Master in Urban Governance

Is this the programme you're looking for?

Do you wonder what role cities play in discovering answers to major social economic and environmental issues such as sustainability, poverty, inequality, housing and growth in a just way? Then this urban studies master track is the right choice for you.

The study programme in a nutshell

Today, cities are dynamic and fast-growing. They pose challenging governance questions as they are at the heart of cultural, social and political transitions and innovations towards more sustainable and inclusive societies. Professionals who possess the right knowledge and skills to tackle complex urban governance and development issues are therefore urgently needed to develop sustainable and inclusive governance policies. This unique master's in Urban Governance of Inclusive Sustainable Cities is a collaboration between the Department of Public Administration and the Institute of Housing and Urban Development Studies Open External (IHS), combining Public Administration expertise on urban policy, politics and governance with Urban Planning and Management expertise.

What does this study entail?

This social sciences master track is part of the Master of Science in Public Administration of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. A unique asset of this urban studies track is the collaboration between the Department of Public Administration of Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB) and the Institute of Housing and Urban Development Studies Opens External (IHS).

The curriculum is subject to alteration. No rights may be derived from this information.

Block 1

• Urban governance (by IHS)
• Cities: engines of economic growth and innovation (by IHS)
• Policy innovation in complex systems (by ESSB)
• Working groups urban governance lab (collaboration IHS-ESSB)

Block 2

• International Public Management (by ESSB)
• Managing Interactive Governance (by ESSB)
• Place-making in cities (by IHS)
• Working groups urban governance lab (collaboration IHS-ESSB)

Block 3

• Research design (by IHS and ESSB)
• Elective
• Master's thesis (start)
• Working groups urban governance lab (collaboration IHS-ESSB)

Block 4

• Master's thesis (by IHS and ESSB)

Is this the right programme for you?

• Get your MSc from a top 100 university external Benefit from the knowledge of two renowned partners; The Department of Public Administration was #4 in the 2022 Shanghai Academic RankingOpens external of World Universities on Public Administration.
• Learn from both leading scholars in the field and active urban policy advisers.
• Join in our interactive urban governance labs where you will be trained to use your theoretical knowledge to solve real-life examples of urban governance issues.
• Prepare for your career and network during your project work and field visits to local stakeholders such as the Port of Rotterdam, Housing Associations, or the Municipality of Rotterdam.
• Gain knowledge on current trends, topics, innovations, and tools from various disciplines in the field of urban governance (such as the circular economy, place-making, co-production, and self-organization, etc.)
• Apply and develop your knowledge globally by learning from international case studies, staff, and classmates.
• Exchange opportunities at our partner institutions – leading universities across Europe

After completing this specialisation you will be able to analyse urban governance issues and processes. You will be able to design interactive governance strategies to tackle urban issues and to act as a broker and advisor in urban development projects. You are educated to organise and manage the necessary processes to tackle these problems and develop solutions.

Possible positions

Graduates will be suitable candidates for positions as a:

• Member of a project team that works on large urban development projects (such as city centre restructuring, the extension of a city’s port area or the regeneration of deprived neighbourhoods).
• Government official working on policies in relation to sustainability, mobility and planning at the local, regional, national or international level.
• Government or private party official working in public-private partnerships on infrastructure projects or climate adaptation strategies.
• Working for a non-profit organisation, such as a housing corporation, a health care organisation or a big social enterprise working on neighbourhood development.
• Policy consultant or advisor working for a consultancy firm dealing with urban development issues or designing co-production processes between users and providers of urban services.
• Researcher or adviser working for a knowledge institute working on themes like smart mobility

Labour market prospects

Based on a survey among 167 alumni, almost all graduates who have obtained a degree of one of the Dutch Master’s specialisations in Public Administration at Erasmus University Rotterdam found a position immediately after their graduation. About 11 per cent of them gained a permanent position as soon as they commenced their job, whereas 34 per cent of them found a position which had the prospect of a permanent position. Four out of ten students started with a temporary position and 17 per cent as trainees. Approximately 50 per cent of the alumni who participated in this survey work for the central government or for municipalities. An additional 13 per cent work in education and health care, i.e. sectors in the public domain. Two out of ten alumni work in the private sector. The figures for the Master’s programme Urban Governance are expected to be more or less similar to these figures.