Master’s Degree in International Cooperation: Sustainable Emergency Architecture – Official
A 3-month mandatory internship at the end of the programme provides the connections and experience needed to take the next step in your career. We have agreements with over 30 organisations around the world in all areas of development and emergency practices, including international institutions such as UN-Habitat, GWOPA and MSF, as well as smaller scale NGOs and research institutions such as BCNUEJ.
The objective of the internship is to gain practical experience in the field of international cooperation and to develop the theoretical knowledge gained in the programme. Students will become familiar with the various stages of project development and management in the field.
Recent internships have included the following institutions:
- BCNUEJ (Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability), Barcelona, Spain
- Center on Global Justice, UCSD, San Diego, USA
- CRS (Catholic Relief Services), Leeds, UK
- CPID (Center for Public Interest Design), Portland, USA
- EMI Manila (Earthquakes and Megacities), Manila, Philippines
- GWOPA (Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance), Barcelona, Spain
- MSF (Doctors Without Borders), Barcelona, Spain
- Office of Displaced Designers, Lesvos, Greece
- Tsum Nubri Relief Centre, Kathmandu, Nepal
- SPARC (Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centres), Mumbai, India
- UCLG (United Cities Local Governments). Barcelona, Spain
- UN HABITAT CRPP (City Resilience Profiling Programme), Barcelona, Spain
- UN HABITAT Offices, Nairobi, Laos, Fukuoka, Lebanon…
- VPUU (Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading), Cape Town, South Africa
Application process
The master’s team will provide the students with options for internships in one of the many collaborating institutions that already have agreements with the university, and will guide students in choosing the institution which best suits their career goals and interests. Students are responsible for finding their own placements and are encouraged to look for placements apart from our list. In parallel, the master’s team coordinates the applications to our collaborating institutions, and provides guidance and academic support throughout the process.
No internship may start without the signed agreements and the approval of the master’s team.
The host institution will provide information prior to the internship period on the nature of the work the student will be involved in, and often conducts interviews with students to see how their skills and experience can contribute to their organisation.
Content
Depending on the organisation and the ongoing projects at the time, students may perform some of the following tasks:
- involvement in architectural or urban projects at various stages from design to construction
- developing guides, frameworks and policies on a specific topic or project
- contributing to participatory research or community action planning
- developing and delivering participatory workshops
- specific research on case studies or topics
- management of project documentation and information
- learning a new software/program to evaluate its usefulness and application for the institution
- contributing to online content on websites, blogs, social media, etc. of the institution
- assisting in generating and organising content for events, expositions, congresses, etc.



