Building Sustainability in Urban Futures (MBA) Technische Universität Berlin

Introduction

The Building Sustainability in Urban Futures (MBA) at Technische Universität Berlin is an interdisciplinary Master’s programme for professionals who aim to work in sustainable real estate, building planning, urban development, and the management of complex transformation projects. The programme addresses one of the central challenges of the coming decades: how buildings, districts, and cities can become more sustainable, energy-efficient, climate-conscious, and socially responsible. Buildings play a key role in the energy transition and in achieving climate targets. At the same time, sustainable solutions must be technically feasible, economically viable, legally sound, and accepted by the relevant stakeholders. The MBA therefore combines perspectives from engineering, real estate, economics, business administration, law, management, and urban sustainability. Students learn to assess building and urban projects from technical, ecological, economic, and organisational perspectives and to develop practical solutions for complex professional contexts.

Advantages and Opportunities

The programme has a strong focus on practical implementation. Sustainable building and urban transformation are rarely purely technical tasks. They require coordination between planners, investors, public authorities, users, consultants, engineers, and other stakeholders. Strategic communication, cooperation, and project management are therefore essential for successful implementation. The MBA Building Sustainability in Urban Futures prepares students to work across disciplinary and professional boundaries. The programme provides knowledge in sustainable building technologies, energy efficiency, real estate economics, business strategy, legal frameworks, management methods, digitalisation, and stakeholder communication. This broad but application-oriented profile enables students to understand the complexity of the built environment and to contribute to sustainable transformation in both private and public-sector contexts.

Career Prospects

Graduates are prepared for roles in real estate development, sustainable construction, consulting, project management, facility and asset management, public administration, urban development, ESG and sustainability management, and related fields. They are able to evaluate projects from economic, ecological, technical, and social perspectives, work with diverse stakeholders, and support decision-making in complex planning, construction, and real estate contexts. The programme also provides a foundation for further academic or professional specialisation.

Programme Content

The Building Sustainability in Urban Futures MBA programme comprises skills, methods, and concepts to consider different approaches and to understand and align these approaches in order to reach sustainable solutions. Such competencies are indispensable in every building, construction, and real estate project that takes energy efficiency and other sustainability criteria as balancing economic, social, ecological, and cultural aspects in responsibility for future generations into account.

In this regard, students will learn a lot from experts and from each other. Students will hopefully enjoy the international, interdisciplinary teamwork as well as Berlin’s urban and cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Module Description

The Master’s degree programme is taught in English over a period of three semesters.

The first semester covers the technical, economic, entrepreneurial, and legal foundations for management decisions in the building sustainability sector.

The second semester deepens this view through the Management, Smart Buildings, Energy Performance of Buildings, and lecture series modules.

The third semester broadens this view while simultaneously focusing on practice according to each student's individual interests.

All semesters include lectures, tutorials, and seminars as well as company visits and excursions, online materials related to practice, and extracurricular activities.

The Master's thesis is due in the third semester and concludes the programme.

First Semester:

• Technology (9 ECTS)
• Economics (6 ECTS)
• Business (9 ECTS)
• Law (6 ECTS)

Second Semester:

• Management (12 ECTS)
• Lecture series (6 ECTS)
• Smart Buildings and the Integration of Renewable Energies (6 ECTS)
• Energy Performance of Buildings (6 ECTS)

Third Semester:

• Elective 1 (6 ECTS)
• Elective 2 (6 ECTS)
• Master's thesis (18 ECTS)

TUB/CO GmbH — TU Berlin Corporate

Required application documents

• University degree recognised by German universities (at least 210 ECTS)
• Proof of at least one year of work experience (preferably in the relevant areas of construction, building management, and energy) after completion of studies
• Tabular CV with information that includes educational and professional background
• Motivation letter in English (maximum 1 page A4)
• Proof of English language proficiency 
• GMAT/GRE (if available)
• Further documents, such as references, may be submitted.
• An APS certificate must be enclosed. The German Embassies in China, Vietnam, and India only issue study visas to applicants with the APS seal of approval.

The semester contribution (enrolment fee) amounts to 360,49 EUR per semester and is not included in the tuition fees. It offers a semester ticket covering public transport in the Berlin metropolitan area (ABC zones).

