In study
On the pages of the CITY | BUILDING | CULTURE department you will find further useful information and documents on the degree programme, for example on the organisation of the degree programme, the course catalogue and the research internship. Furthermore, current projects of the degree programme are presented there.
Year topic
Year topic 2022/2023
Smart City Potsdam
Smart cities are usually cities that enable intelligent networking of different areas of life and infrastructure sectors through the ubiquitous use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in order to achieve a higher quality of life and an increase in energy and resource efficiency. [i]
Innovations in technical infrastructures have always had a major impact on urban development processes and urban lifestyles. For example, developments in urban water management, energy supply or communication systems since the mid-19th century have led to new working, mobility and consumption patterns and resource regimes. The new information and communication technologies are the basis of many current technical, cultural and social developments, such as smart homes, new work, platform economies or Industry 4.0.

In July 2021, the state capital Potsdam was selected by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, for Construction and Home Affairs in the funding programme "Model Projects Smart Cities" [ii] with the application "Smart City Potsdam - Innovativ. Green. Just. Together we create a sustainable city for tomorrow!" [iii] was selected for funding together with 27 other cities.
The state capital intends to use the funding to,
- use the opportunities of digitalisation for the provision of public services,
- counteract climate change and
- expanding the opportunities for Potsdam residents to participate. [iv]
In this cohort, we are using the example of Smart City Potsdam to examine how municipalities can use digitalisation for sustainable, integrated and public welfare-oriented urban development, what opportunities and potential are associated with it, but also what challenges the digital transformation poses for municipalities.
What characterises a smart city and what effects can be expected from the use of innovative technologies on urban lifestyles, planning processes, urban development and urban form and the participation strategies underlying these activities? Based on extensive research on smart city strategies in various cities, small working groups will examine the actor networks, strategies and planned implementation measures in Potsdam in dialogue with the actors and develop visionary, practicable and strategic approaches to solutions in a project.
will be developed.
Sources:
[i] BBSR, BMI (2021): Smart City Charta. Digitale Transformation in den Kommunen nachhaltig gestalten. (22.02.2022).
[ii] BMWSB: Smart City Dialog, (o.D.), www.smart-city-dialog.de/ (22.02.2022).
[iii] LH Potsdam: Potsdam wird Smart City-Modellkommune, (o.D.), www.potsdam.de/potsdam-wird-smart-city-modellkommune (22.02.2022).
[iv] Vgl.: LH Potsdam: Potsdam wird Smart City Modellkommune. (o.D.).
Topic archive
Application & Contact
At a glance
The most important deadlines, dates and admission requirements for the master's programme urban futures are compiled here. You can find out which steps you need to take for a successful application in the next section.
Deadlines & Dates
- until 15 June: submit online application
Access requirements
First professional university degree (at least 180 ECTS credits) in the following fields of study:
- Technical/design-related: e.g. architecture and urban planning, design, urban and spatial planning, civil engineering
- social science-related: including sociology, psychology, social work, cultural work, politics, geography
- related to data and information processing: including computer science, information science, statistics and data science, computer visualistics
This is how you apply!
In the following, we explain which aspects you should pay attention to from the online application to enrolment (registration).
Further information
The following links provide you, and especially international applicants, with further information on the topics of application and enrolment at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam.

International applicants
You would like to apply for studies from the first or a higher semester and have acquired your school-leaving qualification and/or university degree abroad? Then you can have degrees and achievements acquired abroad recognised and study with us.

Application & Enrolment Procedure
The application and study service provides information and advice on general questions regarding the application process, admission and enrolment at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, application for a higher semester, but also on topics such as compensation for disadvantages, part-time studies, waiting semesters and hardship applications.
Application & Enrolment University of Applied Sciences Potsdam
Contact & Services
The student counselling service provides information and advice on general questions about studying as well as on topics such as choosing a degree programme, application, enrolment and study organisation.
For subject-specific questions on module content, credit transfer, examinations or specialisations in the urban futures degree programme, the subject counselling service is the right place to go.
Subject Counselling Service
Manuela Delfanti
Subject Counselling Service

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Prytula
Department of Student Affairs
Study Info Service
studien-info-service@fh-potsdam.de
bewerbungs-service@fh-potsdam.de
campuskarte@fh-potsdam.de
Study Service
studien-service@fh-potsdam.de
Exam Service
pruefungs-service@fh-potsdam.de
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