Bachelor of Science (Tech) and Master of Science (Tech) in Technology, Sustainable Urban Development
Tampere, Finland
MSc
DURATION
5 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
EUR 10,000 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
* per academic year for non-EU/EEA students for bachelor’s programme | €12000 per academic year for non-EU/EEA students for master’s programme
Key Summary
About: Tampere University's BSc (Tech) and MSc (Tech) in Sustainable Urban Development builds multidisciplinary skills to tackle urban sustainability. The programme blends technology, administrative and social sciences through shared core studies, specialization tracks, and Urban Lab challenge projects with partners like the City of Tampere and the Hiedanranta testbed, giving hands-on experience in urban planning, smart-city systems, sustainability, and stakeholder collaboration.
Career Outcomes: Graduates gain skills for roles in urban planning, sustainability, smart-city analysis, environmental policy, and community engagement. You'll access career opportunities as an urban planner, sustainability consultant, policy advisor, project manager, or researcher in public sector, consultancies, NGOs.
Built environment as a platform for sustainable development
Cities are inspiring arenas for business, culture, and everyday life. However, they face complex challenges related to the environment and the well-being of individuals. Bachelor's program in Sustainable Urban Development is a multidisciplinary program developing skills needed to address these challenges.
Urbanization is one of the biggest trends in the globalized world. It is estimated that 2/3 of humans will be living in urban areas by the year 2050. This transformation needs to be met with sustainable solutions that take into account not only climate change but also social justice among many other criteria.
Bachelor’s program in Sustainable Urban Development offers you a way to develop multidisciplinary expertise related to urban development and sustainability. This multidisciplinary program consists of three specializations: Administrative Sciences, Social Sciences, and Technology. The program includes basic and intermediate studies in each of the fields. Knowledge of these fields will help you understand the complex phenomena related to sustainable urban development from several perspectives. In addition to the studies that are common for all students, the program includes specialization studies, which develop the theoretical basis of the selected study field and create a professional profile.
In addition to stream-specific studies, a novel aspect of the program is the multidisciplinary teaching with other Sustainable Urban Development streams. Common courses with students from the social and administrative science streams help you understand the complex phenomena related to sustainable urban development from several perspectives, develop interdisciplinary thinking skills, and identify novel and constructive ways of solving complex problems.
Another unique aspect of this program is the style of learning. Through the challenge-based Urban Lab courses, students are engaged in real-life urban development projects in multidisciplinary teams. These projects are carried out in collaboration with companies and public organizations such as the City of Tampere, providing students the opportunity engage with – and learn from - local stakeholders and actors in urban development. For example, we utilize a real-world laboratory, Hiedanranta, which is a future city district and a testbed for innovative projects related to smart and sustainable housing, energy, transportation, and business.
Students of this multidisciplinary program select their specializationto (Administrative Sciences, Social Sciences, or Technology) when applying for the program. Although much of the contents of the program are common for all students, there are variations in the application criteria, study contents, and the name of the degree granted after completing the program.
Study contents
The scope of the programme is 180 ECTS. It consists of the following elements:
- Joint Studies 35 ECTS; such as economics, information technology, language and communication studies and introduction to sustainable urban development
- Basic Studies 50 ECTS; such as research methods, mathematics, physics, chemistry
- Intermediate Studies in sustainable urban development 70 ECTS: such as economic renewal of cities and regions, politics and participation, organizational change, transport systems, water management and the bachelor’s thesis
- Free Choice Studies 25 ECTS; to continue to the Master’s Degree in the field of technology a technical study module is chosen and in addition, you can select freely from the offerings of the Tampere University community.
After completing the Bachelor’s program in Sustainable Urban Development graduates will:
- Understand the various aspects of the built environment, sustainable urban development, and their societal significance.
- Know the key concepts and terminology and be able to follow the developments in the field of urban development.
- Recognize the central actors, questions, conflicts, and solutions connected to sustainable urban development.
- Be able to carry out development projects individually and in teams related to sustainable urban development.
- Understand the basic principles of academic research and be able to independently design, conduct and report academic research projects.
In addition, those focusing on the Technology field will acquire knowledge about mathematics and natural sciences, which are necessary elements of the Bachelor of Science in Technology Degree. Studies in the Technology field will also cover the basics of systems, information management, and project management in the built environment.
After completing the program you are eligible to continue studies for the Master of Science in Technology degree. You will automatically have the right to continue your studies in the Master's Program in Civil Engineering – Sustainable Transport.
After completing the Master's Program in Civil Engineering, students will be able to collect, understand and critically evaluate information. Students will also be able to solve complicated and unpredictable problems by applying scientific methods, organizational practices, and technological innovations in various expert, development, and leadership roles. Students can identify and assess the impacts of the built environment and develop ecologically, socially, and economically efficient and sustainable solutions through participation in public discussion and cooperation in multidisciplinary teams of experts.
By majoring in sustainable transport, the graduates will be able to:
- Understand the role of transport in developing sustainable urban areas and the critical role of transport in achieving sustainable development goals.
- Understand and apply transport and mobility principles as they relate to sustainable urban development and analyze their complex interrelations within urban systems.
- Apply leadership, collaboration, management, and engineering skills in multidisciplinary teams to advance sustainable transport systems in urban environments worldwide.
- Distinguish the central actors, questions, conflicts, and solutions in the field of sustainable urban development.
- Critically evaluate sustainable development projects and case studies in their global context and formulate the best practices in a local context.
- Conduct independent and collaborative academic research and communicate it to researchers, professional audiences, and the general public.
After completing the degree, the student is equipped to drive sustainable change, has abilities for lifelong learning, and is eligible for scientific doctoral studies.
Tampere University offers a limited number of partial scholarships as well as an early bird discount to support fee-paying students.
Tampere University tuition fee scholarships
The Tampere University tuition fee scholarship is an exclusive opportunity awarded to a select number of the best-performing applicants. It is a highly selective scholarship; in total, only individual Tampere University scholarships are awarded to exceptionally qualified applicants. Scholarships are not awarded in all programmes.
Tampere University tuition fee scholarships awarded at admission cover 50% of the tuition fees for the programme duration.
Early bird offer
The early bird offer is available to all fee-paying students who have not been awarded a Tampere University tuition fee scholarship upon admission. The early bird offer gives a €2,000 reduction on the programme tuition fee during the first year of studies.
Students may take advantage of the early bird offer by accepting the offered study place and paying the reduced first-year tuition fee within two weeks after receiving information on admission.
This offer is valid only for the first year of studies.
In addition to these offers available at admission, students who complete a Bachelor's degree at Tampere University will be eligible to receive a €2,000 reduction on their tuition fee for the first year of Master's degree studies at Tampere University, provided they graduate from their Bachelor's programme within three academic years.
How to apply for scholarships?
To be considered for Tampere University Scholarships, you must apply for the scholarship as part of your application for admission during the application period for admission. You will apply for Tampere University Scholarships with the same online application you use to apply for admission at Studyinfo.fi.
All application information you submit in your application for admission at Studyinfo.fi, including your educational documents, is available for the admissions committee evaluating your scholarship application. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of overall academic assessment, in which all application information and educational documents, as well as the scholarship application letter (if applicable), are taken into consideration and can be decisive. The decision on the scholarship will be communicated to you together with information on admission.
The early bird offer is available without a separate application to all fee-paying students who have not been awarded a Tampere University tuition fee scholarship.
Graduates of the Bachelor’s programs will obtain strong multidisciplinary skills and they will be well-experienced to work in a multicultural environment. The programs prepare the graduates to be professionals in matters related to sustainable urban development, an area that is growing and in demand.