This is a 12- month  - Masters of Science in Urban Management and Development programme offered by IHS, The Netherlands
  

Duration of the course: 12 Months 

Course date: October 2016 - September 2017

​Degree Awarded: Degree

​Tuition

 Fees: 11900€ 

Language : ENGLISH

Introduction

This 12 month master programme provides a unique opportunity for professionals and bachelor graduates to invest in their future. It will enable you to become an innovative urban manager, a leader who analyses and develops cities based on a thorough understanding of urban theory and practice.

UMD key features

·         Participants from more than 45 different nations 

·         4 partner universities with expertise in the field 

·         Small-scale with personal attention and support

·         Multi-nationals lectures with wide experience in the field

·         International high profile guest lectures

·         Unique training methodology of role-playing games,real case study analysis, class debates

·         Practical focus and problem solving approach

·         6 different specializations - a unique chance to tailor your study

·         Balanced training of analytical and practical skills

A step in your career

The UMD programme enables participants to advance their career opportunities. Our alumni international network  which includes ministers, mayors, successful businessmen and renowned NGO specialists, provides an entrance into international networks of urban professionals, institutes and capacity building initiatives. Participants of the UMD programme will benefit from the extensive network of IHS, including an alumni association with over 7,500 members and contacts with donor agencies and training centers. IHS is engaged in over 100 urban programmes and projects at any point in time, enabling a direct link between theory and practice. IHS lecturers have worked all over the world thus creating a possibility to discuss and initiate programmes and projects in your country and your cities.

Programme

structure

The intensive 12-month MSc programme is divided in three periods: the core period, the specialization period and the thesis period. Below you can find more information about the structure of the programme.

Core period:

​General

 lectures on urban issues (October - January).The course is divided into core modules and intermediary periods leading to 6 different specializations that provide ample choices for you to go in-depth in your field of study.

Specialization period:   (January - April)

Managing and Financing Urban Infrastructure (MFUI)

Urban Housing and Livelihoods (UHL)

Urban Environmental Management and Climate Change (UECC)

Integrated Planning and Strategies (IPS)

Urban Land Development (ULD)

Urban Competitiveness and Resilience (UCR)

Research & Thesis (April - September)

Managing and Financing Urban Infrastructure (MFUI)

This specialization aims to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of urban infrastructure management and its financial aspects.It provides hands-on knowledge and expertise on how local governments can most efficiently provide, manage, finance and implement urban infrastructure projects, with a particular focus on urban energy, transport, water and sanitation.

Urban Land Development (ULD)

This specialization aims at understanding concepts and issues behind instruments of land development particularly those that have a powerful impact on shaping cities. It includes the identification of economic, social and legal aspects behind such instruments, an analysis of how these shapes implementation and innovation in various countries, and a discussion of the implications this has on land and real estate markets. 

Urban Competitiveness and Resilience (UCR)

This specialization course enables participants to analyze the competitiveness and resilience of cities. It is important to understand the extent to which cities compete with each other, where this competition comes from, and what urban factors determine a cities economic attractiveness. Taking the competitiveness concept a step further, understanding urban resilience challenges allows participants to not only think about wealth generation of our cities, but also ensure the well

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being of all citizens, enable sustainable economic development, and how to manage economic shocks and decline into our urban strategies.

Participants get engaged in group and individual exercises, are requested to write papers and essays, make presentations that are assessed throughout the course. They also prepare their research through a continuous work on research methods and techniques. 

The courses addressed during the core period and blocks and modules from the specialization period are specified within the short courses section of this website. See also the course calendar.

Urban Housing and Livelihoods (UHL)

This specialization enables participants to link housing issues with the livelihoods strategies of the urban poor. It analyzes livelihood assets in view of their vulnerability and institutional context, and the review of current trends and paradigms in housing and social policies. It includes in-depth understanding of housing policies targeting the urban poor such as informal settlement upgrading, as well as approaches to implement these policies like participation and empowerment in relation to the livelihood assets and strategies of the urban poor.

Urban Environmental Management and Climate Change (UECC)

This specialization aims at understanding the complex environmental challenges facing cities in both high and low-income countries and what are the strategies, methods and tools that can enhance urban sustainability, reduce urban risks to climate change and drive low carbon urban development. It includes concepts of urban environmental policy making, environmental management systems, environmental economics and governance and (participatory) approaches for local environmental and climate change planning.

 Integrated Planning and Strategies (IPS)

This specialization enables participants to discuss and describe modern urban planning and strategy development concepts. Additionally, participants learn to apply tools related to designing, developing, communicating and implementing visions, strategies and projects that integrate social, environmental, economic, spatial, financial and institutional components of urban  plans. The specialization makes strong use of a case-based approach to ensure maximum learning from both theory and its application in practice. Participants get engaged in group and individual exercises, are requested to write papers and essays, make presentations that are assessed throughout the course. They also prepare their research through a continuous work on research methods and techniques. 

The courses addressed during the core period and blocks and modules from the specialization period are specified within the short courses section of this website. See also the course calendar.

Training  methodology

Throughout the UMD course, participants get engaged in group and individual exercises, are requested to write papers and essays, make presentations that are assessed throughout the course. The training methodology of this programme includes field visits, fieldwork, simulation games, film discussions and case studies. In order to complete their study, participants also prepare their research through a continuous work on research methods and techniques. 

Accreditation

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The Dutch Ministry of Education accredits the course as an academic master programme based on assessment by Quality Assurance of Netherlands Universities (QANU). The stringent quality criteria applied by the Dutch Government are based on European standards for higher education. NVAO, see report.