Human Geography and Planning: Utrecht University

About the programme

Human geographers and planners work in tandem in this exciting field. They seek to understand the reasons behind various developments in the urbanised world and assess the impact and effectiveness of policies designed to make cities viable.

This master’s programme is aimed at students interested in becoming part of the next generation of world-class researchers in human geography and planning. Its students are trained in a challenging environment of small-scale teaching by the best of their professors and researchers. Acquiring state of the art research skills and just academic competences is essential for a good researcher. The programme is therefore especially equipped to meet these demands.

Entrance Requirements

Admission to the research masters requires one of the following:

• A bachelors degree in human geography and/or urban and regional planning
• A bachelors degree in another spatial, social or economic science discipline with at least a minor of 30 ECTS in human geography and/or urban and regional planning; this requirement includes students from the University College of Utrecht University
• An academic masters degree in a human geography or planning specialization
• An academic masters degree in another social or economic science field with a substantial amount of ‘spatial’ and ‘research’ content
• A foreign degree comparable to the Dutch degrees indicated above.
• In addition to these prerequisites the student’s qualifications should meet the following requirements:
• The applicant must be able to show good academic results in previous studies. Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they belong to the top of their programme.
• The applicant must have completed previous studies with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 (on a scale of 1-4) or at least 7.0 under the Dutch system. The foreign equivalents are A-/B+ (USA/Canada) or B/B- . Almost three quarters of the student population had an average grade in their bachelors programme of 7.5 or higher.
• Knowledge of and experience with basic methods and techniques in geographic or social-science research.
• Positive motivation and dedication to undertake the masters programme.

Language requirements

Good command of and practical experience in using the English language. All HGPM courses are taught in English. The holder of a Bachelor’s degree gained at a university in The Netherlands meets the English language requirements for admission.

Other students who are non-native English speakers or who have not taken at least two years of English language courses are required to provide proof of their English proficiency.

Accepted English language test are the following:

• IELTS (International English Language Testing System). The minimum IELTS score required is an Overall Band Score of 6.5 and no less than 6.0 in the writing section.
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The minimum required TOEFL score is 237 (computer-based); 580 (paper-based); 93 (internet-based).
• Cambridge EFL (English as a Foreign Language) Examinations, presenting one of the following certificates:
  • Cambridge certificate in Advanced English: minimum score B;
  • Cambridge certificate of Proficiency in English: minimum score C.