New “Urban Cultures” master’s degree programme to start in October

The new programme will be based at five locations in Europe and South America. These include the three European world heritage cities of Augsburg, Santiago de Compostela, and Coimbra, as well as the two Latin American cultural metropolises of Buenos Aires and São Paulo. The programme combines studies in the social sciences, spatial studies, and the humanities.

Colourful facades in the district of La Boca in Buenos Aires *AdobeStock.com*

One of the aims of the “Urban Cultures” (URC) degree programme is to impart a better understanding of urban complexity. To do this, alongside classical urban studies subjects such as the social and spatial sciences, particularly the humanities as culturally relevant areas of enquiry are integrated into the programme.

The different disciplinary foci of the programme reflect the five hosting locations. In Augsburg, the humanities stand at the forefront represented by the Institute of Iberian and Latin American Studies in cooperation with the Institute for European Cultural History and the Environmental Science Center. Besides Romance studies, participating disciplines include history, cultural and regional studies, as well as the environmental humanities.

In the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela, human geography stands in focus while in the Portuguese city of Coimbra, it is sociology. Latin American studies is the focus of the URC semester in Buenos Aires, whereas in São Paulo it is urban studies.

Study at up to four locations in up to three world languages

During the course of their degree programme, students can choose at up to four of the five locations. They all start their studies in Augsburg. In the second and third semesters, they head to Santiago de Compostela and to Coimbra respectively, with the University of Coimbra as one of the oldest universities in Europe. In the final semester, students can decide at which of the three European universities they want to write their master’s thesis, which can be combined with either an internship or a study abroad in Buenos Aires or São Paulo.

“The degree programme has a strong interdisciplinary and international focus. With this programme we are responding to the need for interculturally competent actors in urban cultural matters,” says Professor Victor Ferretti, who is responsible for the degree programme. In order to offer students attractive internship opportunities and practical experience, the universities are working with over 30 partner institutions such as government ministries, city administrations, and NGOs in Europe and Latin America.

The idea for the degree programme was born in Augsburg

The idea for the degree programme emerged out of the international urban cultures working group, which was established in 2018 at the Institute of Iberian and Latin American Studies at the University of Augsburg. The research-based combined degree programme was developed and implemented with the renowned Centre for Social Studies (CES) at the University of Coimbra, as well as with other international partners. The programme was funded by the European Union (EMDM), the Bavarian State Ministry for Science and the Arts (BAYLAT), and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICET) in Argentina.

A bachelor’s degree and solid language skills required

For the master’s degree programme “Urban Cultures,” applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree (or another higher qualification) in a relevant discipline in addition to a secondary school leaving certificate (Abitur). Relevant disciplines include geography, literary or cultural studies, sociology, applied linguistics, ethnology, history, political science, spatial and city planning, and architecture and design. Students must also possess very good language skills in English and Spanish or Portuguese. Applications for the starting winter semester 2024/25 are open until 1st of July.

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