https://youtube.com/embed/yaCwWhJ8BVU?enablejsapi=1&rel=0&showinfo=1&controls=1
The Urban Studies Master’s Programme equips you with an interdisciplinary and international education, with a deepened understanding of urban processes and developments. The programme allows you to focus on your own areas of interests within the research fields of urban studies. The education takes place in the Öresund region, an area centred around Copenhagen and Malmö that offers an abundance of examples of global urban development issues.
The subject Urban studies explore how cities develop over time through various perspectives: social, economic, political, cultural, and material. At Malmö University, The Urban Studies Master’s Programme is particularly focused on urban justice, housing studies, and urban planning.
The programme is part of the urban research environment at the University, making it an ideal gateway into further academic studies at a PhD level in subjects such as urban studies, human geography, and planning. In the job market, you will have the skills to understand the complexities of urban development; you will also be qualified to connect various professions in strategic roles within public authorities, from local to international levels. Your expertise will be valuable in the private sector, including consulting firms.
The programme lets you explore cities as both stable structures and dynamic flows of people and goods. You will gain an understanding of urban visions, programmes, and plans, along with the processes and projects that shape them. Additionally, you will learn how cities are created through everyday life and spontaneous actions that enhance their atmosphere and appeal.
The programme is interdisciplinary and is based on critical urban research focusing both on the social and the materialities of the urban, including urban history. We welcome students with diverse backgrounds, and you are encouraged to follow and develop your own interests.
In the first semester, you will gain an overview of the research field of urban studies and theoretical debates. The second semester will focus on methodological approaches and forms of research presentation.
The third semester offers the opportunity to develop specialised skills. You may choose either a route that connects more with practitioners, through relevant courses that address forms of practice, or one that provides experience of academic research through acting as an intern with a current project at the University. The fourth semester is devoted to your own research in the form of a master’s thesis.
During the first year you will take part in four courses:
The second year includes an elective semester of 30 credits. You can choose to go on an international exchange at one of Malmö University's partner universities or chose an elective course at any university. The Urban Studies department offers courses such as project management and research internship. The final semester is devoted to your individual master’s thesis, which is worth 30 credits.
The programme alternates theoretical studies with empirical field studies. You will independently and in groups conduct studies of environments and contexts in the city and the region. To present the results, you will use different presentation forms, such as texts, illustrations, oral presentations, sketches, maps, and potential design solutions.
The education is based on active student learning, where students are expected to contribute creatively and enthusiastically. You will comment on and discuss your own work, as well as critique the work of your fellow students.
An interdisciplinary and broad approach to understanding urban development and transformations enables you to secure qualified positions in various organisations after graduation. This may include working on projects that span different sectors, from public authorities to companies, both nationally and internationally.
Many alumni have pursued further education at a PhD level. Others work as project leaders, project managers, and advisors at consulting firms or in the public sector. Some graduates have become sustainability analysts, focusing on community building or serving as civil servants in the public sector or metropolitan administrations, addressing issues of urban planning or strategic development.
Semester 3: Elective courses at the Department of Urban Studies, Malmö University, other Swedish universities or abroad (i.e exchange studies). Possibility for research internship
Here you can find the entry requirements, as well as how the available study places are distributed between applicants in the selection.
Bachelor's degree, consisting of 180 credits. The equivalent of English 6 in Swedish secondary school.
Applicants are selected in rank order based on the submitted three-part supporting document.
It is recommended that you submit a supporting document with your application to this programme. If you meet the eligibility criteria but do not submit a supporting document, you may only be considered for admission if places are available.
To complete your application with the supporting document, follow the steps below:
Prior knowledge and capability to perform in the programme
Education, work or other experiences that have provided insights into urban social processes, urban and community development, and developed the applicant's ability to identify connections between urban everyday life, social movements, the city's development and physical structures.
Relevance in relation to the programme, and ability to independently analyse and reflect on topics in urban studies.
Dedication and interest in the field of the programme and future ambitions in relation to the programme. The ability to write and structure arguments.
The supporting document must be uploaded no later than:
Supporting document submitted after these dates will not be accepted.
You can apply to the programme if you are in your final year of bachelor’s studies and will receive your diploma before the programme starts. To apply you must follow specific instructions.
