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 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. This includes methodology, such as developing questionnaires and holding interviews, using and understanding statistics, as well as academic skills, such as writing, conducting research, interpreting data, finding and using sources. Our staff members will take you on several exciting field trips to The Hague and other Dutch cities.

In year two you will deepen your knowledge on the many-sided issues confronting local governments, companies, and the people living in the cities. By the end of this year you will be a specialist in urban issues.

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.

In our Professional Orientation Course you will be encouraged to think about your future career. You will meet inspiring people working in a wide variety of professions. There will be specific attention for the skills you need when entering the labour market, such as developing a CV and preparing for an interview.

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.

In the second semester, you will give evidence of your capacities as an urbanist in two different ways. In your thesis, you will focus on one of the four themes, demonstrating your ability to conduct academic research on a specific issue. In the course Urban Studies in Practice, you and several of your fellow students will be part of a team of consultants, working on a real-life challenge presented by one of our urban partners. If you want to continue with a master’s programme, the third year offers the opportunity to work on the master’s programme’s entry requirements.