Study guide

Master’s programme

Spatial Planning
2024-2025
Addresses
The visiting address of the faculty is:
Faculty of Geosciences
Princetonlaan 8a
3584 CB Utrecht
Tel. +31 30 253 7210, Internet: www.uu.nl/geo

The postal address of the faculty is:

Faculty of Geosciences
P.O. Box 80.115
3508 TC Utrecht
The Netherlands

The desk of Student Affairs Geosciences:

Victor J. Koningsbergergebouw, first floor
For more information and opening hours
Tel. +31 30 253 9559
Email: studentaffairs.geo@uu.nl

Secretariat Human Geography and Spatial Planning

Vening Meineszgebouw A, floor 6, room 6.96
Tel. +31 30 253 1399

V.U.G.S., study association for human geography and spatial planning

Buys Ballotgebouw, rooms 266 & 267
Princetonplein 5
3584 CC Utrecht
Tel. +31 30 253 2789
Email: vugs@uu.nl, Internet: http://vugs.uu.nl

European Geography Association (EGEA), for students and young geographers

Buys Ballotgebouw, room 274
Princetonplein 5
3584 CC Utrecht
Tel. +31 30 253 9708
Email: utrecht@egea.eu, Internet: https://egea.eu

The Examinations Board can be contacted through examencommissie.geo@uu.nl.

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Faculty of Geosciences – Department Human Geography and Spatial Planning
Preface
For most students the Master’s is the final stage of a long educational career. It will be also the shortest
one, lasting only one or two years. It is the last step on your way to a professional career. This
consideration dictates the character of the Master’s programme. The program starts with a
consolidation and update of the students’ knowledge already acquired from earlier specializations, but
most time is dedicated to the application of academic research in the professional field, sometimes in
combination with an internship.

The Master’s programmes of the Department Human Geography and Planning are coordinated by the
Academic School Human Geography and Planning.

In this guide you will find specific information about your Master’s programme. Information about
services, the faculty, the education and examination regulation and the schedule of all the courses in
the different Master’s programmes can be found in the latter part of the guide.

We hope you will experience an inspiring and successful academic year!

Dr. Patrick Witte

Chair Academic School Human Geography and Planning

Dr. Martijn van den Hurk

Coordinator Master’s programme Spatial Planning

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Faculty of Geosciences – Department Human Geography and Spatial Planning
Teaching approach
The Academic School aims to provide activating forms of education. We believe that you can best
activate your learning process by carrying out individual and group assignments and exercises,
participating in debates, and applying the methodology taught. As much as possible, work is done in
small groups. Additionally, there is active support from and through lecturers, instructions, manuals
and feedback about your performance. Feel free to ask questions and engage in discussions with your
peers and lecturers.

Active participation
The Academic School is committed to realizing the maximum acquisition of knowledge in cooperation
with our students. All lecturers and support staff share a philosophy that if students are fully
committed to their studies, individual courses can be completed. The ground rules for active
participation are as follows:
- We expect you to be present during all classes and activities. Attendance is registered for
compulsory classes and activities. The course manual spells out which classes and activities are
compulsory. Be sure to inform yourself about this.
- If your attendance in compulsory sessions falls below 75 percent, you lose the right to complete
the respective course, regardless of the reasons for your absence.
- Be sure to catch up individually if you have had to miss a class. Ask fellow students what was
discussed in class and what is expected of you regarding preparation for the next class.
- Absence during assessments is a serious matter. There is no automatic right to do a replacement
test. A replacement test may be taken only if you have had to miss the test because of
circumstances demonstrably beyond your control and if you have informed the lecturer
immediately of your situation.
- Assignments must be submitted by the due date. If not, this will result in a fail (or a deduction of
grade points).

Lectures
During lectures we ask you to take the following into account:
- A lecture usually comprises two sessions of 45 minutes with a 15-minute break in between.
- Be on time, and if not, be very silent when entering the room – through the back door if possible.
- Listen carefully, do not disturb the lecture, and take notes. It could be part of a test.
- Switch off your phone.
- Eating is not permitted.
- Attending the first lecture of a course is always compulsory.

Your opinion counts

The department is very interested in students’ opinions about the programmes. We value the
participation of students in the Faculty Board, the Education Committee, and the study association.
For every course we ask participating students how they evaluate the course, giving you an
opportunity to give your opinion in order to improve the quality of the programme.

