SPRING, which stands for Spatial Planning for Regions in Growing Economies, is an international professional postgraduate programme in Regional and District Development planning and Management founded in 1985. SPRING offers a joint Master of Science programme delivered through a partnership between six partner universities: Technical University Dortmund in German, Ardhi University in Tanzania, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, University of the Philippines in the Philippines, Universidad Austral de Chile in Chile, and the Federal University of ABC in Brazil.
The SPRING students come from around the globe and from various professions related to regional or urban planning. Admission to the program is handled centrally, involving all partner countries, with an emphasis on having professional experience prior to joining the program alongside previous academic scores.
SPRING students spend the first year of their studies at TU-Dortmund and the second year in one of the six countries. At Ardhi University (ARU), the SPRING programme is offered through a Master's Degree in Urban and Regional Development Planning and Management (MSc URPM) jointly offered with TU Dortmund. The Department of Urban and Regional Planning has run the program since 2002.
At ARU, the SPRING programme focuses on urban planning and Management. The programme philosophy centres on enabling candidates to identify, analyse, and develop remedial measures/strategies for addressing urban and regional development issues, focusing on the global south. The emphasis is on improving students' skills, knowledge, and competencies in managing urban informality, spatial data management, and urban development control.
SPRING students doing their second year at ARU are required to take six core courses and one elective course selected from three options. In addition, each student is required to write and submit a master's dissertation.
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