Master of Science in Urban Studies
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Key Information
Campus location
Brussels, Belgium
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
120 hours
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
EUR 4,990 / per year *
Application deadline
15 May 2024
Earliest start date
Sep 2024
* for non-EU students; €1920 per year for EU students
Join Our Online Info Sessions!
Are you interested in one of our English-taught programmes and want to know more about studying in Brussels at VUB? VUB organises general and programme specific online info sessions. Book your timeslot today!
Introduction
Study urban studies in the capital city of Europe! The interdisciplinary Master in Urban Studies (or MUS for short) is a 120 ECTS program jointly offered by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB).
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 program is designed to cultivate a cohort of adept urban researchers and professionals capable of effecting meaningful change within the European context and beyond.
Gallery
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
We are a public university and thus subsidized by the government. This results in relatively low tuition fees for the bachelor’s, master's, and PhD programs. We have some scholarships available for our master’s programs.
Curriculum
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
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.
Year 2 - Trajectory I
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) at one of our partner universities across Europe.
Practically speaking, this means you choose one of three trajectories. The 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.
Year 2 - Trajectory II
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).
Year 2 - Trajectory III
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).
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
We train our students in analyzing, understanding, and proposing solutions for urban problems (planning, project management, scenario research), working in a multidisciplinary team, and adopting a critical attitude.
It opens possibilities for you to work on urban problems in both the private or public sectors. Your Master in Urban Studies leads to the following type of occupations:
- Research and teaching on issues of urbanity and urbanism
- Urban policy advice
- Urban project management
- Urban planning and design