Study at Université Grenoble Alpes

The goal of the MetroFabLab program is to train students—through and for research—in the new realities of metropolitan manufacturing amid rapid change, transitions, and societal transformation. Faced with ecological, social, economic, and political challenges and imperatives, we need to renew our analytical frameworks and conceptual and methodological approaches in order to better understand the dynamics at play, shed light on—or even objectify—the debates, and more effectively support action amid these profound changes. Interdisciplinary and multi-scalar, our project draws on the knowledge and practices of architecture, urban planning and spatial planning, design, political science, geography, and economics. This thematic program benefits from the scientific excellence of the research laboratories at the Grenoble campus. It builds upon ongoing research programs and is developed in dialogue with regional stakeholders. Its ambition is to train researchers and professionals who are attuned to future challenges in architecture, urban planning, design, and public policy formulation. We support students from the moment they enter the master’s program through their transition into the workforce. This Graduate School program is open to all students enrolled in master’s programs in architecture, urban planning, design, and political science.

How to Apply

Classes are primarily taught in French, though some sessions will be held in English.

To apply for this program, you must first be admitted to the first year of a master’s program in one of the following fields:
 

Master's Degree	Year	Component	Language
Architecture, Urban Planning, and Political Science (AUEP)	M1 - M2	ENSAG, IUGA, Sciences Po UGA	French
Urban Planning and Urban Development (UPU)	M1 - M2	IUGA	French
State-Certified Architect Degree, Specialization: Architecture, Cities, Resources	M1 - M2	ENSAG UGA	French
State-Certified Architect Degree, Major: Architecture, Environment, and Building Cultures	M1 - M2	ENSAG UGA	French
State-Certified Architect Degree, Specialization: AEdification, Large Regions, Cities	M1 - M2	ENSAG UGA	French
State-Certified Architect Degree, Track: Project Concepts	M1 - M2	ENSAG UGA	French
State-Certified Architect Degree, Major: Architecture, Digital Environments, and Digital Cultures	M1 - M2	ENSAG UGA	French
State-Certified Architect Degree, Mountains, Architecture, and Landscape Track	M1 - M2	ENSAG UGA	French
Design, Design Journey, Resilience, Living	M1 - M2	ENSAG UGA	French

Course Units (UE) in the Thematic Program

The seminars of the "Metropolitan Factories" thematic program from the Graduate School of Université Grenoble Alpes will progressively deliver the fundamentals of scientific work and its promotion (oral communication and scientific article writing) throughout the four semesters of the master's degree. These seminars will feature four public lectures per year. Seminar supervision will be provided each semester by pairs of teacher-researchers and guest experts from the worlds of research and metropolitan manufacturing.

Watch past seminars on the ENSAG - UGA YouTube channel.

Metro Fab Lab Seminar 1. M1 S7 (3 ECTS)
This first seminar aims to help students identify a research topic, its main trends, controversies, and relevant literature. At the end of the semester, students will be required to produce a critical reading paper, which they will present orally.

Metro Fab Lab Seminar 2. M1 S8 (3 ECTS)
This second seminar aims to help students identify the methods and methodologies used in the fields of urban planning, architecture, and political science research. At the end of the semester, students will be required to produce a critical reading paper, which they will present orally.

Metro Fab Lab Seminar 3. M2 S9 (3 ECTS)
This third seminar is designed to help students write the methodology and research question sections, as well as the literature review, of a scientific article. By the end of the semester, students will be required to produce a first draft of their scientific article, which they will present orally.

Metro Fab Lab Seminar 4. M2 S10 (3 ECTS)
This fourth seminar is designed to help students write the sections devoted to the presentation of the case study(ies) and their discussion in light of the results obtained, as well as the conclusion of a scientific article. By the end of the semester, students will be required to produce a final version of their scientific article, which they will present orally.

Participating doctoral programs

• Doctoral School of Humanities, Political Science, and Regional Studies