Study programme

The Urban Geography specialisation is about relocations between different living environments over time and the consequences of these relocations for cities and neighbourhoods. Furthermore, the specialization focuses on daily life. You learn who participates in which work, shopping and leisure activities. You take a close look at the routes and locations used by inhabitants and visitors. You also take into account the fact that the access to and quality of public spaces containing facilities are not always equally distributed.

You will search for answers to questions such as:

• What does this new influx mean for the image of cities and neighbourhoods? And for the social cohesion between groups?
• What kinds of encounters occur in cities and neighbourhoods that are becoming increasingly diverse?
• What does the unequal distribution of public spaces mean for social diversity, encounters with 'others' and social networks?
• What influence does this inequality have on processes of social inclusion and exclusion, the liveability of neighbourhoods and cities, and the health of city dwellers?
• How can you change mobility and daily activities and experiences with redevelopment and restructuring?

The Economic Geography specialisation is firstly about entrepreneurship - from large multinational corporations to small-scale local business activity and start-ups. Regardless of whether you are examining old or new companies, or small or large ones, the main focus is the spatial conditions for their arrival or creation on the one hand, and the spatial consequences of their business activity on the other.

Furthermore, you study the life cycle of regions. There are many traditionally industrial areas in Europe with a different resilience that attracts or develops new business activity. In parallel to this, other urban regions compete with each other to attract investments and stimulate innovation. We study these developments using the evolutionary economic geography perspective, for which Utrecht is well known across the world.

You will reflect on questions and search for answers to questions such as:

• How do companies, internationalisation and regional development affect each other?
• What does entrepreneurship mean for neighbourhoods?
• How can we explain the regional variation of starting and young companies and their chances of survival?
• Who profits in the innovation competition - the large regions, through scale or agglomeration benefits, or rather the small regions, by being embedded in urban networks?

Your choice of graduation subject and the accompanying research internship provide the best way for you to present yourself to future employers. The programme has made arrangements with a number of companies, research agencies and government organisations regarding internships and interesting research projects. If possible, you will conduct research in an agency or company (research internship). However, an internship is not mandatory and if you choose to do an internship, as part of your graduation subject, you need to arrange for this internship yourself. You will have plenty of time to do a research internship in periods 3 and 4. You will start your research in period 2; progress will be discussed in a series of seminars continuing into period 3. You can also conduct research abroad.

You will learn to master the accompanying research methods and techniques in period 1 and during your research in periods 3 and 4, by means of specialization modules in Methods and Techniques that tie in with your research. In order to prepare properly for the job market, you can take several masterclasses Professional Competences during the year of your Master's programme, which you may choose from subjects such as professional writing skills, governance and policy advice in a multi-actor society, and entrepreneurship.