Advanced Architecture — From Urban Design to Building Construction Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences

International partner universities

Europe: Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey

Overseas: Australia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Namibia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan

All courses (120 ECTS) are offered in English.

For interested participants, however, it is also possible to choose courses taught in the German language (maximum of 30 ECTS) from the closely-related “Entwurf und Konstruktion” German Master's programme.

Students gain broad knowledge of design and construction through a combination of lecture series and modules that discuss design and construction in the areas of urban design, design of buildings in existing contexts and built environments, and design of new buildings. These topics are directly related to internationally-oriented projects and a series of elective modules, giving students the chance to focus on their individual interests, which may then become the main focus of their Master’s theses. Moreover, 30 ECTS can be chosen from the German Master’s degree programme in “Design and Construction“ (“Entwurf und Konstruktion”).

By intensively studying several contexts from a global, diversity-oriented, and multicultural point of view, students develop an ability to independently translate any abstract design into a concrete implementation of material and construction. They will be able to combine professional, practical, technical, economic, ecological, and social aspects while, at the same time, taking varied cultural, historical, and climatic situations into consideration.

In the fourth semester, students write their Master’s theses.

The modules complement each other and are linked to one another, for instance, through combined projects, excursions, lectures, conferences, and e-learning. The integrated, international structure of the degree course offers students the chance to have a unique study experience in the future-oriented metropolis of Frankfurt.

Course objectives

The study programme concentrates on the combination of design and construction. “Advanced Architecture“ means designing and constructing on all scales, from urban contexts to single details. Advanced, future-oriented concepts are developed and addressed in study projects and office internships as well as with the FFin (the Frankfurt University research institute) and in close collaboration with our cooperation partners from the construction sector.

In particular, graduates will be able to work at the interface between abstract designs and their concrete implementations. This means a focus on the planning phase, referred to in the German Official Scale of Fees for Services by Architects and Engineers as “execution planning“, with strong feedback on the design process and in close connection with current developments of scientific research in design and construction.

Relevant occupational fields of graduates are in architectural, engineering, and construction companies, the construction industry, property development and housing associations, real estate companies, and the public sector as well as the research and technological development of design and construction.

The application deadline for the next summer semester is 1 March of the same year for applicants holding German Bachelor's degrees. Applicants with Bachelor's degrees from foreign countries must submit their applications by 15 October of the previous year.

The full-time English Master’s degree programme in “Advanced Architecture. From Urban Design to Building Construction” lasts for four semesters and operates in close conjunction with the existing German Master’s degree programme in “Design and Construction". During their two years of study, students will acquire 120 ECTS credits and will be awarded the academic degree of Master of Science (MSc).

The degree course is aimed at graduates with a first academic degree in architecture from European and non-European countries who want to focus on architecture in an international context. The Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences cooperates with the Frankfurt Research Institute (Frankfurter Forschungsinstitut FFin) and a specific architectural trainee programme called TRAX to offer special on-site opportunities to students. Students can get involved in ongoing research projects in order to learn and develop scientific work through application-oriented research in the field of design and construction, or they can learn the actual implementation of concepts in practice.

The study programme complies with the UIA standards (Union of International Architects). It provides a prerequisite for entry into the German Chamber of Architects.

First semester

Starting with the 2024 summer semester, five modules will be offered: Lecture Series Design (5 ECTS), Urban Contexts — Design and Construction (10 ECTS), International Design and Build Project (5 ECTS), Impromptu Designs (5 ECTS), and one elective course (5 ECTS).

The elective course can be chosen from a pool of seven courses offered in English, including the following courses: Climate Design; Rehabilitate, Reuse, Add-On; Urban Design and Public Space; Urban Renewal and Redevelopment; Digital Basics; and Construction, Material, and Experimental Design. The elective courses may also be chosen from fifteen further courses from the closely related "Entwurf und Konstruktion” German Master's programme, which is offered in German.

Second semester

Five modules are offered: Lecture Series Construction (5 ECTS), New Buildings — Design and Construction (10 ECTS), International Design Project (5 ECTS), and two elective courses (each with 5 ECTS).

