Faculty of Sciences and Bioengineering Sciences

Admission Requirements

Enrolling for this study plan is possible after having obtained one of the following degrees:

Academic Bachelor's programme agogische wetenschappen
Academic Bachelor's programme architectuur
Academic Bachelor's programme communicatiewetenschappen
Academic Bachelor's programme criminologische wetenschappen
Academic Bachelor's programme economische wetenschappen
Academic Bachelor's programme geografie
Academic Bachelor's programme geschiedenis
Academic Bachelor's programme ingenieurswetenschappen: architectuur
Academic Bachelor's programme politieke wetenschappen
Academic Bachelor's programme sociologie
Academic Bachelor's programme taal- en letterkunde
Academic Bachelor's programme toegepaste economische wetenschappen
Academic Bachelor's programme toegepaste economische wetenschappen: handelsingenieur

You may also be asked to provide additional documents so we may evaluate your application.

Puntenlijst / Transcript of records

Overview of the study plan

The Master in Urban Studies is a 120 ECTS programme jointly offered by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). Offering a strong interdisciplinary perspective on urban studies, students follow a core trajectory of shared courses and have the freedom to specialize by individually selecting elective modules and courses.
More information is also availble at http://urbanstudies.brussels/master/urban-studies.


MA Urban Studies VUB/ULB: Common Core

The common core contains a course on Brussels, one on the European dimension of cities and urbanisation, and a number of theoretical courses introducing you to the field of urban studies. By using Brussels as a unique case study in the programme and 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. The common core also contains two modules introducing you to various urban methods and research approaches as well as a thesis seminar dedicated to supporting you in the development and writing of your master thesis.

30 ECTS of the common core is dedicated to the Master thesis. In the first year of your studies, you will choose a topic and develop your research design, whereas in the second year you will conduct most of the empirical research and write the actual thesis. Throughout the two-year process, there will be various moments of collective and individual supervision.

From the courses listed below, students must obtain 80 ECTS credits.

6ECTS credits - European Cities in an Urbanizing World
30ECTS credits - Master thesis
3ECTS credits - Research Design and Methodology in Urban Studies
5ECTS credits - Brussels, reading the city
6ECTS credits - Urban Social Geography
5ECTS credits - Urban Political Economy
5ECTS credits - Urban Sociology
5ECTS credits - Urban Sustainability and Circular Economy
3ECTS credits - StadsSalonsUrbains
3ECTS credits - Urban Analysis I
5ECTS credits - Urban Analysis II
4ECTS credits - Excursion

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MA Urban Studies VUB/ULB: Electives

Before starting with the Master in Urban Studies, you are expected to choose two elective modules. The elective modules have a disciplinary and/or thematic orientation: this will allow you to specialise within subdomains of urban studies, while at the same time ensuring interdisciplinary training on the level of the overall programme.

We currently offer six elective modules, incorporating a large variety of disciplines from across the social sciences and humanities.

You can also choose to replace one elective module with an internship (15 ECTS), allowing you to gain experience in a working environment that is relevant to urban studies, such as an NGO, local government administration, consultancy firm or European network or institution. If you want to pursue a PhD following your Master education, you can also choose to do a research-oriented internship by working in a university department or another research institution.

To complete this module, students must obtain 40 ECTS credits.

Module Urban History

Module Urban History

6ECTS credits - Urban History
6ECTS credits - History of Migration
6ECTS credits - Urban Archaeology

Module Urban Criminology

Module Urban Criminology

6ECTS credits - Criminological encounters
9ECTS credits - Crime & the City

Module Urban Geography

Module Urban Geography

6ECTS credits - Economic and Financial Geography
3ECTS credits - Housing
6ECTS credits - Greening the City

Module Urban Architecture

Module Urban Architecture

4ECTS credits - Architectural and construction history
4ECTS credits - Post-war History of Construction and Architecture
4ECTS credits - Theory of Architecture and Urbanism

Module Urban Planning and Mobility

Module Urban Planning and Mobility

6ECTS credits - EUTOPIA Learning Unit - Sustainable Mobility and Logistics
5ECTS credits - Infrastructure and mobility
6ECTS credits - Land Use Planning and Growth Management

Module Urban Design

Module Urban Design

15ECTS credits - Design Studio
3ECTS credits - Theory of Urban Planning and Design
10ECTS credits - Projet d'architecture 4.11 : UN - Urban Nature
8ECTS credits - Sustainable Urban Design Studio
10ECTS credits - Atelier Urbanisme - Bruxelles

Module Internship

Module Internship

15ECTS credits - Internship

Electives

Electives

3ECTS credits - Advanced Seminar in Urban Studies
6ECTS credits - Advanced Seminar in Urban Studies
3ECTS credits - Landscape Urbanism
3ECTS credits - Introduction to GIS
6ECTS credits - Decision Support for Sustainability
3ECTS credits - History of Urban Design
4ECTS credits - Design project competition
5ECTS credits - Sociologie des mobilités
5ECTS credits - Sustainability Transitions: Dynamics, Governance and Politics

Electives subject to approval

Electives subject to approval by the chairman of the examination commission.

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