Human Settlements KU Leuven

Overview

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The Master of Human Settlements from KU Leuven provides insights into the challenges and opportunities of worldwide settlements in an era of rapid change. The intensive program seeks to expose the multi-faceted challenge of contemporary human settlements, from multi-disciplinary and multi-scalar perspectives. It develops a critical and interpretative approach towards developing their own position within the field.

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

The development of MaHS as an ICP program is supported by a number of partners across the globe: the University of Architecture Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), University of Witwatersrand (Johannesburg, South Africa), University of Guayaquil (Ecuador), Technical University Kenya (Nairobi, Kenya), Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (Mozambique) and Birzeit University (Palestine). Every year, partner co-production reinforces the unique and distinctive trait of the MaHS, namely that of an integrated approach to urban development that finds its best expression in the design studio where real-world problems are tackled. These intensive and shared design experiences are jointly organised with ICP partners as a way to balance fundamental and applied knowledge within a research-oriented approach.

Career

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, or are independent professionals in the field of urban design, planning, and community development. 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.