Master of Human Settlements (MSc)

Space is an increasingly limited resource. The Master of Human Settlements provides you insights into the challenges and opportunities of worldwide settlements in an era of rapid change. The intensive programme seeks to expose you to the multi-faceted challenge of contemporary human settlements, from multi-disciplinary and multi-scalar perspectives. You will also be encouraged to develop a critical and interpretative approach towards developing your own position within the field.

What's the programme all about? 

The Master of Human Settlements addresses rapid urbanisation in the developing world and contemporary urban transformations.  Architecture, urbanism, landscape architecture and spatial planning are the core disciplines underpinning the programme.

Contributions from economics, geography and anthropology, among others, complement the core, prepare you to better understand the interplay of human and natural ecosystems. The programme thrives from its truly international body of students and the faculty’s long-standing research expertise in worldwide contexts.  

Programme outline

The structure is organised around:

• Compulsory courses
• Optional courses
• Design studios
• Thesis (research- or design-based)

The design studios form a significant component of the programme. They are organised as two full days of work on Mondays and Tuesdays providing an intensive and immersive working environment, such as is the norm in most professional practices. A balance between teamwork and individual contributions is developed and students are subdivided into small, mixed groups from the outset.

Core courses are directly related to studio practice: you select a more research-oriented trajectory, a research thesis can be developed in line with a specific programme profile and supporting courses.

Strengths

• The Postgraduate Centre for Human Settlements (1976-2005) is now absorbed into the International Center for Urbanisms: Settlements & Environments (ICU). ICU has intertwined  educational and research activities which studios draw on to scenario building to realities on the ground. The MaHS programme boasts a broad network of alumni who actively collaborate in design studios and theses.
• The quality and quantity of visiting faculty and international speakers, either as part of lecture series, studio juries and/or showcase events such as Belgian Urbanisms (January) or World Urbanisms (June), provide a state-of-the-arts global knowledge base.
• Fieldwork is a fundamental component of studio work. The first semester studio is based on a Belgian site, while the second semester offers European and non-European sites.

KU Leuven Online Open Day

Discover KU Leuven and its wide range of degree programmes at our Online Open Day! For more information, head to www.kuleuven.be/onlineopendays