Human Settlements, M.Sc.

Overview

The Master of Human Settlements addresses rapid urbanisation in the developing world and contemporary urban transformations.  Architecture, urbanism, landscape architecture and spatial planning are the core disciplines underpinning the programme.

Contributions from economics, geography and anthropology, among others, complement the core, prepares you to better understand the interplay of human and natural ecosystems. The programme thrives from its truly international body of students and the faculty’s long-standing research expertise in worldwide contexts.  

Programme outline

The structure is organized around:

• Compulsory courses
• Optional courses
• Design studios
• Thesis (research- or design-based)

The design studios form a significant component of the programme. They are organised as two full days of work on Mondays and Tuesdays providing an intensive and immersive working environment, such as is the norm in most professional practices. A balance between teamwork and individual contributions is developed and students are subdivided into small, mixed groups from the outset.

Core courses are directly related to studio practice: one selects a more research-oriented trajectory, a research thesis can be developed in line with a specific programme profile and supporting courses.

Strengths

• The Postgraduate Centre for Human Settlements (1976-2005) is now absorbed into the International Center for Urbanisms: Settlements & Environments (ICU). ICU has intertwined  educational and research activities which studios draw on to scenario building to realities on the ground. The MaHS programme boasts a broad network of alumni who actively collaborate in design studios and theses.
• The quality and quantity of visiting faculty and international speakers, either as part of lecture series, studio juries and/or showcase events such as Belgian Urbanisms (January) or World Urbanisms (June), provides a state-of-the-arts global knowledge base.
• Fieldwork is a fundamental component of studio work. The first semester studio is based on a Belgian site, while the second semester offers European and non-European sites.  

The programme produces interdisciplinary graduates capable of understanding and managing the complexity of urban development as well as promoting sustainable territorial transformations. The MaHS programme's graduates find employment across numerous and widespread areas.

Many of our alumni work as civil servants in urban development agencies in cities or national governments. Others are independent professionals in the field of urban design, planning, and community development. Yet others join private architecture or urban design offices or take on in leadership and policymaking positions in regional, national, and international human settlements institutions, such as UNCHS or UEPP. A small number of graduates continue the academic trajectory by obtaining a PhD.

The Human Settlements programme is offered at KU Leuven.

Questions about student life in Belgium, life at KU Leuven or more information about a specific course? Chat with our students: www.kuleuven/be/chatwithourstudents.