Masters Degrees in Urban Geography, Netherlands

Master's specialisation in Urban and Cultural Geography

Cities are the vibrant and dynamic focal points of today’s society. These diverse agglomerations of people, companies and organisations are both locations for innovation and for conflict. Cities are regarded as creative places as well as conflictual places for divergent communities. In this Master's specialisation you will study how different actors influence the physical form of cities but also the way in which they present and understand the character and identity of cities and how they make use of the typical urban environment in their daily activities. They create and make cities.

See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/ucg

Entry Requirements (Additional)

The requirements for admission include:
- a bachelor degree in Human Geography received from Radboud University or another relevant bachelor degree with at least 24 EC in conflict studies and/or political geography
- Having successfully completed a course in social scientific research methods is highly recommended and will increase your chance of getting selected for this specialisation
- excellent proficiency in English
- a letter of motivation
- two letters of recommendation
- list of your grades obtained during previous training

Career prospects

The Master's specialisation Urban and Cultural Geography prepares students for a professional career in government, semi-government, and business. It also provides a stepping stone towards a research career in academia or consultancy. You will be able to apply the scientific insights and the practical skills you have acquired to topics including the development and marketing of cities, multi-culturality and integration, innovative and creative urban milieus, urban identities, cultural industries.
This would qualify you for a whole range of different jobs. Some of you might find a job in a government agency, e.g. as city-manager, city marketeer, city planner, integration agent, city-network manager, PR- manager, etc. Others will end up in semi-government agencies such as development agencies, cultural planning agencies, but also research institutes, etc. Finally also private industry offers a number of opportunities for urban and cultural specialists. One might think of jobs such as event manager, museum director, city marketeer, consultant, journalist, innovation consultant, communication manager or media specialist.

See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/ucg

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Researching Diversity in Cities and Regions

In this master students are trained to analyze increasing urbanization, growing environmental threats and uneven economic globalization.

Cities and regions throughout the world face challenges that require integrated knowledge of urban geography, economic geography, international development studies, and planning. In this Research Master's programme in Urban and Economic Geography (previously known as Human Geography and Planning), students will gain a broad theoretical and methodological background that will allow them to become an academic or professional researcher of ongoing social, spatial, and economic developments in cities and regions. Students can specialize in their preferred geographic sub-discipline while maintaining a broader perspective on the functioning of cities and regions, as well as the relevant theories and methods.

Programe Objective

In Urban and Economic Geography, you will study the reasons behind the diverse developments in the globalized and urbanized world, and you will learn to translate up-to-date theoretical and methodological developments into empirical research. You will also formulate effective policy recommendations to make cities and regions more viable and sustainable.

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This programme trains you to do research in the Spatial Sciences: economic and cultural geography, spatial planning and demography. The programme is aimed at people who want to become successful researchers in the field.

The two-year Research Master in Spatial Sciences (before September 1, 2016 called Regional Studies) is interdisciplinary. Spatial sciences, regional studies geography and spatial planning constitute an interrelated, inherently broad and multi-disciplinary field. A field not only rich in theoretical variety but also encompassing both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, from ethnographic to case study to statistical and econometric approaches. You will develop real competences in all of these areas, in order to choose your own area of research, and become a successful researcher in the Spatial Sciences field in general.

You will participate in research projects under supervision of experienced staff members, within the Faculty's Research Program tWIST: Towards Wellbeing, Innovation and Spatial Transformation. Regular personal coaching, guidance and monitoring will help you to identify your own preferred learning trajectory and develop your individual research agenda. You are required to gain some international experience, by doing research in a foreign context, and by participating in international workshops or conferences. You can also choose to study abroad.

