Urban Studies (BA)
About the programme
The programme is structured to guide you from a broad introduction in the first year to thematic specialisation and independent research in your final year. In the second year you will learn more about the four themes: the sustainable city, the safe city, the multicultural city and the healthy city. In years two and three you will have elective options, including a minor, studying abroad, and an internship.
Programme with a uniquely broad scope
Currently, around 70 per cent of Europe's population lives in cities. Within a few decades, this is expected to apply globally. In the Urban Studies programme you will learn how cities manage growth, social cohesion, safety and sustainability, and how they plan to deal with these issues in the future. You will study in an international classroom in The Hague, the political capital of the Netherlands.
After kicking off with a broad and thorough introduction during the first year, you will focus on our four themes during the second year: the multicultural city, the safe city, the healthy city and the sustainable city. Course subjects include history, criminology, psychology, ecology, the governance of cities, statistics, and geo-spatial analysis. By selecting electives that align with your chosen theme, you can shape your profile in preparation for a relevant master's programme. Our study advisors and mentors are available for advice and support if you have any questions about your study or future career.
Programme structure
Year 1
The first year will provide you with a sound foundation in Urban Studies. While gaining the knowledge and skills you need for your further studies, you will also have the chance to find out where your interests lie. In this year, you will learn the basic concepts and theories of urbanisation. You will gain insights into the rise and fall of cities, and how they have developed from the earliest times.
Additionally, you will focus on cities’ ecological footprint and how to reduce this, and on economic, social and cultural aspects in relation to cities. Of course, you will also develop the skills needed for your academic work. You will develop methodological skills, such as designing questionnaires, conducting interviews and analysing statistical data. In addition, you will strengthen your academic skills, including academic writing and research. Our staff members will take you on several exciting field trips to The Hague and other Dutch cities.
Year 2
In year two you will deepen your knowledge of complex issues confronting local governments, companies, and the people living in cities. By the end of this year, you will have developed in-depth knowledge of your chosen urban themes.
You will take classes in the programme’s four themes: the sustainable city, the safe city, the multicultural city and the healthy city. In the course of this year, you will choose two of these themes as your specialisation.
Methodological and academic skills are important topics in this second year, while there will be excursions to major Dutch cities and various hands-on assignments, allowing you to put those skills into practice.
Year 3
You have several options for structuring your first semester: you can either opt to study at a university abroad, you can take a minor according to your interests or you can do an internship, gaining valuable work experience. If you plan to continue with a master’s programme, you can select courses that meet specific entry requirements of the master’s programme of your choice.
In the second semester, you will give evidence of your capacities as an urbanist in two different ways. You will participate in the Research Lab course, where you will delve into a specific subject and hone your skills. In your thesis, you will focus on one of the four themes, demonstrating your ability to conduct academic research on a specific issue.
Student Support
Our students are encouraged to work independently and to take responsibility for their study progress. At the same time, if you experience any problems, our student support services are always available to help you find a solution. Your Urban Studies study plan allows you to map out your study path, which you will discuss with our study advisor. Your study progress is monitored to ensure you receive timely guidance if needed. Apart from study advice, we offer many more support services. Our international office and career service offer support in making arrangements that allow you to study abroad or do an internship.
Read more about Leiden University’s student support services on this webpage. If you have questions about student support, you can contact the Study line or our study advisor.
Educational methods
All our lecturers will encourage you to follow your curiosity, while challenging you on an intellectual level. To this end, our programme includes lectures and tutorials, as well as individual and group assignments. Lectures introduce key concepts, which are further explored in small-group tutorials of about 20 students. During tutorials you participate in group discussions and work on group assignments, which you will present to your fellow students. Our lecturers provide a safe environment in which you are able to practice and build the required skills.
Study load
The programme requires a full-time commitment of approximately 40 hours per week. This includes an average of 14 hours of lectures and tutorials. The remainder is spent on independent study.
Sonia Dobkowska
Second year student
"The programme exceeds my expectations, I didn't anticipate how much I would enjoy it. During the first year you explore, among others, the basics of urban history, geography, psychology, sociolinguistics and anthropology. In addition, you study various methodologies such as statistics, ethnography and the software skills you need to interpret geographical information (GIS). One of the first-year courses I really liked was 'Cultural diversity in an urban contexts', where we also looked at linguistic diversity, in particular in the customers and stock of Polish shops in The Hague. Our task was to investigate the linguistic landscape in this particular environment: what other languages apart from Polish were used in these shops, what products were sold? We discovered, among others, that the shops not only had a commercial role, but also functioned as a kind of community centres."
Comar Beulens
Student
"Urban Studies is linked to a lot of different areas, there is a high level of interdisciplinarity. In the beginning, I found it complex, but throughout the year you can see that all these pieces do seem to fit together: every course, lecture, or workgroup is linked to each other in one way or another. Whether that is professors that work together or the authors of papers you read, they come back in multiple courses across different disciplines: from health to ecology."
Ciarán Meers
Student
"I particularly enjoyed Cultural Diversity in Urban Contexts, and Imagining the City. Cultural Diversity was nice because we dealt with case studies of a variety of different cities from around the world, as well as the specific and unique types of diversity that can be found in each. It felt like one of those courses that really broadens your knowledge. As for Imagining the City, I think it proposed a really interesting approach to how we perceive cities, and how this links with a lot of different philosophical and theoretical approaches. It was also a very fun class to take, with a very enthusiastic lecturer, and the reading was quite literally tailor-made to the course."
Ciarán tells you everything about the Urban Studies programme
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