European Spatial and Environmental Planning

Entry requirements

A completed academic Bachelor's degree

In order to get admission to this Master's you will need a completed Bachelor’s degree from spatially-oriented disciplines, such as spatial planning, human geography, social and political sciences of the environment.

Proficiency in English

In order to take part in this programme, you need to have fluency in both written and spoken English.This requirement has been satisfied when the student meets one of the following conditions:

• Has successfully completed a three-year Bachelor's programme at a Dutch university.
• Is a citizen of Australia, Canada (with exception of Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, or the United States of America.
• Has successfully completed a Bachelor's programme that was taught completely in the English language in one of the following countries: EU/EEA-countries, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United States of America.
• Has successfully completed a Master's programme from a Dutch university of applied sciences (HBO).
  
  All other students need one of the following certificates (TOEFL and IELTS certificates may not be older than two years).
  • A TOEFL score of ≥90, with subscores not lower than 18
  • A IELTS score of ≥6.5, with subscores not lower than 6.0
  • Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) with a mark of C or higher

A background in research methodology

Because of the academic nature of this programme, we require all our students to have basic training in research processes, e.g. research design and data analysis.

* Applicants are considered to be a native speaker of English if they are from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, UK, USA or South Africa.

Months of entry

September

Course content

The Master’s specialisation in European Spatial and Environmental Planning (ESEP) offers a solid theoretical foundation to analyse the EU policies for environment, renewable energy and regional development and to understand how they influence spatial planning policies and practices. This programme also offers training in research methodology and teaches how to conduct meaningful comparisons.

The programme also addresses international policies and legislation that influence spatial planning, notably in relation to climate change. We look at the different positions member states and influential global players have on contemporary themes and critically discus how solutions can be found that would benefit all. You’ll better understand the multi-level system of governance in the integrated European Union, how EU policies are made and the influence they have on spatial planning systems, and how professionals can engage in European policy debates.

What will you learn?

• Gain an understanding of European and international policies that influence spatial planning in relation to climate change
• Critcially examine different positions of member states and global players and explore how to find beneficial solutions for all
• Learn how professionals can engage in public policy debates
• Get valuable experience designing, conducting and presenting your own research

Career prospects

Graduates from this programme are well suited for a variety of positions in different institutions and organisations:

• Researchers in academia or other institutes
• Consultants for private firms
• Project managers and spatial planning firms or organisations
• Policy advisors for different governemental organisations or NGOs

Choosing your expertise

During your application process you’ll choose whether you want to do this specialisation as one of the following Master’s programmes:

• Master’s in Spatial Planning
• Master’s in Environment and Society Studies

This means that you will graduate with an MSc in either Spatial Planning or in the Social and Political Sciences of the Environment, even though the study programme is identical. The diploma supplement accompanying your degree certificate will state that you have followed the ESEP specialisation and the courses you passed.

Experience shows that the choice of MSc degree will likely reflect your personal preferences, but because the programme outlines are identical it does not influence your career prospects.

More important for your future career aspirations are the topic of your Master’s thesis and possible internship. We therefore offer our students a large amount of freedom in choosing their thesis topic within the field of spatial and environmental planning. We also have a broad European network which allows us to help you go abroad if that will help you acquire the knowledge you need and the expertise you desire.

To apply for this course, please contact us by e-mail.

Learn more via the Radboud University contact form.

Fees and funding

There are various scholarships available for studying at Radboud University. Some of the opportunities are described below. A full list, including detailed information, can be found on our scholarships and grants page at our website.

Radboud Scholarship Programme

Open to a select number of excellent international students. Instead of the institutional tuition fees, non-EEA students pay the legal tuition fees (€2,209). Visa and residence permit costs, liability insurance and health insurance are also covered.

Orange Tulip Scholarship

Open to students from Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Indonesia, South-Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and China. Instead of the institutional tuition fees, non-EEA students pay the legal tuition fees (€2,209). Visa and residence permit costs, liability insurance and health insurance are also covered.

Fulbright-Radboud Scholarships

Open to excellent American students. The grant will be paid in 12 monthly instalments of 1,050 euros. International travel and the cost of the residence permit will be covered, and an extra allowance of €1150 will be paid on arrival.

Sino-Dutch Bilateral Exchange Scholarship

Open to excellent students from China. Consists of a contribution of € 16,113 towards the total costs of one year of study or research in the Netherlands.

DIKTI-Neso Scholarships

Aimed at lecturers at higher education institutions in Indonesia who wish to pursue a PhD or Master's at a university in the Netherlands. A DIKTI scholarship includes allowances for living expenses, insurance, travel costs, tuition fees and more.

Indonesian Education Scholarship (LPDP)

Open to excellent Indonesian students under the age of 35. Involves a full scholarship.

Holland Scholarship Programme

Open to excellent students from Canada, America, India and Turkey. Scholarship consists of 5,000 euros payed at the start of study.

Dutch Student Finance

EU/EEA students and Swiss students under 30 years of age are eligible if they are working at least 56 hours per month in the Netherlands, or have been living in the Netherlands for five years or more. Dutch student finance consists of four components: a basic grant, a supplementary grant (depending on the parental income), a student travel product, and a loan.