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Master's Degree in City Challenges

  • New offer
Modality
Semipresencial
Branch of knowledge
Engineering and Architecture
School(s)
Faculty of Geography and History
Praza da Universidade, 1, 15703
Santiago de Compostela
881812585 (Conserxaría)
881812589 (Decanato)
zhisdeca [at] usc.gal
Campus
Santiago de Compostela
Coordinator
Lucrezia Lopez
Contact
lucrezia.lopez [at] usc.es
Cidade

The Master's Degree in City Challenges is a joint training venture between the universities of Galicia and northern Portugal. Its purpose is to obtain synergies from the experiences in higher education courses in the fields of city, development and planning, in order to provide solid answers to the challenges in these areas at regional level, both in Spain and Portugal, as well as in other countries, especially in Africa and Latin America. Everything suggests that in the coming decades the urban population will continue to grow even in areas of the world, such as the European Atlantic, where the rate of urbanisation is high and population variation is minimal. In the age of digital knowledge and hypermobility, inhabitants need to identify the urban demands of the near future. Understanding the transformation of today's cities, and the actions that are reflected in them, requires information, disciplinary knowledge in multiple fields, and openness to innovative solutions that integrate diverse areas of knowledge.

Duration: 2 academic years
RUCT code: 4317739
ECTS Number: 90
Seats number: 6

Dean or center director:
MARCO VIRGILIO GARCIA QUINTELA
marco.garcia.quintela [at] usc.es

Title coordinator:
Lucrezia Lopez
lucrezia.lopez [at] usc.es

Use languages:
Spanish, Galician, Portuguese

Coordinator university:
University of A Coruña

Partaker universities:
University of Santiago de Compostela University of A Coruña University of Vigo Universidad de Trás-Os-Montes E  Alto Douro University of Minho University of Porto

Xunta de Galicia title implantation authorization date:
Orde do 27/07/2022 (DOG do 10/08/2022)

BOE publication date:
BOE do 14/04/2023

Last accreditation date:
24/05/2021

O seu obxectivo xeral é mellorar a capacidade das universidades e as autoridades públicas para a creación de títulos conxuntos entre Galicia e o norte de Portugal, e a consolidación da área Fronteiriza para a Educación Superior e a Investigación na Euro-rexión. É, por tanto, un mestrado internacional e interuniversitario, e é unha oferta única tanto no contexto español canto no contexto portugués. 
O seu marcado carácter multidisciplinar e internacional, e sobre todo o perfil do estudantado ao que vai dirixido, que provén de diferentes países e que, en moitos casos, será xa profesional en activo, exponse impartir o título en modalidade semipresencial. 

Completion requirements:

Compulsory:
Optional:
External internships
Master’s Final Project:
Total: 60

Not contemplated

Formation of urban structures

  • P4241101
  •  
  • Compulsory Credits
  •  
  • First Semester
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Social and educational challenges to cities

  • P4241102
  •  
  • Compulsory Credits
  •  
  • First Semester
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Environmental challenges of cities

  • P4241103
  •  
  • Compulsory Credits
  •  
  • First Semester
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Tecnologics challenges of cities

  • P4241104
  •  
  • Compulsory Credits
  •  
  • First Semester
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Governance and urban policies

  • P4241105
  •  
  • Compulsory Credits
  •  
  • First Semester
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Urban economy

  • P4241106
  •  
  • Compulsory Credits
  •  
  • First Semester
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Research methodologies and dissertation plan

  • P4241107
  •  
  • Compulsory Credits
  •  
  • Second Semester
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Materialization of urban space

  • P4241201
  •  
  • Elective Credits
  •  
  • Second Semester
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Construction space as sustainable heritage

  • P4241202
  •  
  • Elective Credits
  •  
  • Second Semester
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Sustentabilidad urbana y estilos de vida saludables

  • P4241203
  •  
  • Elective Credits
  •  
  • Second Semester
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Policy and practices of inclusion and development in sustainable cities

  • P4241204
  •  
  • Elective Credits
  •  
  • Second Semester
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Sustainable cities sistems

  • P4241205
  •  
  • Elective Credits
  •  
  • Second Semester
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Urban environment management: monitoring, evaluation and minimization

  • P4241206
  •  
  • Elective Credits
  •  
  • Second Semester
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Communications and loT tecnologies for building smart cities

  • P4241207
  •  
  • Elective Credits
  •  
  • Second Semester
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Information systems for smart cities

  • P4241208
  •  
  • Elective Credits
  •  
  • Second Semester
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Urban governance and right to the city

  • P4241209
  •  
  • Elective Credits
  •  
  • Second Semester
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Planning, forecasting and urban management

  • P4241210
  •  
  • Elective Credits
  •  
  • Second Semester
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Urban economny and smart cities

  • P4241211
  •  
  • Elective Credits
  •  
  • Second Semester
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Agglomeration economies and clusters

  • P4241212
  •  
  • Elective Credits
  •  
  • Second Semester
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Work Placement

  • P4241108
  •  
  • Compulsory Credits
  •  
  • Work Placements in Companies for Degrees and Master's Degrees
  •  
  • 5 Credits

Master´s Dissertation

  • P4241109
  •  
  • Compulsory Credits
  •  
  • End of Degree Projects and End of Master's Degree Projects
  •  
  • 30 Credits

The limit of places for the master's degree is a total of 36 students (6 in each university). In case that any of the universities does not reach the allocated enrolment quota, the number of places not covered will be made available, if possible, to the rest, so that the places will be distributed among the other universities based on the prioritisation of pre-registered students.

