About the programme

Providing a genuinely interdisciplinary perspective on urban studies, students pursue a core trajectory of shared courses while enjoying the flexibility to specialize through individual selection from an extensive range of electives. Our education combines theoretical courses with field observation, excursions and hands-on applied activities. The programme is designed to cultivate a cohort of adept urban researchers and professionals capable of effecting meaningful change within the European context and beyond.

Programme Structure

The 120 ECTS curriculum combines the attractiveness of a flexible, modular and interdisciplinary programme that allows you to focus on your own interests within the domain of urban studies, with a common core of compulsory courses to ensure that you develop the necessary urban skills and competences.

Year 1 is largely dedicated to the core set of compulsory courses (53 ECTS), introducing you to the field of interdisciplinary urban studies. This includes thematic and theoretical courses such as Urban Political Economy, Global Urban Studies, Urban History or Greening the City, a public lecture series (StadsSalonsUrbains) with a yearly changing line-up of international speakers, and a dedicated course on Brussels (Brussels, Reading the City). The core also offers hands-on methods and skills training in urban research with students working in small groups and interacting with public or private organizations (Project Seminar in Applied Urban Research). By organising various site visits in and around Brussels and excursions to cities in Europe, we benefit from our location in the centre of Europe. We also support you in developing your master’s thesis (Research Design in Urban Studies) and there is limited space to choose a number of elective courses.

Following one year of core training in urban studies, in year 2 you can design your individual curriculum and specialize within subdomains of this exciting and sprawling field. As an interdisciplinary but also interuniversity and interdepartmental programme, we are able to offer a substantial list of elective courses from a variety of disciplines: from architecture to geography, from spatial planning to history and archaeology, from criminology to mobility studies, from urban design to migration studies, from socio-environmental studies to sociology and demography. Year 2 is also dedicated to researching for and writing your 30 ECTS master’s thesis. In addition, students can choose to do an internship (15 ECTS) or go for a semester study exchange (21-30 ECTS) to one of our partner universities across Europe.

Practically speaking, this means you choose one of three trajectories. Trajectory I is the trajectory you will follow if you want to do a study exchange: with the 1st semester of year 2 reserved for this exchange, leaving the 2nd semester for most of the work on your thesis and one or both semesters for additional elective courses at the VUB/ULB.

Trajectory II is the internship trajectory. As the timing depends to an important extent on the available offer and the modalities agreed with the hosting organization, the internship (15 ECTS) can be followed anytime within the 2nd year. In addition, you will choose 15 ECTS of coursework from our list of VUB/ULB electives and work on your master’s thesis (30 ECTS).

Finally, trajectory III is the trajectory you follow if you want to benefit from the large offer of electives at the VUB/ULB: during year 2, you will then choose 30 ECTS of elective coursework and write your master’s thesis (30 ECTS).