The two-year-long master's degree course "Environmental Management and Urban Planning in Metropolitan Areas" (UMSB), which has been offered by the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences together with the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences and the Hochschule Geisenheim University since October 2009 is the only one of its kind in the Rhine-Main region for graduates of architecture and urban planning, of civil engineering, of landscaping architecture, geoinformation, urban geography and associated fields. The program is taught in German.
This degree course prepares its students in an interdisciplinary approach for tasks in urban, landscape and infrastructure planning, as well as in environmental management in metropolitan cities. It orients itself in the challenges and future tasks of spatial, social and climatic changes. The conveyed content and methods during the studies and the reflection from practical work experience enable graduates to connect scientific theories with implementable practice in the respective professional field.
The degree course UMSB can also be studied part-time and can be studied alongside work.
In November 2019, the course "Environmental Management and Urban Planning in Metropolitan Areas" celebrated its 10th anniversary with an anniversary event at the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences. A report on this event can be found here.
A short documentary with Prof. Michael Peterek (Frankfurt UAS), Prof. Volker Blees (HS RheinMain) and Prof. Constanze Petrow (Geisenheim University) in the series "Hessen schafft Wissen" presents the "Perspective on Urban Development" from the UMSB master course.
Admission requirements
Admission requirements are a bachelor or diploma up to an ECTS grade B or a final grade of 2.0. This allows students the direct admission.
Applicants with an ECTS grade C or a final grade of higher than 2.0 and below 2.7 must present special qualifications for the UMSB degree course separately in the application documents and have to possibly be interviewed. The detailed criteria are presented in the admission regulations, which can be found on the website of the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences.
The application and enrollment takes place at the RhineMain University of Applied Sciences in Wiesbaden.
Interested students can find more information on the degree course UMSB on the homepage of the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences:
UMSB homepage of the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences (German)
The study content orients itself in the relevant tasks in environmental management, infrastructure and urban and landscape planning e.g. in the areas of urban development and regional planning, nature conservation, open space retention, green area planning, water management, resource and traffic management for metropolitan areas.
The modular four-semester degree course, which requires a total of 120 ECTS credits is structured into obligatory modules, and electives depending on the area of specialization and the final master's thesis during the fourth semester.
The modules GIS, planning law, environment and administrative law, project management and staff management, business administration and environment management systems are obligatory modules, which are intended to convey a planning and environment-related legal basis, as well as interdisciplinary key competencies in management. An obligatory interdisciplinary project for all students serves the purpose of interdisciplinary work and holistic thinking beyond specific individual disciplines.
In the master's degree "Environmental Management and Urban Planning' the following five specializations can be chosen:
- Focus on landscape architecture (L) with the modules city ecology, nature conservation, open space retention, cultural landscape, biodiversity as well as the project landscape architecture
- Focus on urban planning (S) with the modules urban history and urban theory, residential and settlement planning, district planning, urban renewal and urban redevelopment, social and cultural aspects of urban development, spatial planning instruments and the project urban design
- Focus on traffic (V) with the modules traffic in metropolitan areas, management of traffic and mobility, as well as traffic development planning
- Focus on resources (R) with the modules resource management, energy supply and recycling economy
- Focus on water management / infrastructure (W/I) with the modules water supply, danger prevention, immission protection, water management and sustainable settlement water management
The focus (L) is mainly taught at the Hochschule Geisenheim University, focus (S) at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences and the foci (V), (R) and (W/I) at the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences.
Specialization urban planning (S) Please contact the coordinator Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Peterek at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences in case of any questions. Contact information can be found under contacts.
Degree & Career prospects
With the successful completion of the degree course, the academic title "Master of Engineering" (M.Eng.) is granted. This title qualifies the graduate for higher civil service and the graduate may undergo doctoral studies.
Graduates of the master's degree UMSB possess well-founded competencies in the tasks relevant for the metropolitan areas with respect to environmental management, infrastructure and urban and landscape planning like in the fields of urban district and urban planning, regional planning, nature conservation, open space retention and green area planning, water and traffic management. At the same time, they are generalists with an economic and ecologic background knowledge and they have leadership qualities in order to work independently in planning and management as a project manager.
The manifold tasks are within the municipal, public and private sector, in local, regional, national, international authorities and institutions, planning and engineering offices, development organizations, transport associations, water supply and waste water companies, energy supply and waste management, in research institutes and institutions of higher education.
With proof of specialization in landscape architecture or urban planning and a respective relevant first university degree (in accordance with the respective chamber laws) if met and additionally completed practical work periods, an application can be submitted for the registration as "Landscape Architect" or "Urban Planner" with the Chamber of Architects and Urban Planners.
