The ‘Moonshot’ module marks the start of the BA programme in Creative Transformation. The aim is for students to get to know one another and to develop a shared understanding of creative transformation through collaborative engagement with a specific transformation challenge, which we will tackle together during an excursion. The focus is on formulating visionary questions and ambitious visions for the future that challenge existing ways of thinking and open up new possibilities. This ‘Moonshot’ is not about immediate feasibility, but about testing creative ways of thinking and working within the framework of the BA Creative Transformation’s values compass: ‘thinking sustainably – designing for a liveable world – acting together’.
The Transformative Literacy module cluster provides the fundamental knowledge needed to critically understand social, economic, environmental and technological transformation processes. The focus is on developing the ability to grasp and interpret complex interrelationships and translate them into reflective, action-oriented concepts. Drawing on academic, political and social debates, you will engage with current challenges such as climate change, digitalisation, social inequality and cultural change. In doing so, you will learn to independently identify relevant sources of information, critically examine both your own and others’ viewpoints, integrate different perspectives and think in terms of alternative future scenarios based on evidence. The module fosters analytical skills, the ability to contextualise, and argumentation skills. It empowers and encourages you to represent your own positions in dialogue in a well-founded and reflective manner. The Transformative Literacy module cluster covers the following topics, amongst others:
Philosophy4Transformation
- Introduction to various meanings of the term transformation
- Conceptual models for understanding change processes
- More-than-human concepts and contemporary approaches to ecological thinking
Sustainable development
- History of the sustainability discourse
- Contemporary concepts, starting points, and topics of sustainable development (planetary boundaries, social development goals, etc.)
- Social-ecological transformation
- Actors and controversies in sustainability policy in the context of ongoing debates on climate change/decarbonization, the biodiversity crisis, and global justice
Technological transformation
- Fundamentals of the philosophy, history, and ethics of technology
- Digitalization, digitality, and post-digitality
- AI as a driver and medium of transformation
Economic transformation
- Introduction to classical economic paradigms and their critique
- Fundamentals of business ethics
Fundamentals of political economy
- Introduction to contemporary concepts of sustainable economics (degrowth, circular economy, economy for the common good)
Focus topic: The Alps in transformation
- Introduction to the geography and history of the Alpine region
- Value creation in Alpine regions (focus: energy, tourism, agriculture)
- Climate change and the biodiversity crisis in the Alpine region
- Alpine policy (Alpine Convention, EUSALP)
- Alpine futures literacy
The Transformative Agency module focuses on developing the capacity for action in times of fundamental social, economic, environmental and technological change. At its heart lies the question of how individuals and communities can effectively initiate, support and shape sustainable transformations. Drawing on real-world examples and through direct dialogue with practitioners of transformation, you will explore concepts of agency, empowerment and responsibility, and examine the conditions that enable or constrain transformative action. This will involve a critical analysis of institutional frameworks, social dynamics and power structures. At the same time, you will also address the practical challenges involved in translating transformational goals into concrete transformation projects: How is such a project planned, what organisational tasks need to be carried out, and how are processes designed? A particular focus is placed on self-reflection and collective practice: How do I position myself as an actor in change processes? What skills and attitudes are necessary to act effectively in the long term? And how can creative methods be used to mobilise others and sustain change processes? The aim of this module is to enable you to collaboratively develop your own role as a responsible shaper of the future across various areas of societal action, and to encourage you to actively embrace this role.
Modules and excursions to be covered and explored as part of the Transformative Agency modules in the 2026/27 academic year will address the following topics, amongst others:
- Urban gardening/permaculture
- Circular economy
- Commoning/new commons
- Sustainable Alpine tourism
- Alpenstrom
- Net zero – best practices
- Shared mobility
The ‘Methods’ module cluster is designed to continuously expand, deepen and critically reflect upon the methods used in transformation processes. These include, in particular, methods of academic research, creative methods from design and the arts, transformative project management, and various methods for facilitating collaborative practice. You will learn how methods can be sensibly selected and applied in specific transformation projects, but also how they can be reflected upon and further developed in a context-sensitive manner. This approach to understanding methods also reflects the underlying assumptions and values of the respective methods, placing them in relation to the guiding values of the BA Creative Transformation and your own transformation objectives.
The following core modules are offered as part of the programme and can be supplemented individually with further methodology modules in other fields of study, depending on your interests and needs:
- Project management
- Presentation techniques
- Moderation techniques
- Feedback culture
- Scientific and communicative writing
- Design thinking
- Curatorial practice
- Storytelling
- Art of hosting
The peer modules take place every semester and consist of two formats: the ‘Discourse Workshop’ and the ‘Project Lab’. The focus is on collaborative learning, the exchange of experiences, mutual support, and fostering a culture of critical and controversial dialogue and collaboration.
The discourse workshop creates a space for critical engagement, reflection and shared discussion on current political and social issues within the BA programme in Creative Transformation. Students explore topics of their own choosing, reconstructing and analysing different positions and the associated interests, narratives and media strategies. Through systematic, multimedia research and moderated discussion formats, you will develop the ability to structure controversial discussions, develop your own viewpoints in a reflective manner, and formulate them in a way that is tolerant of ambivalence. Experiences from your own practice, from other modules, and external inputs will be drawn upon. The aim is to strengthen critical thinking skills and to be able to take a well-founded and reflective stance within the context of the contemporary attention economy.
The ‘Project Lab’ is a core module for the design and coordination of collaborative practice. It is a student-led development format in which students further develop their own projects through dialogue with others, identify areas of overlap, and jointly initiate new projects. The focus is on mutual support in project work, peer feedback, collaborative work on cross-disciplinary issues spanning different disciplines and application contexts, as well as the initiation and implementation of independent activities, such as excursions, events or interventions. The module is conceived as an experimental space in which individual approaches can be refined and joint projects developed.
The range of modules on the BA Creative Transformation programme is complemented by a broad interdisciplinary curriculum offered by the Department of Design, Film and Art and the Lucerne Campus, comprising the so-called ‘+++Modules’ from which students can choose:
