MSc in Planning, Land and Real Estate Development

There are a couple of things about the Master’s in Spatial Planning that appeal to me. An important one is the clear link that is made in the courses with the policy practice. An example of a course of which the use is especially clear to me, is Verdieping Recht en Instituties in Ruimtelijke Planning (Advanced Law and Institutions in Spatial Planning). This is a course in my specialisation in which the link between spatial planning and the legislation and regulation that comes with it is clearly made.

The ambiance in the Master’s is comparable to the ambiance in the Bachelor’s Geography, Spatial Planning and Environment. In my experience, the relatively short duration of the plenary part of the Master’s made me make less contact than I would have in a longer study programme. Group work with other students takes place during the group assignments that are part of the courses. Professors are easily approachable: during the breaks and after the lectures you can ask them for help. In addition, the email contact with most professors is easily made.

I have done a graduation internship at the province Noord-Holland at a department that is concerned with housing policy. The subjects that the department is engaged with are comparable to the ones that I encountered in my specialisation. As for your thesis, you have a broad range of options. I chose to write my thesis about the effect of plancapacity and housing programming on the number of new homes build. In my thesis I make use of statistical analysis and quantitative data, but a thesis with a more qualitative approach is certainly possible as well.

The layout of the available space in the Netherlands will certainly continue to play a big part. Vacancy, population aging and population growth and decline produce new challenges for which solutions will have to be found in the coming decades. In this regard, it is important that there are professionals who can form a bridge between various parties, such as architects, engineers, construction firms, and citizens. My plan, as soon as I have finished my Master’s, is to get started in public administration or at a consultancy firm that is concerned with spatial planning or housing. I also want to acquire some more technical knowledge, which is why I will take up some Geo-Information Science.