Master’s in Urban Environmental Management

The Master's in Urban Environmental Management is a two-year programme that runs annually beginning from September. It comprises 120 ECTS credits. The first year consists of coursework (60 ECTS), the second year consists of the academic internship (24 ECTS) and your thesis (36 ECTS) as the core components of the master’s degree curriculum. Each of these elements is described in more detail below. For more detailed information on the overview of the programme, check the Study Handbook.

The first year consists of coursework (60 ECTS) which entails several compulsory subjects or restricted optional subjects of the common part that are mandatory for your programme, and thesis track. In addition, you will attend free choice subjects (electives) from any relevant MSc course offered at Wageningen University or another academic institution (subject to approval). 

Within the MSc programme Urban Environmental Management, you can choose from 8 thesis tracks. See Study Handbook.

The second year includes an academic internship (24 ECTS) and a thesis (36 ECTS), both central to the master’s curriculum.  

Internship  

The compulsory internship consists of 24 ECTS credits of project work in an institution outside of Wageningen University. The purpose of the internship is to provide students with a unique learning opportunity to apply learned skills and concepts to a professional setting. The experience gained from the internship also serves to help students focusing on their area of interest, as well as building confidence and maturity in their field.   

Internship position  

Whilst securing an internship is primarily a responsibility of the student, the internship coordinator will provide substantial assistance in finding a suitable position, ensuring that the work experience is relevant to the student's study programme. The student  can choose an academic position within an NGO, government, waterboard, consultancy, research institute, technology developing companies, etc.  

Thesis  

The thesis involves 24 weeks of individual research under the supervision of a staff member from a relevant chair group. Research topics are chosen in consultation with the supervisor and must connect to Environmental Sciences, often arising from chair group proposals, partner institutes, or student interests. Experimental theses needing special equipment are usually tied to ongoing Wageningen UR research. The thesis is evaluated by the supervisor and an independent staff member, and students present their findings at a seminar ("colloquium").   

Within this master's programme, you can choose one of the thesis tracks below. Each of them trains you to become an expert in that field. The major parts of your thesis track are the (thesis-preparing) courses and a thesis and internship.

Choose your thesis track and design your individual programme

Below you find a short description of the thesis tracks. You will prepare to do your thesis at the related chair group. If you would like to know which chair groups are available per thesis track, contact the programme study adviser. For more in-depth information on the programme structure and to find a list with all the thesis track-related subjects, visit the MSc Urban Environmental Management Study Handbook page.

• Urban Environmental Economics
  Urban Environmental Economics analyses the relationship between human activities, economic development and environmental problems. In this track you will focus on the economic analysis of national and international environmental and natural resources problems such as global warming, loss of biodiversity, pollution, exhaustion of natural resources, deforestation, water scarcity and many others. The aim is to improve understanding of the link between economic development and environmental problems and identify possible solutions and policy recommendations.
• Environmental Policy
  In this thesis track, offered by the Environmental Policy Group (ENP), you contribute to sustainable development by developing the theoretical and empirical tools to analyse, evaluate and (help) design democratic processes of environmental reform from the local up to the global level.
• Environmental Systems Analysis
  The main characteristic of Environmental Systems Analysis (ESA) is its integrated approach. Knowledge from natural and social sciences as well as technology are combined and the experiences and views of different stakeholders are taken into account. Such an integrated approach is necessary to solve complex environmental problems and to make an important contribution to urban environmental management.
• Geo-information Science
  Management of the urban environment increasingly requires reliable spatial information, e.g. on land use, infrastructure, population density or environmental qualities. Especially with the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) spatial information can be stored, retrieved, combined, analysed and displayed (mapped) in a flexible way.
• Land Use Planning
  The Land Use Planning group (LUP) is studying the process and substance of land use planning. Land use planning is a discipline on the nexus of practice and science. Land Use Planning in practice relates to a wide variety of activities such as analysing the spatial organisation, organising planning processes and designing plans and visions for future situations. Land Use Planning as a scientific discipline reflects on these practices and develops new insights and knowledge about (spatial) concepts, strategies, and instruments.
• Business Management and Organisation
  Besides the environmental standards on emissions to air, water and soil, regional authorities, municipalities, and other private group expand their company-oriented demands to the continuous improvement of environmental performance and to sustainability. Whatever type of demand is posed on a company, a company has to respond, in one way or the other, to such a demand. Within this thesis track, you will use the managerial approach to analyse these kinds of situations.
• Urban Systems Engineering
  A thesis track in the discipline Urban Systems Engineering enables students to carry out research on technological aspects related to the management of energy, water and materials in urban settings by either focusing on individual components or taking an integrated approach.
• Water Systems and Global Change
  The Water Systems and Global Change Group is a solution-oriented multidisciplinary research group focusing on water systems and global change. We aim to create new knowledge to contribute to sustainable water systems in a changing global environment.