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Programme features

 Highly international study environment with participants from over 45 different nations
 Lecturers with long-standing international teaching and working experience in the field
 High profile guest lecturers from established institutions such as UN-HABITAT, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and Lund University
 Unique training methodology of role-playing games, real-life case study analysis, class debates and on-site visits
 6 different specialisations offering a unique chance to tailor your study and broaden your career path
 Focus on linking theory to real world urban challenges and solutions developed and perfected in IHS’ almost 60 years of experience in the field
 Balanced learning environment of guided training and self-study

A step in your career

The Urban Management and Development master programme enables participants to advance their career opportunities by offering a wide range of career paths in six different areas of urban expertise.
IHS graduates work in the fields of urban academia, international consultancy, local and national governments and non-governmental organisations as lecturers, urban planners, sustainable urban development and design specialists, project managers, architects, government officials, urban policy analysis and development experts, capacity building trainers, land use advisors, renowned NGO heads and specialists and many others.

In the almost 60 years of experience in teaching and applying urban management and development knowledge and practices, IHS has developed an extensive network of urban professionals. Programme participants benefit from the immense IHS network including an alumni association with over 8000 members actively engaged in the field. IHS is engaged in over 100 urban programmes and projects at any point in time offering students a direct contact with donor agencies and training centres worldwide.
Our lecturers have long-standing international experience and continue to work all over the world thus creating a possibility to discuss and initiate links to programmes and projects in countries and cities of the participants.

Course Content

The cities of today are complex with interrelated economic, social, environmental and physical challenges which need to be balanced in the ever-changing urban environment.

The intensive 12-month MSc in Urban Management and Development is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to become competent urban managers by offering an in-depth insight into urban issues, policies and trends around the world through a blend of lectures with case studies, discussions, working groups, group assignments and field visits and field work.
The master programme is divided into three main periods: a core period, a specialization period and a thesis period. Below you can find more information about the programme structure and the knowledge you will gain during each period.

Core period (October - January)

The core period of the Urban Management & Development master programme provides in-depth insight into urban theories, policies and trends worldwide. It will study cities from different multidisciplinary thematic perspectives such as “Complex City”, “Spatial City”, “Sustainable City”, “Green City”, “Livable City”, “Informal City” and “Competitive City”.

Specialisation period (January - April)

The specialization period allows participants to gain an enhanced understanding of a certain aspect of urban management and development depending on their academic and professional orientation and interests.
 Managing & Financing Urban Infrastructure
 Urban Competitiveness and Resilience
 Urban Environment and Climate Change
 Urban Housing and Livelihoods
 Urban Land Governance
 Urban Strategies and Planning

Master Thesis period (April - September)

The thesis period opens with Research Methods workshops which offer the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to conduct academic research and complete the Master’s thesis. The students work under the guidance of their thesis supervisor and with the support of the IHS academic staff.

Training methodology

Throughout the course, students participate in interactive lectures, workshops and discussions, engage in group and individual exercises, analyse cases, give presentations and write papers and essays which aim to deepen their knowledge about the concepts and theory. The training methodology of the programme includes field visits, fieldwork, simulation games, discussions, best practices and case studies.

Important note for Chinese applicants

Chinese applicants are required to apply for a "Nuffic Certificate". This is a document that provides an assessment of the applicant`s English language proficiency as well as of the educational degrees and diplomas that are required to be eligible for an entry visa to the Netherlands. Nuffic sends this certificate directly to IHS once it has been issued.

The Netherlands Fellowship Programme (NFP)

Applicants who wish to apply for the NFP are kindly advised to apply with IHS at least 4 weeks before the NFP application deadline (14 February 2017) so that they can receive the admissions decision in time for their fellowship application.

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Master's in Local Environmental Change and Sustainable Cities

Analysing and reflecting on sustainability transformations in cities and regions with regard to topics such as waste, energy, water, transportation and climate change.

Cities around the world are dealing with environmental issues: air pollution, urban heat islands, stormwater flooding, the growing accumulation of solid waste. What can be done to keep citizens safe from environmental hazards and natural disasters? What is needed to ensure a pleasant living environment? And how can residents, commuters and businesses be stimulated – or if necessary, forced with legislation or financial sanctions – to do their bit? With the problems increasing, rather than diminishing, there’s a growing demand for professionals with an expertise in the development of sustainable cities.

