Planning Education in Germany: Impact of the Bologna Agreement

Abstract

Following the 1999 Bologna agreement, higher education institutions in Germany and other European countries have engaged in a fundamental reform of their programs and curricula with the goal to enhance compatibility and comparability of degrees across Europe. This paper provides an initial review of the impact of these structural reforms on German urban and regional planning education, for which bachelor's and master's degrees have by now almost entirely replaced traditional diploma programs. Findings derive from comparing the typical planning education pathways, study programs and curricula of pre-1999 and current programs. Wider implications for the quality of planning education in Germany are also discussed, including the level of international recognition of programs and whether mobility and transferability between European countries has been increased. The review reveals that the restructuring has led to greater choice and more diversity of planning programs. A considerable number of new master's programs in planning were established post-Bologna by cognate disciplines and faculties, such as architecture, geography, environmental sciences and sociology. However, the reforms have raised issues with respect to professional recognition, for example, which are as yet unresolved.