Curriculum

The Master’s in Spatial Systems & Society is not quite like any other master’s programme. Instead of serving up a curriculum that consists of several (elective) courses, this Master’s is based on the premise of challenge-based learning. Within various case studies, in your final research project, in fact, during your whole Master’s, you will choose what knowledge and skills you need to gain to come up with sustainable interventions for certain challenges. This self-directed learning approach will help you to develop your own learning path and prepare you for the many challenges that will come your way, during and after your studies.

Master's structure

The Master’s in Spatial Systems & Society consists of two years, in which you will collect a total of 120 EC. The first year consists of two case study projects, elective courses, a mandatory foundational knowledge subject, an international module, and thesis proposal writing. The second year allows for a more personally oriented curriculum and consists of a Master’s research project, an internship project, and electives.

Year 1

During the first and third quartiles of your Master’s, you will work on two case study projects, addressing real-life challenges such as urban flood problems, food and water insecurity, human-induced earth movement, or other crises related to nutrition and energy. Together with your team, you will develop your own approach to the problem and propose a sustainable intervention. In the second quartile, you will acquire essential core knowledge in data mastery. You will also gain knowledge not covered in your prior education through a select set of electives.

Year 2

The second year allows students to further pursue a personally oriented, more flexible curriculum. The main part is the individual MSc research project, on a topic of your choice. At ITC, the MSc research topics are integrated with the main research themes at ITC, which are the responsibility of the professors and associate professors. Each research theme has multiple sub-themes that are very well suited for Spatial Systems & Society: urban development, climate change, disasters, resource extraction, agriculture etc.

Case study projects

Human-induced Earth movements

The impact of human activities on our environment increases dramatically. Think, for example, of the gas exploitation in the northeast of the Netherlands, which results in induced subsidence and earthquakes. In this case study project, you will explore the complexity of conflicting interests in problems caused by human-induced earth movements.

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Food and water security

Global food and water insecurity is a growing problem, which is influenced by various factors, including population growth, natural hazards, conflicts, and uneven distribution of resources over people. You will explore this issue in detail in the case study Food and Water Security, aimed to improve sustainable access to sufficient food and water for specific stakeholders.

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Climate resilient cities

Cities worldwide face challenges from excess water and flooding, especially in low-lying deltas and fast-growing areas in the global South. Urban drainage systems struggle with increased rain due to climate change. How can we make cities more resilient to floods, ensuring a secure environment for stakeholders? This is the focus of the Climate Resilient Cities case study.

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