Master's in Construction and Real Estate Management (ConREM) HTW Berlin University of Applied Sciences

Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (Helsinki, Finland)

Courses are entirely held in English language.

Both of the universities in Finland and Berlin offer additional language courses (e.g. Finnish and German) for the students.

Studying in the ConREM programme

ConREM is an English-taught joint Master's degree programme, which is conducted by the cooperation of the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (Metropolia UAS) in Helsinki, Finland, and the HTW Berlin, Germany. This means one common admissions policy, one curriculum, one year in Helsinki, one year in Berlin, and one joint degree. This joint constellation makes the ConREM programme unique among other international Master's study programmes, as the home of studies is not one but two European countries. Next to the diverse study locations, the international experience in intercultural courses and teams, in which 40 students represent up to 25 nationalities, prepares our ConREM students to successfully collaborate within the building industry on an international level.

Gaining interdisciplinary knowledge throughout the whole building industry

Based on the students' prior academic knowledge and professional experiences, the programme primarily focuses on expanding the students' expertise into a global understanding of the whole building industry. Therefore, the first-year modules, like Sustainable Development or Renovation and Reconstruction, provide a basic insight into different technical areas, meantime second-year management and communication classes systematically merging these fields. As a result, ConREM graduates can successfully understand and manage complex relationships within the building industry, including aspects from building economics, law, and sustainability.

Work & Career

Successful graduates of the ConREM programme are in great demand, as they can respond to the increasing need for interdisciplinary skills in the real estate management field. Additionally, with accreditation as a Master's degree programme by ACQUIN (Accreditation, Certification, and Quality Assurance Institute), the ConREM programme also provides students with the postgraduate credentials needed to pursue PhD opportunities.

The application deadline is the 15 December for the upcoming academic year. Every academic year starts at the Metropolia UAS in Helsinki in September.

Detailed information about the application procedure can be found on the official ConREM website. 

Please direct all your inquiries regarding application, admission, and enrolment to the HTW Berlin Student Service Centre. Metropolia UAS has no role in the admission/enrolment procedures, even though the studies start in Helsinki.

Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and the HTW Berlin jointly run the Master's programme, which has a regular study period of four semesters. The ConREM programme only can be started in Helsinki (first and second semesters) and be finished in Berlin (third and fourth semesters). All semesters include so-called modules (lectures) that must be completed by passing a module examination to successfully finish the ConREM programme. Therefore, studying in both locations is mandatory. Accordingly, it is expected from students to be physically present in Helsinki during the first year and in Berlin during the second year of the study programme. 

Within the four-semester study period, a special, three-semester module is also included for preparing and writing the Master’s thesis. The final mandatory module of the ConREM programme is the actual defence of the Master's thesis (colloquium), which should be completed at the end of the fourth semester. Further information about the mandatory module structure of the ConREM programme can be found here.

Successful graduates of the ConREM programme will be only awarded a joint German-Finnish degree title, if the student possesses at least two years of professional experience prior to the end of the application period of the study programme. As an additional service, these students after graduation can also receive a supplementary certificate from the Metropolia UAS.

Without two years of prior working experience, the student will be awarded a German degree title from the HTW Berlin.

There are no integrated internships, but students are encouraged to utilise the extended summer break, spanning from June to September following the second semester, for voluntary internship opportunities.

No tuition fees

Since ConREM students are registered at Metropolia UAS and HTW Berlin, semester fees must be paid to both institutions separately. The HTW Berlin's fee is around 300 EUR per semester. It must be paid during the entire course of the ConREM programme (four semesters). Metropolia does not have any semester fees, but it may charge additional 50 EUR per semester for regranting the right to study (occurs only in special circumstances). 

For expenses in Helsinki, such as food, rent, or transportation, budget at least 800 to 1,100 EUR per month. This is made up of rent: 450 to 700 EUR, food: 200 to 300 EUR, leisure: 100 EUR. Additional costs: Finnish health care contribution: 35 EUR per semester. Each student can become a student union member (approx. 30 EUR per semester) and can get a public transportation card (approx. 150 EUR semester). 

To cover the cost of living in Berlin, around 800 to 1,100 EUR per month is required. This is made up of rent: 350 to 650 EUR, food: 150 to 200 EUR, leisure: 70 EUR. The cost of public transport is automatically included in the HTW Berlin semester fee as a semester ticket (approx. 200 EUR out of the mandatory 300 EUR), which can be reimbursed in the first and second semesters for the time in Helsinki.

You should also factor in the costs for learning materials: 30 EUR per month and health insurance: 70 EUR per month.

For the ConREM programme, the following admission requirements apply:

• A first academic degree (Bachelor's degree or "Diplom") in civil engineering or architecture or a successfully completed Bachelor's degree or "Diplom" in a related subject area with at least 180 credits according to ECTS
• An excellent command of the English language (C1 level – CEFR)
• Employment certificate of more than two years of work experience (necessary for obtaining the joint German-Finnish degree)
• Exposition

For detailed information about the academic requirements, please see here.

Students will be selected on the basis of the following:

• Grade point average of the first higher education degree (60%)
• Professional experience (30%)
• Exposition (10%)

For further information:
http://www.htw-berlin.de/en/studies/applications

Sufficient command of English, a minimum level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, must be proven. Recognised certificates include the following:

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) – score 95
• IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Academic – 7.0
• PTE Academic Tests – 76
• TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) – 945 points
• CAE (Cambridge English: Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English) and CPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English) – C1
• UNIcert – III

Further information about the necessary C1 level language requirement can be found here. After the application period, the submitted English language certificates will be additionally checked to prove the authenticity of the certification.

No additional language skills in Finnish or German are mandatory for the study programme.

The application deadline is the 15 December for the upcoming academic year. Every academic year starts at the Metropolia UAS in Helsinki in September.

Detailed information about the application procedure can be found on the official ConREM website. 

Please direct all your inquiries regarding application, admission, and enrolment to the HTW Berlin Student Service Centre. Metropolia UAS has no role in the admission/enrolment procedures, even though the studies start in Helsinki.

No

In Finland, international students are permitted to work only to a certain extent. In Germany, international students are permitted to work 140 full days or 280 half days per year on a student visa.

During the semester, we would advise you to concentrate on your studies, as the programme is very intensive and will take up most of your time. However, during semester breaks, there are normally no lectures or seminars, and so you may wish to work during these periods.

For further information about the part-time employment, please click here.

Student residences in Helsinki and Berlin are not administered by the universities. Instead, they are administered by independent organisations:

• Helsinki Student Housing Foundation "HOAS"
• StudierendenWERK BERLIN

For more information about the accommodation in Helsinki and Berlin, please visit the Metropolia UAS website and the HTW Berlin website.