The majority of the world’s population lives in cities. Urban culture is reshaping the world: urbanisation and globalisation are two sides of the same coin. The interdisciplinary and international Master in Urban Studies sets out – at the crossroads of sociology, geography, history, cultural studies, and humanistic urban studies – to address this fundamentally novel aspect of the human condition.
The M.Sc. in Urban Studies is a 2 years programme,(120 ECTS,) 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 from a large offer of elective modules and courses.
Strength of the programme
The strength of the programme results from the integration of analytical skills typical for the (social-) sciences and the more design oriented skills of planning and architecture. The need for interdisciplinary knowledge and skills as opposed to the more narrowly defined academic disciplines is strong.
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.
The core consists of the following courses:
Elective modules and courses
We offer six elective modules, incorporating a large variety of disciplines from across the social sciences and humanities. Each student must choose two of the six.
Besides the elective modules, we also offer a wide range of individual elective courses.
Starting in
You can apply until:
EEA/EU
Always verify the dates on the programme website. programme website.
You only need to take one of these language tests:
Minimum required score:
The TOEFL iBT ® measures your English-language abilities in an academic setting. The test has four sections (reading, listening, speaking, and writing), each with a score range of 0-30, for a total score range of 0-120. Read more about TOEFL iBT ®.
Schedule TOEFL®Minimum required score:
The IELTS – or the International English Language Test System – tests your English-language abilities (writing, listening, speaking, and reading) on a scale of 1.00–9.00. The minimum IELTS score requirement refers to which Overall Band Score you received, which is your combined average score. Read more about IELTS.
Schedule IELTSMinimum required score (Grade B):
C1 Advanced is a Cambridge English Qualification. It reports on the Cambridge English Scale between 142 and 210. You will receive a separate score for each of the four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) and for Use of English. These five scores are averaged to give you an overall result for the exam. Universities and colleges may ask you to achieve a specific score, either overall or for a particular skill.
Note: degree programmes and applications may require a more specific minimum score for admission.
General required documents:
Extra documents:
Chinese nationals:
The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.
Check the programme website for information about funding options.
StudyPortals Tip: Students can search online for independent or external scholarships that can help fund their studies. Check the scholarships to see whether you are eligible to apply. Many scholarships are either merit-based or needs-based.
Together with the ISIC Association and British Council IELTS, Studyportals offers you the chance to receive up to £10000 to expand your horizon and study abroad. We want to ultimately encourage you to study abroad in order to experience and explore new countries, cultures and languages.
