Urbanism

During the first year of the Urbanism track programme you acquire advanced knowledge and skills in urban design and planning in the broader sense with a focus on city, neighbourhood and regional scale. You start the second year with an interdisciplinary course. After this you work  for three quarters on an individual graduation project on a topic that reflects the research portfolio of the Urbanism department.

Freshly started in September 2024?

Did you start freshly this Master track programme in september 2024? Please see your track programme here.

First semester (MSc1)
The first quarter (Q1) is titled ‘Analysis and Design of Urban Form’ and takes the perspective from urban design and landscape in understanding and designing relations between urban form and carrying spatial structures. 

‘Designing Urban Environments’ is the title of Q2 that takes the outlook from environmental design and technology into the processes of how to make and organise sustainable urban space and communities.

Second semester (MSc2)
In Q3 ‘Spatial Strategies for the Global Metropolis’ space is perceived on the level of spatial planning and strategy and is about the design and evaluation of spatial strategies that address the (re-)organisation of networks, programmes and urban patterns at the regional scale. All explicitly address societal and scientific approaches to issues relating to urbanisation and associated debates. 

In Q4 you join one of the intradisciplinary courses in which you are challenged to work together with students from other tracks within the Master Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences on overarching themes.

  • Check the Study Guide for a full overview of the intradisciplinary electives available to Urbanism track students.
  • To see how the different tracks within the Master AUBS work together, check the list of (intra)disciplinary Q4 electives of all tracks here.

Started in academic year 2023-2024 or earlier?

Master harmonisation 2024-2026

The MSc programme Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences (AUBS) is being harmonised in the academic years 2024-2025 and 2025-2026. The harmonisation in the current academic year focuses only on MSc2 and will start in February 2025. The renewal of the second year (MSc3 & MSc4) will follow from September 2025 onwards.

  • Haven’t you completed all MSc2 courses in the previous academic year 2023-2024? 
    If so, you can continue to do so this academic year: enrol for MSc2 courses in the next enrolment period (25 November until 6 December). Check the new or replacement courses in the new MSc2 structure in the Study Guide and Transitional measures 2024-2025 on the Student Portal. Both the AUBS and Geomatics MSc programmes have elective space of 15 EC in Q4. A list of permitted electives for each programme/track is available in the Study guide. 

  • Are you planning to interrupt your studies for the rest of this academic year?
    If so, it is best to do this after completing the entire first year. You will then continue your studies from September 2025 onwards, when the new structure of the second year is also in place, with interdisciplinary Q5 electives (15 EC) and a graduation phase covering three quarters (be aware that February 2025 is the last possibility to start graduation in the old structure; more information on the renewed graduation will be available in April/May 2025). For information on temporarily interrupting your studies check the student portal.


Track programme Urbanism 2023-2025

Attention! This information is only meant for students who started the Track programme Urbanism in September 2023 or earlier!

First year

Second year