Spatial Planning

Entry requirements

A completed Bachelor's degree from a spatially-oriented discipline

In order to get admission to this Master's you will need a completed Bachelor’s degree from a spatially-oriented discipline, such as spatial planning, human geography or environment studies.

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.

Months of entry

February, September

Course content

Spatial planners are fascinated by on-going and future changes in cities and regions and take on the role as managers of those spatial transformations - think of: regenerating shopping districts or old industrial sites; designating water retention areas; shaping urban mobility concepts for the future. Related challenges vary in scale, from individual property to European policy making.

The Master's Programme in Spatial Planning bears the sub-title ‘managing smart cities and regions’, reflecting the challenges of current and coming urban societies, at a time that ambitions for a ‘New Urban Agenda’ for the 21st century are formulated, with policies and strategies to create more sustainable and equitable urban spaces.

Upon completion students will have knowledge of:

• interfaces between different planning concepts, sectors, specializations and interests;
• synergies that are found and trade-offs that are made along these interfaces;
• paths through which integrative planning is manifested in policy formulation, decision-making and projects at different geographical and institutional levels.

Master's specialisations

You can choose a specialisation that best reflects your passion for spatial planning:

Cities, Water and Climate Change

Gain all necessary knowledge and skills for working on the nexus between urban planning, water and environmental management.

European Spatial and Environmental Planning

Become a spatial planner who understands EU policies, can cooperate with planners across borders and engages with other sectors like environment and economic development.

Planning, Land and Real Estate Development

Discover new perspectives on urban development which you can use in a future role as city developer, either in the public or private sector.

Urban and Regional Mobility

Look into different integrated mobility systems or transport modes at different spatial scales. Discover new practices and strategies to provide innovative mobility solutions.

Flexible specialisation

We also offer you the opportunity to make your own combination of courses from a list of relevant electives, next to completing the core courses of the programme.

Career prospects

Our Spatial Planning graduates are greatly valued by their employers for their analytical skills, critical perspective and sound academic understanding of the relationship between human activities, their spatial environment, and relevant spatial interventions enhancing their living environment.

Spatial planners from Radboud University work as a policy maker, consultant or project manager for the government, consulting firms, project developers, housing corporations or research institutes. Also, more and more of our alumni are working in international projects.

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 in 2021/2022). 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 in 2021/2022). 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.