• Lectures – theoretical frameworks for climate processes and models.
• Practicals (field and computer): collecting and interpreting data and field measurements.
• Group projects – interdisciplinary collaborations on real climate cases with students from other studies.
• Fieldwork – Doing practical research in the field.
• Internship or thesis research – applied research in an institution outside the university. 

At WUR, we see you as more than just a student number. That’s why we offer more access to lecturers, study advisors, and student counsellors than most universities in the Netherlands. This level of support reduces the risk of dropping out while adding a personal touch that enriches your academic journey—reflecting our sincere commitment to your success. 

Compare the programme in Wageningen

• The Master's Environmental Sciences also offers different perspectives in addressing environmental problems, thereby making it similar to the Master's Urban Environmental Management. The Environmental Sciences study programme, however, does not specialise in addressing urbanisation-specific problems.
• The Master's Tourism, Society and Environment  focuses on sustainable, environmentally friendly solutions. The study programme mainly focuses on people moving to new destinations for short periods of time compared with the permanent inhabitants and consumers of a city.
• The Master's International Development Studies, like Urban Environmental Management, focuses on cities in developing countries but it does not specialise in urban situations. On top of that, this study programme is a social sciences analytical study whereas Urban Environmental Management is more solution oriented.
• The Master's Landscape Architecture and Planning focuses on spatial planning in both urban as well as agrarian areas. This study programme is primarily focused on the Netherlands and Western Europe compared with the Master's Urban Environmental Management that also offers many themes in developing countries. While spatial planning is also important in Urban Environmental Management, it is usually in combination with technology- or management-driven solutions.

Check for more information Studiekeuze123.nl.

Graduates from the MSc Urban Environmental Management (MUE) programme are well-equipped with the skills and knowledge to continue academic training (PhD) or continue their career outside the University.

• City management
• Environmental research
• Urban planning and environmental consulting
• Water, waste management and transport
• Construction and building stock management

Purpose and reason for the admission requirements

The admission requirements for the master programme Urban Environmental Management are defined in such a way that the students should be able to successfully complete at least one of the tracks of the programme nominally in two years. In order to comply, the student must have sufficient knowledge on social and/or natural sciences and should be able to apply this knowledge to urban environmental issues. Additionally, basic knowledge of statistics is required and students should be able to perform calculations. These admission criteria ensure that the student has a solid basis to follow the advanced studies in the master programme.

The criterion used for admission is

a WUR BSc degree in Environmental Sciences, or equivalent.

The norm for this equivalence is

an assessment of the students' expertise in at least one of the following areas:

• Environmental sciences or studies (for example environmental quality, natural resource management, human-environment interactions, environmental policy or economics)
• Environmental engineering (for example technological design or concepts, systems engineering)
• Urban planning or Geography
• Social sciences (for example economics, sociology, governance, management studies)
• Applied data sciences or Geo-information science

And in both the following topics:

• Mathematics (calculus)
• Basics in statistics

Not all topics mentioned need to be mastered at the same level; they will be weighed by the Admission Board per individual application.

Method of assessment whether this norm is met

• Transcript of records displaying the content of previous course subjects and project work;
• Curriculum vitae displaying relevant work, internship and/or project experience on an academic level in a relevant field if applicable.

Scores attributed by the Admission Board

Admitted / not admitted / admitted under condition obtaining the BSc or MSc degree / not admitted with offer of pre-master.

You can apply for this Master's here.

Compensation of knowledge gaps

The Admission Board may allow and/or suggest compensation of knowledge gaps by:

• a GPA≥7.0* for the previous education for small discrepancies as new knowledge is sufficiently easily acquired;
• a GPA≥7.0* and an individual pre-master's programme for larger discrepancies that can be compensated in ≤30 ECTS and one year of study. Discuss this before application with one of our study advisers.

*Check the Application & Admission page for the International credentials evaluation guide for international equivalencies to a Dutch GPA>7.0. This guide includes compensating factors for a slightly lower GPA the Admission Board may include in their judgement.

Contact us through the contact button above to discuss the possibilities of a pre-master or how to mitigate knowledge gaps if you are still in the process of obtaining your degree.

Find out more about pre-master's programmes. Students who cannot be directly admitted to a Wageningen University master's study programme because of deficiencies in their previously completed bachelor education may eliminate these deficiencies by following a pre-master's programme. A Wageningen University pre-master's programme consists of a maximum of 30 credits and is determined individually. It has to be obtained within one academic year. 

All information about the costs of this programme can be found on this page.

Wageningen offers a diverse, enjoyable, and amiable student community. Despite being a small town, you get to know people from all over the world because of Wageningen University & Research's global atmosphere. Everything in town is relatively accessible by bicycle, and the campus is contemporary and green. Whether it's a sporting event, a party, or a laid-back evening with friends at one of the student associations, there's always something going on. Additionally, there are parks, forests, and a river nearby, so if you enjoy the outdoors, you're in the right area. It's a fantastic combination of learning, socialising, and taking in the scenery. 

All information about student life in Wageningen can be found on this page.