Master in Post-Crisis Design
Study program name
Master in Post-Crisis Design
Schools
UPC School
City
Sant Cugat del Vallès
Duration
One academic year
credits
60
Description
Across the globe, cities and communities are increasingly affected by overlapping crises — from climate-related disasters and environmental degradation to conflict, displacement, and social inequalities. These contexts demand new ways of thinking about reconstruction: not as a short-term technical response, but as a long-term, ethical process that addresses spatial, social, and environmental challenges together. In this scenario, design becomes a key tool for recovery, resilience, and transformation.
The Master in Post-Crisis Design emerges in response to this global need. Moving beyond conventional approaches to architecture and urbanism, the program works across multiple scales — from the home to the territory — and places real contexts at the center of learning. Students engage directly with affected environments and collaborate with communities, NGOs, and local institutions, applying design as a practical and responsible tool for post-crisis action.
The master’s program is characterized by a field-based learning experience: students take part in a field trip to a real post-crisis context, where they work directly with local communities, NGOs, and partner institutions on an ongoing project. This hands-on experience allows students to engage with real social, environmental, and spatial challenges while applying design as a practical and ethical tool for post-crisis action.
Throughout the master’s program, students take part in design studios and workshops that bridge research and practice, emphasizing teamwork, co-creation, and tangible impact. This educational process enables students to complete the program with the competencies and critical capacity necessary to contribute to sustainable, inclusive, and context-sensitive solutions across diverse post-crisis scenarios. Based in Barcelona and open to an international perspective, the program offers a platform for exchange between disciplines, contexts, and experiences.