Regional Management (Master's)

Politics and public administration, environment and agriculture, industry and trade, tourism, education and cultural institutions – regional management brings all these stakeholders together to plan how a region can move forward.

From regional development to regional strategic concepts and economic development, to moderation, public relations and regional consulting – our students learn the entire spectrum of skills involved in sustainable regional management. This is in line with a diverse and increasingly integrated 'Europe of regions', in which the regions within the EU Member States are promoted and supported in their regional independence. From rural areas to towns and metropolitan regions, the focus at Weihenstephan-Triesdorf Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences is on designing a climate-friendly and integrative development approach based on a region’s individual potential.

Regional management is extremely diverse: it aims to develop dynamism in regions and better utilise potential, as well as designing sustainable living areas and making both town and country more attractive.

During the Master’s degree in Regional Management you acquire a high level of subject expertise and excellent social skills. This will enable you to assume the regional-level management roles that are commonly found in companies, public institutions and associations. You will be committed to the development of a region, examine its strengths and challenges, learn to involve key stakeholders, plan projects, acquire financial resources and support regional development processes.

The Regional Management course is interdisciplinary with a focus on practical experience. This is achieved by drawing on the expertise of our professors, involving external experts with real-life experience as part-time lecturers and carrying out case studies, project studies and subject-specific excursions. European and international contexts are also taught, e.g. by cooperating with other Master’s degree programmes and offering courses in English. Project studies and the promotion of social skills are given a high level of importance.

The Regional Management master's degree is spread over three semesters. Two semesters focus primarily on teaching cross-sector skills and expertise to enable graduates to take on regional development positions. The third semester is reserved for the master's thesis and specialist courses with a particular focus on the labour market.

Between the semesters or during the third semester at the latest, an industrial placement lasting at least four weeks provides an introduction to the real world of work and everyday professional life.

Each semester comprises studies worth 30 European Credit Points (EC), two thirds of which are allotted to compulsory modules. The rest can be chosen from an extensive range of modules (elective modules) to ensure individual specialisation.

The obligatory modules are mainly held from Wednesday to Friday, sometimes also on a Saturday. As such, people who work part-time are also able to complete the master's degree programme.

After completing your Master’s degree, you are able to handle conflicts relating to current challenges, such as land consumption and usage, participation, internal development, regional value creation and digitalisation, and moderate different interest groups.

This creates a wide range of possible roles:

• Leadership roles and involvement in regional initiatives or with state/public authorities (e.g. regional management, metropolitan regions, eco-model regions)

• Project management in regional development (e.g. through the LEADER programme)

• Establishing and managing community-wide collaborations and development organisations (e.g. inter-municipal cooperatives, integrated rural development).

• Creation of regional development concepts & support for roll-out

• Shaping of regional marketing & business development initiatives (e.g. location marketing)

• Process organisation & cooperation with various private & public stakeholders

• At least 210 ECTS are generally required for admission onto the master’s programme, including a practical semester worth 30 ECTS. In exceptional cases, the course can be started with 180 ECTS and the missing credits then made up.
  
  
• Accordingly, anyone who has completed a university degree in one of the following subjects with a minimum mark of 'good' can be admitted to the master's degree programme: Agricultural Sciences, Horticulture or Forest Sciences, Landscape Architecture, Landscape Planning, Spatial Planning, Geosciences, Economic Geography, Economic and Social Sciences, Environmental or Nutritional Sciences
  
  
• Before starting the master’s degree, proof of at least 20 weeks of practical training in the form of internships (including practical study semesters) or professional experience must also be provided. Practical training completed during and after the undergraduate course, as well as activities undertaken prior to starting the undergraduate course as part of vocational training, can also be counted. 'Part-time student jobs' are not recognised as practical training.
  
  
• The classes are predominantly held in German. International students, whose native language is not German, must therefore prove a knowledge of German at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or higher.

Do you have any questions about your application to Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences? You can find more information on our student application page.

Regional development strategies are a key focus of the master's degree programme in Regional Management. Some impressions from the discussions are presented in the "Regional Management" newsletter. The annual newsletter provides information on rural regional development issues and reports on current projects.

Newsletter 2022: "Netzwerke und Netzwerkarbeit"

… please contact us

Stefan Gagstetter, degree programme assistant, T +49 9826 654-307

Prof. Dr Jennifer Gerend, degree programme coordinator, T +49 9826 654-206 | jennifer.gerend [at]hswt.de