The target audience for the master's degree is mainly identified in the following categories: a) people with a degree certificate; b) staff in positions of high responsibility in the civil service, in

Completion requirements:

Compulsory:
Optional:
External internships
Master’s Final Project:
Total: 60

A Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC) conta cunha oficina de Información Universitaria (OIU), encargada de canalizar e dar resposta ás demandas informativas sobre a súa organización, funcionamento e actividades. Este servizo informa sobre trámites e xestións dos procedementos académicos e de extensión universitaria e colabora na súa difusión, tanto no contorno máis inmediato como organizando ou participando en feiras e eventos de carácter educativo.

Ademais, pon ao servizo do alumnado unha serie de servizos de apoio e asesoramento. Entre eles cabe destacar o Programa de Atención a Estudantes Extracomunitarios (PATEX) que aproxima o estudantado a unha serie de servizos adicionais co fin de facilitar a súa integración na comunidade universitaria e que permite a coordinación de todos os trámites administrativos e académicos nos diferentes servizos da USC. O Centro de Linguas Modernas, fundado en 1975 co obxectivo de promover a aprendizaxe de linguas entre os membros da comunidade universitaria. A Área de Orientación Laboral e de Emprego, que desenvolve actividades de formación en habilidades e técnicas para a procura de emprego, á vez que ofrece información sobre programas de prácticas nacionais e internacionais. A Oficina de Igualdade de Xénero, cuxo obxectivo é lograr a igualdade real entre homes e mulleres, asumindo os principios de dignidade humana independientemente do xénero, a igualdade e a equidad de xénero como elementos fundamentais de actividade universitaria. A área de Tecnoloxías da Información e das Comunicacións (ATIC), a través da cal o alumnado ten acceso a software e recibe apoio tanto para a súa instalación como para a resolución de problemas cos soportes tecnolóxicos.

Access

Poderán acceder ás ensinanzas oficiais de máster:

1. As persoas que estean en posesión dun título universitario oficial español.
2. Aquelas que teñan un título expedido por unha institucion de educación superior do EEES que faculta no país expedidor do título para o acceso a ensinanzas de máster.
3. Os titulados conforme a sistemas educativos alleos ao EEES sen necesidade de homologación dos seus títulos, previa comprobación pola Universidade de que os ditos títulos acreditan un nivel de formación equivalente aos correspondentes títulos universitarios españois e que facultan no país expedidor do título para o acceso a ensinanzas de posgrao.

Admission

Modality: specific criteria

Access degrees:

- Degrees from the branches of Engineering and Architecture and Social and Legal Sciences.
- The degree committees will determine the suitability of degrees from other branches.

Admission criteria:

- Adequation of the degree of access and curriculum to the contents of the Master’s Degree (The Academic Committee will determine the suitability of access degrees from other branches for the contents of the master's degree).
- Academic record: 70%
- Other merits related to the field of the Master's programme (work experience, extracurricular training, participation in activities related to the objectives of the master's degree, etc.): 30%

Information is updated in each enrolment call

Modality: specific criteria

Access degrees:

- Degrees from the branches of Engineering and Architecture and Social and Legal Sciences.
- The degree committees will determine the suitability of degrees from other branches.

Admission criteria:

- Adequation of the degree of access and curriculum to the contents of the Master’s Degree (The Academic Committee will determine the suitability of access degrees from other branches for the contents of the master's degree).
- Academic record: 70%
- Other merits related to the field of the Master's programme (work experience, extracurricular training, participation in activities related to the objectives of the master's degree, etc.): 30%

Information is updated in each enrolment call

- Possess and understand knowledge that provides a basis or opportunity for being original in the development and/or application of ideas —usually in a research context.

- Students must know how to apply their acquired knowledge and their capacity of problem solving in new or uncommon surroundings. All of this, inside broader —or multidisciplinary— contexts associated with their study area.

- Students must be able to integrate knowledge and confront the complexity of making judgements from information which could be incomplete and limited. This information must include reflections about social and ethical responsibilities associated with the application of their study areas’ knowledge and judgements.

- Students must know how to clearly and unambiguously communicate their conclusions —and the knowledge and ultimate reasons that sustain them— to specialized and non-specialized public.

