Study Spatial Planning in Germany

Spatial planners improve the quality of life in cities and communities by designing neighbourhoods and housing communities as well as planning traffic routes and systems. For example, they develop new bus lines, optimise cycling routes, and design traffic-calmed areas. Their work ensures the sustainable development of our living spaces. This field of study includes country planning, landscape planning, nature conservation planning, regional planning, urban planning, and urban development.

A spatial planner’s main challenge is coordinating the different demands that are made regarding the use of a given space. They also support and manage planning processes. Depending on your specific degree programme, you will not only gain knowledge in natural sciences and mathematics, but also attend modules in computer science (e.g., GIS or 3D visualisation) or cultural history, sociology of settlements, location policy, planning regulation, construction law, and economics. In addition, you may find specialist literature is only available in English or that you have to write texts in English. Having some language skills are therefore helpful for successfully completing your studies.

Because spatial uses and demands often overlap and conflict with each other, it is the task of spatial planning to weigh the concerns against and among each other in the interest of the common good and to search for environmentally, socially, and economically compatible solutions. For this reason, a degree programme in this field might also include training of rhetorical skills and basics of communication psychology.

During your degree programme in spatial planning, you can look forward to several practical units, e.g. in the form of internships and projects, or excursions. The project work also requires you to be an active member of a team, as well as flexibility and a knack for organisation. Solution-oriented and analytical thinking will also help you!

By the way: Not all higher education institutions offer the degree programme under the specific name of spatial planning – the contents are often integrated into neighbouring areas. This offers you the choice of many interdisciplinary degree programmes that place their focus on different topics.

Courses of study in spatial planning are offered at various types of higher education institutions, e.g. at universities or universities of applied sciences or technical colleges. To apply, you need at least a general or subject-specific higher education entrance qualification or an equivalent certificate. Some higher education institutions also have a numerus clausus (NC) for both Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes, i.e. the degree programme has admission restrictions in the form of a minimum grade. How strict the NC is, depends entirely on each higher education institution and can theoretically change each year.

Usually, degree programmes in spatial planning are offered as a six- to eight-semester Bachelor’s programme and a four-semester Master’s programme finishing with a degree in, respectively, a Bachelor’s or Master’s of Science. However, there are also a few degree programmes leading to a German “Diplom”, especially if you are interested in interdisciplinary programmes, e.g. covering content from architecture or civil engineering. Here, the standard periods of study differ.

If you plan to study at a state higher education institution, in most cases you will not have to pay tuition fees! However, some institutions charge fees for long-term students or students who already have a first degree. As a rule, however, you will only have to pay the semester contributions at state higher education institutions. These contributions finance, for example, the student union and sometimes also cover a ticket for local public transport. Depending on where you study, this may be valid for the city, the region or even for all of Germany. Ask your higher education institution whether such an offer is currently available. The semester contributions vary depending on each higher education institution, but are approximately between 100 and 400 euros – that’s really not a lot compared internationally!

If you choose a private higher education institution, you should expect to pay semester fees of several hundred euros per month. Over the course of the entire degree programme, you will often end up with a sum in the double-digit thousands.

In addition, you should keep in mind that it depends very much on the city how much rent and other living costs you will need to budget for. Rent in particular can be very different across the cities in Germany. Cheaper options for students usually are, for example, student halls of residence or shared flats. As soon as you have decided on where you want to study, you should start looking, as halls of residence can fill up quickly. Here, you can find information on local halls of residence and the respective application process for most cities.

By the way: Some – and currently, it’s really only a few – cities offer practice-integrated degree programmes, where you can not only earn some extra money but also gain your first experience working for the city!

To finance your studies in Germany, you should also find out about scholarships. There are many different scholarship programmes and excellent grades are not the only deciding factor. You can learn more about scholarships here and find suitable programmes directly on My GUIDE.

The main tasks of your future job will probably be the conception, implementation and monitoring of planning projects. Nevertheless, you have a choice between various professional fields. For example, you can work in the public sector, in planning, architecture and engineering offices, in service companies or in associations and non-governmental organisations. The following options are available to you, among others:

• City, regional and state level planning
• Urban development concepts, e.g. in traffic or environmental planning
• City management and city marketing
• Real estate
• Interior Architecture
• Energy, resource and building sector
• Environment and nature protection organisations, e.g. in environmental monitoring
• International development work
• Research institutions
• Consulting

The area in which you ultimately find a job depends, of course, largely on your specialisations and qualifications. For management positions, for example, you usually need an advanced Master’s degree. Of course, you can also start your own business. The areas of planning and consulting are particularly well suited for this.

Depending on the area you want to work in, your future salary may vary. Earnings in the public sector are regulated separately in each federal state and can be looked up online. However, salaries tend to be better in the consulting and real estate sectors.