Third semester

Four modules are offered: Existing Contexts — Design and Construction (10 ECTS), specialisation project (10 ECTS), and two more elective courses (each with 5 ECTS).

Fourth semester

Master's thesis and colloquium (30 ECTS)

No tuition fees

The enrolment fees are currently approx. 360 EUR per semester. They also cover public transportation in the greater Frankfurt area.

Approx. 1,000 EUR per month, depending on accommodation costs and lifestyle

Admission to the English-language Master’s degree programme in “Advanced Architecture“ is granted to applicants with a diploma or Bachelor's degree in architecture with 180 ECTS, completed with a grade that corresponds at least to the grade of 2.3, as calculated according to the German grading system. Applicants will have to submit a CV, a portfolio describing their studies and their first work experiences, and a letter of motivation. They also have to provide proof of at least a four-month internship in an area relevant to architecture after their first degree.

The portfolio comprises the following:

• Eight pages in total are required (DIN A3 landscape format / font size min. 10 pt / file size max. 10 MB). The portfolio does not include a cover or a table of contents (contents are explained on the respective page). This semester a maximum of 12 pages is still permitted. However, we would appreciate if you are able to prioritise and present your selection on eight pages.
• Your portfolio shows two study projects that are two pages each, two pages of thesis (first professionally qualifying degree), and two pages documenting practical activity in a field relevant to architecture.

No exceptions will be permitted.

English language skills should be at the level of TOEFL iBT 79, IELTS 6, or Cambridge First Certificate (A), corresponding to the level GER/CEFR B2. Native English speakers as well as graduates from English-language Bachelor's programmes are exempt.

The application deadline for the next summer semester is 1 March of the same year for applicants holding German Bachelor's degrees. Applicants with Bachelor's degrees from foreign countries must submit their applications by 15 October of the previous year.

All excursions are co-financed, and scholarships can be requested for the preparation of the thesis.

Accommodation is provided by state-run as well as private sector halls of residence. The university website provides useful addresses.

The International Office offers International Career Service as an additional support for international students.

Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences offers practice-oriented study programmes of a high academic standard, opening the way to a broad range of attractive professions. Frankfurt University’s international orientation paves the way to the global job market. It not only offers a wide range of language courses and language learning levels but also maintains partnerships with about 100 universities worldwide. Students graduate with Bachelor's or Master's degrees that are in conformity with international standards.

Faculty One unites three departments: Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Geomatics. At the Nibelungenplatz campus, the degree courses of study in the planning of our built environment encompass all phases of planning, from design to implementation. The school has a tradition of more than one hundred years.

In the year 1908, the Royal Baugewerkschule with its department of civil engineering was founded in Frankfurt. The Staatsbauschule was formed in 1931 and the Fachhochschule Frankfurt am Main emerged from it 40 years later. On 1 July 2014, the name “Fachhochschule Frankfurt am Main” was changed to “Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences”.

The Faculty One offers seven Bachelor's and eleven Master's degree courses with the main focus on Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Geomatics. Fifty-five professors and additional lecturers from the areas and contexts of economy, industry, and administration educate over 2,000 students and are supported by more than 40 employees in laboratories and administration.

The strengths of Faculty One include a broad undergraduate education in the Bachelor's programmes and a differentiated professional specialisation with high practical relevance in the Master's programmes. Personal contact between professors and students, small study groups, and individual support offer the best conditions for high-quality and successful studies.

With just 700,000 inhabitants, Frankfurt am Main calls itself a "small metropolis". As one of the main financial, trade and logistics centres in Europe, the city is the hub of a flourishing region in the heart of Germany, the Rhine-Main area. It has a strong multinational and multicultural character and attracts businesspeople, students and tourists alike. It is a city of striking contrasts – historical and modern, commerce and culture, dynamism and tranquillity. Pubs, restaurants, museums, parks, an opera house and many theatres provide a rich social and cultural life. Frankfurt has an excellent public transport system, extending to the whole urban region and even to the beautiful landscape of the nearby Taunus Hills. A large number of fascinating natural and cultural heritage sites are well worth visiting.