University of Applied Sciences Potsdam

Mission Statement

University of Applied Sciences Potsdam
Founded in 1991, the University of Applied SciencesPotsdam (FHP) offers a variety of engineering, sociocultural and artistic programmes. The university’s education and research is dedicated to scientifically sound practice. About 3.500 students are enrolled in 26 practice-oriented BA and MA programmes and they are supervised and mentored by 100 professors and 200 staff members. Interdisciplinary projects enable collaboration within the university  structures and the regional, national and international networks facilitate practice oriented studies and research. Attributes such as pioneering and transparent, individual and practical, family friendly, cooperative and accessible as well as fully equipped laboratories and workshops characterise the atmosphere at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam.
The University of Applied Sciences Potsdam is honoured as one of the four best Universities of  Applied Sciences in Germany as part of the initiative »Exzellenz in der Lehre« (excellence in teaching).
The five departments of the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam are located on one campus in the city of Potsdam.
    •    Department 1: Social and Educational Sciences
    •    Department 2: CITY | BUILDING | CULTURE  (Architecture and Urban Planning)
    •    Department 3: Civil Engineering
    •    Department 4: Design
    •    Department 5: Information Sciences
   

The University of Applied Sciences Potsdam also benefits from its location. The metropolitan region of Potsdam/Berlin, with its creative and start-up scene, has long  established itself as one of the most important science and media locations worldwide.  In addition to study and work opportunities, these two bordering federal state capitals have much more to offer.

International Role

The Design Department is internationally active and envisions to further raise the numbers of student and teacher mobility. The department currently has 23 partner universities worldwide. With 19 partners from all over Europe, the department is especially active in the framework of the Erasmus+ programme. A new perspective lies on the region of Southeast Asia, with partner universities in Taiwan and Thailand. The Research and study projects in this area  focus on the topic of smart cities.
Many students choose to spend their obligatory internship semester in other EU countries and abroad.    

The University of Applied Sciences Potsdam is also a regular host of international events, such as the Information+ conference in October 2018, which brings together researchers and practitioners in information design and visualisation.

National Role

The University of Applied Sciences Potsdam and the Design Department in particular are strongly rooted in the civic, industrial and science communities of Potsdam and in the federal state of Brandenburg. Naturally, strong connections have been established to many diverse institutions in the nearby city of Berlin.
 
Regional:
Selected partners and collaborators in Potsdam, Berlin and Brandenburg:
·      Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
·      Volkswagen Design Center Potsdam GmbH
·      Technologie Stiftung Berlin (Berlin Technology Foundation)
·      Fraunhofer Institute Golm
·      Integrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
·      BUND Berlin (Friends of the Earth)
·      About 30 regional manufacturers (Haus Brandenburg project)
·      Brandenburg State Police
·      Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation (SPSG), the Research Center Sanssouci (RECS), and Marbach Weimar Wolfenbüttel Research Association (MWW)
·      Theodor-Fontane-Archive
      
 
National:
·      Deutsche Telekom
·      German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt – UBA)
·      Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft
·      BMW

Main Focus

Bachelor´s degree programmes in the Design Department
A distinguishing feature of the Design Department is the close connection between its programmes – Interface Design, Communication Design, Product Design and European Media Studies.
This interconnection enables a unique, cross-subject educational profile with a strong research and practical relevance; this is reflected in the various works, exhibitions and collaborations that have been successful on an international scale. Our educational model links artistic freedom with fundamental, career-specific skills, preparing and empowering our students for diverse job profiles: from the direct, qualified entry into professional life to a research-driven doctorate. Well-equipped workshops and studios, innovative research laboratories and the intensive staff-student ratio all contribute to a positive and cooperative atmosphere that fosters creative thinking and action.

Design (M.A.)
The Master's programme in Design at FH Potsdam is aimed at designers who want to deepen their practice through research and engage with the social, ecological and technological questions of our time. At its core, the programme understands design as a form of knowledge production: students develop objects, systems, interventions and experiences that make complex relations visible and open up new possibilities for action.

Students specialise in one of two studios. "Design as Narrative Practice" (taught in German) approaches design as an artistic research practice that explores social, ecological and cultural questions through material, language, form, body and narrative. "Postdigital Design" (taught in English) investigates socio-technical systems such as interfaces, algorithms, data and intelligent systems through research through design, speculative exploration and experimentation, translating findings into prototypes, systems and future scenarios.

The studio work is complemented by modules in design research, design theory, futures literacy, design leadership and teaching experience, as well as a broad elective area covering the full range of design disciplines at the department. Students can also contribute to ongoing research at the Interaction Design Lab and the Urban Complexity Lab.

The programme is offered as a one-year course of study (taught in German, for graduates with 240 ECTS) or a two-year course of study (in German or English, for graduates with 180 ECTS), full-time or part-time. In cooperation with National Taipei University of Technology (Taipei Tech), the English-language track offers a double degree: after one year in Potsdam, students spend their second year in Taipei and graduate with both a Master of Arts and a Master of Design.

The programme concludes with a research-oriented master's thesis that connects theoretical reflection with aesthetic and artistic practice, presented publicly and defended in a colloquium.