Sustainable Tourism Management (STM) Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development

Tourism can benefit regions, businesses, and local communities, but it also contributes to climate change and resource overuse as well as the risk of increasing economic and social inequalities.

In this Master's degree programme, students will learn how to implement sustainability in tourism management at various market levels (companies, destinations, and politics) and thus prevent negative economic, environmental, and social impacts.

Students will first acquire in-depth, scientifically based knowledge of the effects of tourism and then learn about innovative solutions available across all dimensions of sustainability (economy, ecology, socio-cultural, and management).

Many modules are project- and process-based, allowing students to develop their own solutions in collaboration with existing companies or destinations. The programme therefore also teaches project and data management skills.

Since the course content addresses both European and international contexts, students are later equipped to work both within Europe and abroad. Graduates usually work in tourism companies, destination management organisations, consultancies, the science sector, or politics.

In the first semester, students acquire basic knowledge in all areas of sustainability concerning the effects of tourism and possible solutions. Topics such as climate change, the economy for the common good, and working conditions are addressed. A special focus is placed on sustainable destination management, marketing, and data literacy, each covered in separate modules.

In the second semester, students work together on an applied project in cooperation with tourism companies or organisations. Additionally, they choose from various elective modules, thus taking the first step toward sharpening their professional profile.

In the third semester, students can decide whether they would like to study at one of the partner universities abroad (e.g. Spain, Italy) or gain practical experience by doing an internship or working on an academic project. Therefore, a project management seminar is also offered.

The programme ends with a colloquium and the Master’s thesis in the fourth semester.

• Applicants must possess a first professional university degree in the field of tourism or a Bachelor's degree in a programme that is subject-related* (e.g. geography, business administration, social sciences, etc.).
• The degree should comprise at least 180 ECTS credits.

*Note: Subject-related programmes should include a tourism-related component of at least 30 ECTS credit points. If applicants are unable to provide evidence of this, they may be able to compensate with practical experience in the field of tourism management. In this case, please contact the head of the degree programme before applying.

376 EUR per semester
This includes a semester ticket for public transport in Germany ("Deutschlandsemesterticket").

Approximately 1,200 EUR per month

At the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE), a variety of funding opportunities are available to support students’ international mobility in research, study, and internships—including the Erasmus+ and PROMOS programmes. Students can also apply for scholarships through the STIBET programme, which enables them to complete their studies or receive support for their outstanding commitment. In addition, HNEE awards the Deutschlandstipendium to support students with outstanding academic achievements. Various foundations also offer scholarships to support students throughout their academic journey.

There are two options for accommodation in Eberswalde: the student residence halls, managed by the student service (Studentenwerk), or a privately rented room or flat in Eberswalde.

Berlin is 50 kilometres from Eberswalde and can be reached by train in 30 minutes.

About 2,300 students from all over the world are registered at the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development. At the moment, 11% of the students come from abroad. Our university was founded in 1992. Eberswalde has been one of the major academic centres of forestry studies in Germany since 1830. Several other federal and regional state research institutions are situated on the Forest Campus.

The town of Eberswalde has a population of 43,000 and is located just 50 km north-east of Germany's capital, Berlin. Eberswalde is the county seat of the district of Barnim in the north-east of the state of Brandenburg. The city is also called "Waldstadt" because there are extensive forest areas around the city. In the north of Barnim, you can find the biosphere reserve Schorfheide-Chorin. The town has had 1,468 hectares of woodland since the 14th century with about 1,000 hectares of recreational forest and 271 hectares of nature reserves and ecologically significant habitats.