How to apply in your final year of bachelor’s studies (Universityadmissions.se)
Mark Connaughton did not plan on having a career in research when he first enrolled on the Urban Studies Master’s Programme. However, today, he finds himself working as a PhD fellow at Roskilde University in Denmark, where he investigates how dignity is shaped by unemployed people in a...
Mark Connaughton did not plan on having a career in research when he first enrolled on the Urban Studies Master’s Programme. However, today, he finds himself working as a PhD fellow at Roskilde University in Denmark, where he investigates how dignity is shaped by unemployed people in a post-industrial city in the US.
“Before studying Urban Studies, I studied applied languages and intercultural studies in Dublin and then worked as a translator in Berlin. Living in the formerly divided city made me fascinated about how cities are shaped by history and culture. I chose the Urban Studies Master’s Programme because the variety of subjects really excited me. It covered many different areas, like geography, sociology, planning, and economics; I liked that we had the freedom to focus on the topics we enjoyed in the latter part of the programme,” he says.
My favourite part of the programme was the final thesis, which allowed for six months of uninterrupted, self-guided research under great supervision from researchers at the department. I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed the thesis research. It was what led me to accept a research assistant job at Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, which then led me to my PhD. Spending years studying a specific problem seemed like a great opportunity, and I love working in the academic environment. A PhD position seemed like a natural step to explore after my master’s.
I am working on a research project that is theoretically situated somewhere between political sociology and social psychology. I do ethnographic research that tries to uncover how the individual and their everyday lives are deeply entangled with spatial politics, institutions, cultural repertoires, and socio-economic factors. This involves me regularly visiting and researching the city’s spatial and historical development. I spend time with unemployed people, participating in the everyday practices they undertake. I also observe the spaces they move around in and meet with community, political, and official figures. This helps me map the entanglement between individuals, spaces, and institutions. Along with research, I also teach and supervise undergraduate students, and attend conferences.
The best part about my job is visiting new places, meeting new people and constantly looking for, and being exposed to, new ways of thinking and learning.
I learned how to understand cities and the people living in them. We studied things like transport, housing, and social movements, and we were taught how to critically analyse problems, theories and methods. It prepared me well for a career in research.
The most important aspect that has stayed with me throughout my work is the importance of critical research that questions how we know what we know within academia and the wider world. Also, the focus on understanding people’s experiences in cities.
Make the most of the broadness of the programme. It’s a great opportunity to try out new fields of interest, methods of inquiry, and discover what fits you best.
Upon graduation, Stephanie Patterson went on to work for Copenhagenize, an organisation that works to build better bicycle cultures and infrastructures.
Upon graduation, Stephanie Patterson went on to work for Copenhagenize, an organisation that works to build better bicycle cultures and infrastructures.
Having worked quite closely with urban planners in a development company in Melbourne for four years, Stephanie decided she wanted to do go back to school. She chose the Urban Studies programme at Malmö University because of its social focus.
“I wanted to continue my studies in Europe. I moved to Copenhagen from Australia and started the master’s programme in Urban Studies in Malmö, so I would go back and forth on the train. It was very straight forward and I really like both cities. Malmö is a bit cosier and sleepier than Copenhagen, and I feel it has more of an underground scene in terms of culture and music.”
After graduating, Stephanie landed an internship at Copenhagenize, where she helped promote bicycles as a form of everyday transport.
“Copenhagen is applied as an example for other cities, and so the company has a wide, international client base. I was doing a mixture of mapping design work and communication for their blog.”
The Urban Studies programme is an interdisciplinary programme which gives students broad theoretical perspectives as well as the opportunity to work with practical case studies. In the third term, students can choose to study abroad or take elective courses.
“There was a good mixture of fieldwork and analysis on the programme. I also did an exchange in Paris, where I picked up some useful design skills,” says Stephanie.
She also notes that the relaxed and self-driven teaching style at Malmö University suited her well.
“There are no strict guidelines for projects which means students can really follow what they’re interested in, and bring in their own local insights.”
For instance, one of her own projects looked at community gardens and integration agendas.
“The Urban Studies programme definitely gave me a gateway to further opportunities. The studies touch on urban planning, which was linked to my work, and the sociology side of it increased my passion to be involved in urban planning for a better social purpose,” she adds.
