Introduction
How can tourism and climate adaptation shape our natural surroundings into a flourishing countryside, thriving towns, and booming cities? And how do these landscapes sway our identity and society?
Cultural Geography studies the mutual shaping of human societies and our natural surroundings into cultural landscapes. Within this programme, you can follow a track on sustainable tourism, or specialize in the governance of climate adaptation. Either way leads to a Master of Science degree.
In the general programme, you study the interplay between place and wellbeing in regional development. You follow classes on natural and cultural heritage, culture and identity, and mobility and multiculturalism. After advanced training in data collection and analysis methods, you conduct field research on any one of these topics yourself, learn how to conduct intervention impact assessments, and write your master thesis.
The year 2023 will see the first stocktake of worldwide adaptation efforts under the Paris Agreement. To advance the massive governance efforts required, the Global Commission and its Groningen-based Global Center on Adaptation promote eight action tracks. Through our specialisation, you develop the expertise to tackle these challenges.
Why study this programme in Leeuwarden?
Campus Fryslân is the only faculty in the Netherlands that offers an MSc in Cultural Geography. Our Climate Adaptation Governance specialization provides you with unique and relevant perspectives. Its governance approach enables you to add value to adaptation solutions by contributing much needed political, economic, and financial insight to technical proposals. The embeddedness in cultural geography allows you to take historical, contemporary, and future socio-cultural landscapes into account.
Programme
During our programme, you will follow courses on Place, Regions & Identities; Fieldwork Cultural Geography; Adaptation Governance; Nature, Landscape & Heritage; Culture & Community-Based Adaptation; Qualitative Research Methods; Urban Adaptation & Innovation; and Social Impact Assessment.
Courses
Adaptation Governance (5 EC)
Culture & Community-Based Adaptation (5 EC)
Fieldwork Cultural Geography (5 EC)
Nature, Landscape & Heritage (5 EC)
Place, Regions & Identities (5 EC)
Qualitative Research Methods (5 EC)
Social Impact Assessment (5 EC)
Thesis (20 EC)
Urban Adaptation & Innovation (5 EC)
Study load
The expected study load is 30 to 40 hrs per week, adding up to 1800 hrs in total for 60 ECTS per total of the programme. Most classes are taught in Leeuwarden or online (hybrid education); some classes may take place in Groningen or contain regional excursions.
Programme options
MSc Cultural Geography (track)
Study abroad
Study abroad is unaccommodated
Entry requirements
Admission requirements
Specific requirements
More information
Language test
English on VWO level IELTS overall band 6.5, no less than 6.5 on each section
TOEFL internet-based:
Overall: 90
Reading: 21 (19-23)
Listening: 21 (20-23)
Speaking: 21 (20-22)
Writing: 24 (24-26)
Cambridge English: Cambridge certificate C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency (formerly known as CAE/CPE)
Please note that TOEFL MyBest Scores are not considered in the Admissions procedure An exemption can be given by the Admission Board.
Previous education
The programme is open to students with an academic bachelor degree in geography, or social sciences with some background knowledge in geography, including at least 10 ECTS in statistics and research methods.
After your studies
Job prospects
Field trips, guest lectures, workshops, and serious gaming simulations, which are part of your programme, allow for regular exchanges with local and global faculty partners, such as the Global Center on Adaptation. These connect you with potential employers already during your studies. Next to this curriculum, the University of Groningen offers a wide range of career services to support your job market preparations.
To optimize the connection between our Master's program and the work field, we try to stay in touch with our alumni, for example via the LinkedIn group Cultural Geography.
Job examples
Possible jobsAs a leading Cultural Geographer and sustainable tourism or climate adaptation governance specialist, your expertise enables you to work i.a. as researcher and lecturer in academia; as analyst or trainer within both the public and private sectors; and as strategist, policy-maker, advisor, project officer, or programme coordinator for local, regional, and national governments, intergovernmental bodies, non-governmental organizations at home and abroad, the management of businesses, and other institutions.
Research
The programme is firmly rooted in Campus Fryslân's (CF) chair groups: Global and Local Governance; Governance and Innovation; and Sustainable Entrepreneurship in a Circular Economy, as well as the Frisian Flagships (Governance; Sustainable Economy; Culture, Language, and Technology; and Health & Food). We collaborate closely with the Cyan Centre on Climate Adaptation and the Global Center on Adaptation, whose CEO Prof. Patrick Verkooijen holds a Chair in Climate Adaptation Governance at CF.
Taken together, these vast knowledge resources in cultural geography, sustainable tourism, and climate adaptation governance-related studies allow you to benefit from existing in-house expertise and even get involved with the latest topical research conducted by your lecturers and faculty partners.