- Students must possess learning abilities that will allow them to continue studying, in a way which would be largely self-directed and autonomous.

- To be able to search and select the useful information to solve complex problems, handling with fluency the bibliographic sources in the field.

- To elaborate properly and with originality written compositions or reasoned arguments, to write plans, work projects and to formulate reasonable hypotheses.

- To acquire knowledge, tools and resources of high level to cover the research and professional expectations of the students and society in relation to the study of the Development, Planning and Management of cities.

- To master concepts, methods and tools of research in urban analysis for specific purposes.

- To recognise the necessity of developing a personal critical perspective with the diverse processes that can generate impact on the urban space.

- To understand and identify the demands or necessities of people, organizations and the environment in order to gather conclusions and formulate alternatives that respond to the issues related to the transformation and organization of the physical space.
- To realize an urban planification that prioritizes both the protection of the environment and the preservation of natural spaces, and the conservation of the constructed heritage, using coherent technical solutions and responding to social demands.
- To innovate in the processes of urban planification and to solve the problems of living under a humanistic and social perspective, paying special attention to rational and responsible consumption of the land to urbanize.
- To intervene in the global analysis of the social development of cities.
- To propose measures to diagnose situations and establish plans and proposals for intervention to achieve social goals.
- To intervene in the global analysis of the development of the environmental component of cities, the origin of the different elements that contribute to their evolution, their quantification, with the ability to propose measures to diagnose the situation in specific and global terms.
- To understand the ongoing processes of digital transformation, becoming familiar with urban modeling and analytical tools to be applied in decision-making process (reactive and preventive) in the urban planification and management, based on analytic information.
- To plan and recommend an intelligent system of compilation of information with the aim of controlling sustainability, life quality and urban intelligence.
- To understand the legal and institutional framework of urban governance and to know the principles of multilevel governance.
- To manage instruments, tools and technologies in order to foster cooperation and coordination of the different urban actors and to carry out participatory processes.
- To do processes of analysis, evaluation and diagnosis of the cities that allow to optimize the initiatives promoted by multi-scalar urban governance models.
- To discuss the different trajectories of cities and the different options of urban politics.
- To analyze more problematic or advantageous situations in a given direction of economic development.
- To define scenarios and propose measures of debate for the economic development at an urban, metropolitan or regional scale.

-To express themselves correctly, both orally and in writing, in the official language both of Portugal and of the autonomous community of Galicia

-To use the basic tools of information and communication technologies (ICTs) necessary for the exercise of their job and for their lifelong learning.

-To learn to exercise citizenship that respects democratic culture, human rights and the gender perspective.

-To develop the ability of working in interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary teams in order to offer propositions that contribute to an environmentally, economically, politically and socially sustainable development

-To value the importance of technological research, innovation and development in socioeconomic and cultural progress of society and economy.

-To have the ability of time and resources management: develop plans, prioritize activities, identify critiques, establish deadlines and fulfill them.

Mobility

The University of Santiago de Compostela,in the framework of its internationalization strategies, hosts different national and international mobility programmes for students to carry out placements at other associated universities, internships on associated enterprises or for students from within and outside the European Higher Education Area to complete their studies.

Student mobility is regulated through the “Regulation of inter-university exchange.” Exchange programs are managed through the International Relations Office, such as national exchange programs (SICUE) as well as Europeans (ERASMUS) and from outside the European Union (exchanges with Latin American countries or English-speaking countries):

Portal Internacional

Internships

The internships linked to the professional environment will consist of the execution of work associated with competences developed in the course of the degree.
The internship will fix some general objectives, some learning outcomes and a plan of action.. The number of credits linked to professional internships is 5, that is, 125 hours of student work, which will be distributed approximately as follows:
- On-site activity in the collaborating company or institution: 60-75%.
- Coordination and consulting action with the teacher-tutor: 5-10%
- Individual work (consulting information, preparation of the record, etc.): 20-30%
Each internship will be assigned a teacher-tutor (internal to the university) and an external tutor (staff from the company or institution where the internship is carried out) proposed by the collaborating entity. Both figures will propose to the students the resolution of current and real problems in the collaborating institutions or companies and will guide, advise and evaluate the work carried out by the students. The final evaluation will be carried out by the teacher-tutor based on the reports of the external tutor and the presentation of the internship record by the students.

The objective of the Master's Thesis (TFM) is to introduce students to a research and/or development topic with specific and achievable objectives in a short period of time. At the end of the project, students will be able to:

- At the cognitive level: to integrate the acquired knowledge in order to apply them to a specific research and/or development project
- At the subjective level: to present and defend the result of the project in front of a specialized audience.

The project will consist of the study of a research and/or development topic in that dimension, among the six that articulate the Master's subject matter, in which the student has taken the two optional subjects of the second semester. This project will have specific objectives achievable in one semester.

The contents of this page were updated on 07.27.2022.