In order to cover living expenses (room and board, health insurance, books, personal costs) for the study period in Berlin, we recommend that participants budget approx. 1,000 to 1,500 EUR per month.

Since the full-day class lectures take place only three to four days per week, professional activities may be pursued to a limited extent, such as in firms and companies at the EUREF Campus.

Scholarships partly covering the MBA fees are offered by the cooperation partners.
Schneider Electric: https://www.tubadvancedmasters.de/en/news/young-industry-leaders-scholarship
SafeDriver Group: https://www.tubadvancedmasters.de/en/safedriver-scholarship.

The Career Service at Technische Universität Berlin offers a wide array of services for students seeking employment during their studies in Berlin as well as after completion of their degree programme.

Although Technische Universität Berlin does not itself provide student accommodation, the "Studierendenwerk Berlin" (a local non-profit agency for students affairs) offers a number of accommodation options for students enrolled at educational institutions in Berlin. Accommodation is available through the Student Services Office (https://www.stw.berlin/wohnen/) or on the private market (https://www.immobilienscout24.de/, for shared rooms https://www.wg-gesucht.de/). 

The internationally renowned Technische Universität Berlin (TUB) is located in Germany's capital city at the heart of Europe. The academic activities are focused on achieving sharply-defined goals: building a distinctive profile for our university, ensuring exceptional performance in research and teaching, providing our graduates with excellent qualifications and a modern approach to university administration.

The TU Berlin strives to promote the dissemination of knowledge and to facilitate technological progress through adherence to the core principles of excellence and quality. Strong regional, national, and international networking with partners in science and industry are an important aspect in these endeavours.

TU Berlin is an internationally renowned research-intensive university dedicated to promoting science and technology for the benefit of broader society and committed to the principle of sustainability. The challenges and problems facing modern societies cannot be met on the basis of findings from individual disciplines. TU Berlin is addressing these challenges with the aid of transdisciplinary collaborative projects. The establishment of important research partnerships in the context of the Excellence Initiative, the German Research Foundation (DFG) and European Institute for Innovation and Technology, in addition to constantly increasing third-party funding for research projects, demonstrate the dynamic developments in this area.

Prestigious science prizes and awards make these successes even more obvious; these include Alexander von Humboldt Chairs, Einstein Chairs, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prizes, and numerous grants from the European Research Council. Research for Innovation – this is a credo that TU Berlin implements impressively. Its extraordinary profile as a technical university in association with its humanities, social sciences, planning, and economics programmes is indeed an excellent breeding ground for strong interdisciplinary work. By combining basic and applied research endeavours, and with close links to partners in science and industry, university researchers tackle societal issues and develop forward-looking solutions.

Study Environment

The programme is offered by Technische Universität Berlin, one of Germany’s leading technical universities. Teaching is closely connected to Berlin as a dynamic urban environment and to current challenges in sustainable building, infrastructure transformation, energy systems, and real estate development. The main study location is the EUREF campus in Berlin-Schöneberg. Built around the historic Gasometer, the campus brings together companies, research institutions, consultancies, and initiatives working on energy, sustainability, mobility, and urban transformation. This setting gives students direct exposure to practical projects and professional networks in the field of sustainability.

As the capital of Germany and Germany's largest metropolis, Berlin offers unparalleled opportunities for students to enrich their extracurricular activities with culture, history, travel, and professional development. One of Europe's principal artistic centres, Berlin offers drama, musical performances and art exhibitions, as well as world-class cultural events such as the Berlinale film festival. Historically, Berlin is a fascinating city, bearing witness to Germany's Imperial Period, serving as the cultural epicentre in the Twenties, and being resurrected as a divided city during the Cold War. Now a vibrant symbol of German reunification, Berlin has been a focal point for European historical trends and movements.

Only a short trip from Germany's northern coastal regions, and serviced by international train and air connections, Berlin also offers excellent opportunities for inner-European travel. Berlin is most strongly influenced by the presence of the German government but also serves as a major European financial centre. As a city that is constantly under construction, there is abundant demonstration material in sustainable and energy-efficient buildings. It also offers a range of opportunities for business and management internships, posing unique opportunities in cultural and public life that enable students to develop both personal and professional interests.