Level

Master's level

Entry requirements

Bachelor's degree, consisting of 180 credits. The equivalent of English 6 in Swedish secondary school.

Programme structure

Urban Studies: Urban Business and Development - Real Estate and Transport is the master’s program for students that aspire for a future career in developing and managing attractive and sustainable cities. The program is multidisciplinary in its’ content but with a basis in Business Administration, Economics and Economic Geography. These perspectives are important to understand the driving forces behind urbanisation, and to understand spatial development within and between cities and regions. Real estate and transport and the services they generate are key factors to a viable integration of cities and regions.

The functioning of cities evolve through collaboration and co-operation of various stakeholders, in private as well as in public sector. The economic perspectives in the program provides an understanding for the different incentives that drive development of sustainable cities. It includes business development as well as social developments.

The program provides students with the competence and analytical tools required to analyse and critically assess objectives in urban development, such as new business models and development projects. They can work in private, public and non-governmental organisations that have different roles in contributing to the integration and development of cities and regions. Students can also continue with an academic career by entering into research education when they finished the program.

Semester 1 and 2 are dedicated to mandatory courses within the main field of Urban Studies. During semester 3 students can choose to specialise by taking courses at universities abroad (exchange studies), elective courses at the department of Urban Studies or apply for research internship. These courses do not need to be within the field of Urban Studies.

Programme contents

Semester 1, Autumn 2025

Semester 2, Spring 2026

Semester 3, Autumn 2026

Semester 4, Spring 2027

Qualitative targets

Knowledge and understanding

For a Degree of Master (120 credits) the student shall

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the main field of study, including both broad knowledge of the field and a considerable degree of specialised knowledge in certain areas of the field as well as insight into current research and development work, and
• demonstrate specialised methodological knowledge in the main field of study.

Competence and skills

For a Degree of Master (120 credits) the student shall

• demonstrate the ability to critically and systematically integrate knowledge and analyse, assess and deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations even with limited information
• demonstrate the ability to identify and formulate issues critically, autonomously and creatively as well as to plan and, using appropriate methods, undertake advanced tasks within predetermined time frames and so contribute to the formation of knowledge as well as the ability to evaluate this work
• demonstrate the ability in speech and writing both nationally and internationally to clearly report and discuss his or her conclusions and the knowledge and arguments on which they are based in dialogue with different audiences, and
• demonstrate the skills required for participation in research and development work or autonomous employment in some other qualified capacity.

Judgement and approach

For a Degree of Master (120 credits) the student shall

• demonstrate the ability to make assessments in the main field of study informed by relevant disciplinary, social and ethical issues and also to demonstrate awareness of ethical aspects of research and development work
• demonstrate insight into the possibilities and limitations of research, its role in society and the responsibility of the individual for how it is used, and
• demonstrate the ability to identify the personal need for further knowledge and take responsibility for his or her ongoing learning.

Degree

To obtain a master's degree from Malmö University a completed education is required according to the table of contents above. After a completed education the student will obtain a Degree of Master of Science (120 credits) with a Major in Urban Studies.

Additional information

Any specific entry requirements for progression within the programme are indicated in the respective course syllabus.

The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.

If a decision about discontinuation of a study programme has been made, the programme syllabus will cease to be in effect, however only after the students have had the opportunity to complete their study programme within nominal study time (calculated based on the final admission to the programme’s first term) and thereafter, as a minimum, during the following two terms, referred to as the “closure period.”