International, interdisciplinary, and future-oriented:
master’s programme highlights at TU Darmstadt

TU Darmstadt has something very special to offer its master’s students: English-language programmes such as Sustainable Urban Development or Cognitive Science are especially attractive options for international students to do a degree in English in their desired field. I decided to apply to a joint degree programme, and I have to say the interaction with the partner university and fellow students is super exciting. Would you like to find out more about these special master’s degree programmes at TU Darmstadt? Then you’re in the right place!

Published: 23rd September 2020

Ngoc,
Sustainable Urban Development M.Sc.

Sustainable Urban Development – or sustainable urban planning –is a master’s degree programme that has a huge amount of potential and is 100 percent future-oriented. I'm really looking forward to working internationally after graduating and being part of sustainable projects all over the world - maybe even in Vietnam, where I’ll be doing part of my joint degree.

Portraitfoto Ngoc
Picture: Britta Hüning

One degree – two universities

While I was looking into master’s programmes for myself, I came across Sustainable Urban Development. After doing a little research on the internet, it was obvious: Yes, that’s what I want to do! I think it's extremely cool to work on the development or further development of cities and to find sustainable solutions to current problems.

The fact that it’s a joint master’s degree just made it that much more interesting for me. You might be thinking: A what? Maybe you’ve never heard of a joint degree but it’s international, and I really highly recommend it to everyone. I’m not only studying Sustainable Urban Development at TU Darmstadt, but at the same time at the Vietnamese German University (VGU) in Ho Chi Minh City.

I’m spending the first two semesters here in Darmstadt, and in the second semester I’m even spending time with my fellow students from Vietnam, who will be packing their bags and coming to Germany. That's why the programme is taught in English. The students have very different bachelor’s degrees, which creates ideal conditions for interdisciplinary work. In the third semester it's our turn to go abroad: Vietnam here I come! I think the program is a great opportunity to gain international experience even as an undergraduate. That's what I call practising interdisciplinarity and internationality in real life!

English, please!

So, have I piqued your interest yet? Maybe sustainable urban planning isn’t really your thing? No problem, TU Darmstadt has lots of different options for doing a master’s degree. If you’d like to do an English-language master's degree programme, there are a total of eleven different programmes available at TU Darmstadt, including: Cognitive Science – which combines psychology and computer science, Data and Discourse Studies – an interdisciplinary programme for discourse analysis with a focus on research data studies, Information and Communication Engineering – developing future communication systems – and Tropical Hydrogeology and Environmental Engineering –where students learn ways to develop more sustainable water supplies for tropical and subtropical countries from a geoscientific perspective. Two new master’s degree programmes will be introduced in winter semester 2020/21, Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management and Logistics & Supply Chain Management.

Okay, that all sounds great, but you still can’t really imagine what the programmes are like? I totally get it! You can find out more about the master’s degree curricula on the TU Darmstadt website.

Doing your master’s degree at TU Darmstadt

Besides the tons of German-language master’s programmes, TU Darmstadt currently offers eleven English-language master’s degree programmes for anybody interested. A master's programme typically consists of four semesters. The programmes build on the bachelor’s programmes and serve to deepen scientific knowledge and lead to a second degree. It can either be research-oriented or have an applied orientation. The master’s degree entitles students to do a Ph.D. and is equivalent to the (former) degrees “Diplom” and "Magister Artium”.

Anybody with a bachelor's degree with German university entrance qualifications can apply online. If you graduated from a foreign school, the application portal movein of the International Admissions Office is the right tool to apply for admission to TU Darmstadt.

Double and Dual Degree = Double the fun

You won't believe it, but in addition to the English master’s and joint degree programmes TU Darmstadt offers even further interesting programmes. Namely the double and dual degree agreements with various partner universities worldwide. These programmes offer students the opportunity to earn two degrees at the same time: The Master of Science from TU Darmstadt and the corresponding degree from the partner university. The full recognition of all academic achievements attained abroad is guaranteed from the outset. That's a great concept, isn't it?

TU Darmstadt now offers its students the double degree programme in many engineering and natural sciences degree programmes. Are you interested in a master's degree in law and economics, mathematics, physics, materials and geosciences, civil and environmental engineering, architecture, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, information technology or computer science? Then congratulations! Here you will have the opportunity to get a double or dual degree. Depending on the degree programme, you can choose from partner universities such as Tongji University in Shanghai, Universidade des Sao Paulo or TELECOM ParisTech – just to name a few. Your degree programme is not included? Then have a look at all double degree programmes.

Could I inspire you a little bit? Have you discovered your dream programme within the highlighted programmes of the TU Darmstadt? Then be sure to check which language requirements must be met and if needed take classes offered by the Language Centre. If you're still unsure, the International Officers of the responsible department will help you quickly with advice.

Portraitfoto Ngoc
Picture: Britta Hüning

Ngoc

Hey, I’m Ngoc and I am studying Sustainable Urban Development, a joint degree programme, at TU Darmstadt. This means I can do part of my degree in Vietnam at the Vietnamese German University in Ho Chi Minh City – I'm really looking forward to that! With my English-language programme, I feel very well prepared for an international career. Are you starting at TU Darmstadt soon? Then maybe we’ll see each other there.