ERASMUS MUNDUS JOINT MASTER DEGREE IN SUSTAINABLE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Course Structure and Mobility

MBUILD is a 2-year/4 semester/120 ECTS programme where all the students will follow the same mobility path that will take them to three different countries, fostering both the contact with each of the residing university’s framework, teachers and wider expertise, and the immersion into three different social, cultural and living atmospheres.

For careers to be developed in CI companies that operate in diverse and changing environments, MBUILD wishes to have their students trained for such moving situations, developing and finding their own skills  and competences (often hidden), so that efficient and distinctive work may be an attribute of the graduates of this course.

Course structure

Courses/Modules

The programme assigns the following main scientific and technological areas in each of the semesters:

  • Semester 1 (FE/UP) will consist of an introduction to concepts and strategies regarding sustainability, followed by sustainability approaches in building design. These two subjects will be the main introductory ones regarding the whole Master structure. Afterwards, management in construction projects and works will be taught to provide the students with the main tools regarding project management. Finally, students will carry out a practical assignment related with an Integrated Project Design during the last subject in semester.
  • Semester 2 (THM) will start with an introductory subject that merges the sustainability approach of building with urban planning. Afterwards, two subjects related with building physics and installations together with a subject related with BIM and ICT in the construction sector will close the teaching part of Module 2. In order to mix all this knowledge together into a practical assignment, students will have to develop in M25 an Integrated Project that will use BIM methodology as a main tool.
  • Semester 3 (UC) will cover infrastructures related subjects, including design, maintenance, materials & technologies, and a specific subject related with research methods. Integrated Project M35 will be focused on providing students with competences related with entrepreneurship Therefore, students will have to develop a project within the sustainable construction industry or a business plan.
  • Semester 4 (FE/UP, THM or UC) will be devoted to the final Master’s Thesis resulting in the Master’s Dissertation that will add up to 30 ECTS, with possible collaboration of an associated partner’s institution. This provides further possibilities for the students to adapt to their specialization.

The full course plan, ECTS, module designation and shared teaching responsibilities are shown below:

Course plan

THE COURSE STRUCTURE

SEMESTER 1

UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO

Porto (Portugal)
M11. Concepts and strategies for sustainability

Credits: 6 ECTS

Duration: 1 semester

Module responsibility: Maria Helena Póvoas Corvacho

Module description:

M12. Sustainability in building design

Credits: 6 ECTS

Duration: 1 semester

Module responsibility: Jorge Manuel Fachana Moreira da Costa

Module description:

M13. Management of construction projects

Credits: 6 ECTS

Duration: 1 semester

Module responsibility: Hipólito José Campos de Sousa

Module description:

M14. Management of construction works

Credits: 6 ECTS

Duration: 1 semester

Module responsibility: José Manuel Marques Amorim de Araújo Faria

Module description:

M15. Integrated project 1

Credits: 6 ECTS

Duration: 1 semester

Module responsibility: Jorge Manuel Fachana Moreira da Costa and Bárbara Rangel Carvalho

Module description:

SEMESTER 2

TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE MITTELHESSEN

Giessen (Germany)
M21. Sustainable cities with sustainable buildings

Credits: 6 ECTS

Duration: 1 semester

Module responsibility: Maik Neumann

Module description:

M22. Sustainable living environment through thermal and acoustic comfort

Credits: 6 ECTS

Duration: 1 semester

Module responsibility: Julian Kuemmel

Module description:

M23. ICT for construction projects and BIM

Credits: 6 ECTS

Duration: 1 semester

Module responsibility: Joaquin Diáz

Module description:

M24. Engineering methods in fire protection

Credits: 6 ECTS

Duration: 1 semester

Module responsibility: Jens Minnert

Module description:

M25. Integrated project 2

Credits: 6 ECTS

Duration: 1 semester

Module responsibility: Christian Karl Baier

Module description:

SEMESTER 3

UNIVERSIDAD DE CANTABRIA

Santander (Spain)
M31. Sustainable infrastructures and circular economy

Credits: 6 ECTS

Duration: 1 semester

Module responsibility: Daniel Castro Fresno

Module description:

M32. Resilient and sustainable built environment

Credits: 6 ECTS

Duration: 1 semester

Module responsibility: Jorge Rodríguez Hernández

Module description:

M33. New trends for construction development and research

Credits: 6 ECTS

Duration: 1 semester

Module responsibility: Elena Blanco Fernández

Module description:

M34. Sustainable construction materials and techniques

Credits: 6 ECTS

Duration: 1 semester

Module responsibility: Pablo Pascual Muñoz

Module description:

M35. Integrated project 3

Credits: 6 ECTS

Duration: 1 semester

Module responsibility: Daniel Castro Fresno

Module description:

SEMESTER 4

UP, THM or UC

Porto, Giessen or Santander
M41. Dissertation

Credits: 30 ECTS

Duration: 1 semester

Workload: 900h

Module description:

Collaborating Institutions and Companies

Throughout MBUILD, FEUP, UC and THM are most privileged to have the cooperation of scholars, researchers and professionals from several Higher Education Institutions and Companies (current list below, to be regularly updated):

Degree

After a successful completion of MBUILD, the student will obtain a JOINT MASTER DIPLOMA, awarded by the three partner universities (UP, THM and UC) and issued by UP.

UP will also issue a European Diploma Supplement, which includes the description of the European Higher Education System Framework and the transcript of records of the student, with the obtained grades and corresponding ECTS.

Student Agreement

Students enrolling in MBUILD will be required to accept and sign a Student Agreement, for both scholarship holders (model here) and self-funded students (model here).

Insurance

MBUILD, as a Joint Master course co-funded by the Erasmus Mundus Programme, provides a comprehensive Student Insurance that is mandatory for all students enrolling in the course. Details about the insurance policy and its coverages are available here.