The Master’s specialisation in Local Environmental Change and Sustainable Cities focuses on the local level of sustainability transformations. You’ll be introduced to the latest scientific insights, which will be illustrated with numerous examples of how cities and regions all over the world tackle these problems.

Waste, energy, water, transportation

A broad scope of environmental issues will be addressed, as well as existing measures and instruments. Stormwater management, forms of renewable energy and green roofs are just a small sample of what you can expect to encounter. You’ll also, for example, discover that waste management goes far beyond recycling schemes and how cradle-to-grave products are making way for cradle-to-cradle. In addition, we’ll be dealing with citizens’ initiatives in renewable energy as well as new focus areas, like the possible environmental advantages of community food systems.

This Master’s specialisation will teach you to become the bridge between science and society. What do the latest results in environmental research actually mean and how can that knowledge be converted into concrete plans and policies that will bring about the change needed? In this, it’s crucial that you understand how policymaking and legislation works as well as have some insight into human behaviour. For a plan to work, the people and businesses in the city need to collaborate. Environmental and behavioural psychology will therefore be addressed in various courses within this specialisation too.

See the website: http://www.ru.nl/masters/local

Why study Local Environmental Change and Sustainable Cities?

1. The specialisation strongly focuses on the local level of sustainability transformations, in particular sustainable cities.
2. The natural as well as social and political aspects of environmental issues will be addressed.
3. Related aspects of spatial planning will be incorporated in this specialisation. You can also take courses from the Master’s in Spatial Planning as electives for a multidisciplinary perspective.
3. Thanks to our extensive research, our staff members are among the leading experts when it comes to waterproofing and climate proofing cities.
4. You’ll gain insight on how to take scientific results and convert them into viable plans and policies.
5. Because the Netherlands is known for its expertise in water, climate and spatial planning, it offers a great atmosphere to study this field.
6. You’ll also benefit from the advantages of the Master’s programme in Environment and Society Studies in general.

See the website: http://www.ru.nl/masters/local

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The Masters specialisation in Cities, Water and Climate Change discusses the relationship between city planning and development, climate mitigation and adaptation. Cities, because of high levels of energy consumption and mobility, are the main contributors to climate change. At the same time, cities, because of their population density, are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Questions that will be addressed in this specialisation are: How can city planners contribute to a reduction of CO2 emissions, and how can cities adapt to the consequences of climate change

To answer these questions, possibilities for mainstreaming climate change into urban planning will be discussed as well as examples of carbon free cities and transition towns. It is expected that in 2050 more than 70% of the world’s population lives in delta areas. Because of the rapidly urbanizing delta areas, special attention will be paid to issues of flood risk management and multi-layered water safety. Which infrastructure is needed to protect delta areas, what is the potential of ecosystem engineering (‘building with nature’), and what are possibilities for flood proofing urban areas?

To learn more about these strategies, students will study case studies from the Netherlands (Delta programme, Rotterdam, and Nijmegen) as well as international cases (New Orleans, Miami, New York, Jakarta, Hamburg). Students will learn more about both strategies to enhance cities’ adaptive capacity (the capacity to adapt to changing climate conditions), and cities’ resilience (the capacity to respond to shocks, such as floods).

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As the preparations for the New Urban Agenda by UN Habitat III signals, the agenda of urban planners in the 21st century will become tighter. Cities and city regions will continue growing in size and function. Challenges derive directly from ‘external’ processes like globalization, climate change and migration. The city and city region is also inscribed as central element into the growth model of the modern society. These challenges translate into the domain of planning, with newly emerging forms of collective plan-making and new governance arrangements taking shape. In a positive sense, urban development is negotiated and created in urban future laboratories. How can planners deal with these changing circumstances, and add value to both the bottom-up emerging local initiatives and revise the top-down approaches towards managing spatial development. How can they safeguard common values of a shared city or regional identity, a functioning ‘spatial fabric,’ or an equitable access to public services?

This specialisation will focus on the strategic and visionary elements of what might be called the ‘new’ planning enterprise.

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