The MSc Integrated Urbanism and Sustainable Design is a double-degree master’s program jointly organized by the University of Stuttgart and Ain Shams University in Cairo with one year in Stuttgart University and another year at Ain Shams University in Cairo.
The MSc IUSD programme trains and prepares a new generation of urban practitioners to face the tremendous environmental, cultural, socio-economic and governance challenges resulting from the dynamic urban transformation around the globe.
It is open to graduates and young professionals from the fields of architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture and regional planning as well as to graduates with other Bachelor degrees and with relevant professional experience.
The programme philosophy is based on transnational learning exchange between students with different regional backgrounds applied to a specific urban reality. The current experiential learning hubs are focused on the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) and Germany.
Students work in interdisciplinary teams on site-specific projects in cooperation with local communities and with different stakeholders, organizations and institutions, locally and internationally.
IUSD students acquire reflective and practical skills to develop integrated and transdisciplinary solutions for planning, managing and designing landscapes, cities and buildings.
Who can apply?
Applicants from all over the world with an internationally recognized Bachelor degree (or equivalent) in architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture, regional planning or civil engineering. Professionals with Bachelor degrees in geography, sociology, environmental management, political science or economics and cultural studies, Arabic, African or Islamic studies with relevant professional experience will also be considered but should also provide proof of relevant professional experience in fields related to architecture, urban and development planning or infrastructure design. The Masters programme strongly encourages applications from young professionals working in public institutions, private sector, civil society initiatives or NGOs all over the world who are interested in IUSD-related topics and who have a high level of interest in knowledge transfer and achieving a social benefit. The Admission Commission will give applicants with work expertise or equivalent internship experience preferential treatment. We would welcome applicants from many different backgrounds and countries and this year applications will not be limited to applicants from Germany, Egypt and MENA countries.
The programme hopes to attract young professionals with experience and maturity who are willing to tackle new challenges, be integrative and open-minded in their approach to problem solving. Prospective students need to be able to recognize and embrace the vast scope of subject matters covered by the programme, from the scale of ecosystems to constructional architectural detail, and consider this a special quality and an important asset to their professional and personal skills.
Scholarships
The DAAD offers two types of study grants for the IUSD program. One type of grant will be awarded to a limited number of Arab students from the following MENA countries: Egypt, Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen, covering the entire duration of the course (including travel costs and German courses). The other will be awarded to German students during the second year of the program, which takes place in Egypt or a MENA country (including travel costs and Arabic courses). Arab and German students applying to the IUSD program can also apply for the scholarship as part of their application. Current Teaching Assistans at Egyptian Public Universities can be funded by the Ministry of Higher Education Egypt (MoHESR). Students holding other nationalities can seek a DAAD scholarship individually at the DAAD website or other organizations. Acceptance on the IUSD program does not automatically mean that applicants have been granted a DAAD scholarship. For more information regarding the scholarship, please visit the DAAD website. Successful applicants with the above nationalities or students with other nationalities who have not been granted a DAAD scholarship can either attend the program at their own expense or seek funding individually.
For further information, please visit the programme website.
