Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Sustainable Design, Construction and Management of the Built Environment

The MBUILD - Master Degree in Sustainable Design, Construction and Management of the Built Environments - is a EMJM Erasmus Mundus Joint Master delivered and awarded by the University of Porto (UP Porto, Portugal), University of Cantabria (UC Santander, Spain) and Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen (THM Gieβen, Germany).

MBUILD is a 2-year 120 ECTS programme with full involvement of the partner HEI. The students will spend the first 3 semesters successively in UP, THM and UC. In the 4th semester they will develop their dissertation under the supervision of the professors from the partner institutions in connection with supporting companies.

To implement a cutting-edge, holistic and international academic syllabus focused on the sustainable dimension of the Construction and Building sector.
To train leading professionals in the Construction Industry, highly skilled to deal with all the different components of sustainability throughout the entire sector’s value chain (from planning to demolition).
To make a substantial academic, research and professional contribution to increase European university excellence in the field of Sustainable Construction towards a more competitive and knowledge-based sector in Europe.
To foster environmentally concerned changes in a resource-consuming and waste-producing sector, contributing to a low-carbon, highly-efficient and greener Europe.

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.

Understand the concepts of sustainability and environmental awareness as applied to human activities and business operations.
Be fully aware of the relevance of the impact of Construction Industry Projects in what concerns sustainability.
Understand the logical flow of inputs and outputs in the full spectrum of the Construction Process – from Inception to Design, Construction and Management – and how the resulting actions may be carried out under concerns for sustainable development.
Know and apply strategies for the development of sustainable construction models and technical solutions and its assessment.
Know and apply design methodologies focused on resource conservation (energy efficiency, life-cycle cost, circular economy, deconstruction and reutilization, etc.).
Know and apply relevant IT approaches and applications for the development of construction design and projects, aiming at improving efficiency of the final product while reducing waste in the required resources and production processes.
Understand and deal with the different work attitudes and cultural specifics of multi-expertise and multi-origin teams in order to achieve a final win-win result.