Complaints
If you feel you have not been treated properly by someone employed by Utrecht University, or if you
disagree with a decision that affects you personally, you can respond in several ways. Please consult
this overview to help you decide which response is most appropriate in your case.

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Course registration explained
Academic periods
The academic year has four periods of nine to ten weeks.

Period Dates Remarks

1 2 September 2024 – 10 November 2024
2 11 November 2024 – 2 February 2025 No classes in week 52 & week 1
3 3 February 2025 – 21 April 2025
4 22 April 2025 – 14 July 2025

Scheduling of courses
When choosing your courses in period 2, you should keep in mind that at Utrecht University each
course is placed in a time slot. Lectures and seminars are scheduled within that slot. This enables you
to easily combine courses (up to 15 EC), provided that they are in different timeslots. The time slots
are:
A: Monday morning, Wednesday morning
B: Tuesday morning, Thursday afternoon
C: Monday afternoon, Thursday morning
D: Wednesday afternoon, Friday whole day
On Tuesday afternoon there are no scheduled lectures, but it can be used for individual discussions
(with a lecturer).

Course registration procedure

- You must register for every course via OSIRIS Student during the stipulated registration period
(see below). The first period is an exception: students are automatically registered for the courses
in this period.
- You can register for a maximum of 15 EC (= fulltime workload) per period. In exceptional cases,
it is allowed to take more than 15 EC. If you wish to do so, you must apply with a digital form (to
be found on the student website) during the standard registration period.
- Timely registration will ensure placement in compulsory courses.
- You have a second chance to register for courses during the late registration days, however this
only holds for courses where places are still available.
- Registration for an elective course does not guarantee placement. In case of over-registration,
participants are selected at random or based on suitability. Depending on the nature of the course,
either of these methods will be used to determine placement.
- If need be, you can formally drop a course up to two weeks after the courses started. This should
be done through OSIRIS student (but please also inform your lecturer). If you quit a course at a
later stage, a fail will be registered for this course.
- Please note that lecturers have no say in registration/deregistration. Should you have any
questions, Student Affairs Geosciences is your first point of contact.
- A one-time registration is required for the Thesis and/or internship. This may be done throughout
the year.

For period Registration dates Late registration days

1 3 May – 21 June 2024 19 and 20 August 2024
2 16 September – 27 September 2024 21 and 22 October 2024
3 4 November – 22 November 2024 20 and 21 January 2025
4 27 January – 7 February 2025 31 March and 1 April 2025

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Faculty of Geosciences – Department Human Geography and Spatial Planning
Completion of courses
In every course there will be multiple assessments, so your final grade will not depend on a written
exam only.

Should you fail a course, be aware that at the Faculty of Geosciences certain conditions apply for
supplementary tests.
- If the overall course result is between 4.00 and 5.49 before rounding and the student has made
every effort to complete the course, the student will be given one opportunity to take a
supplementary test. The lecturer will determine the form, content, and date and time of the
supplementary test. In case of a successful outcome, the result of the course will be a 6.00,
regardless of the grade obtained for the supplementary test.
- An average of less than 4.00 before rounding results in failure to complete the course without
possibilities to repair the result. The entire course must be followed again.
The formal rules for successful completion of courses are found in the Education and Examination
Regulations (O.E.R.).

‘Every effort to successfully complete the course’ means no absence for compulsory lectures and
activities, including tests, and assignments must have been handed in on time.

During a test, you must be able to show your (digital) student card.

Typically, supplementary tests are scheduled in the third week of the next period.

For period Supplementary tests

1 Week 48
2 Week 8
3 Week 19
4 Week 28

Fraud and plagiarism

Fraud and plagiarism will be strongly punished. Details are stipulated in the Education and Examination
Regulations (O.E.R.). It is intolerable to submit work that has been done by someone else, to copy
from sources without due acknowledgement, use software such as generative artificial intelligence to
generate (part of) an assignment and submit this as their own work and so on. A lecturer must report
instances of fraud and plagiarism to the Examinations Board which can impose severe penalties.

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Faculty of Geosciences – Department Human Geography and Spatial Planning
Academic calendar

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Faculty of Geosciences – Department Human Geography and Spatial Planning
Master’s programme Spatial Planning: a brief overview
Coordinator: Dr. Martijn van den Hurk
Student website: https://students.uu.nl/en/geo/spatial-planning

Content
At Utrecht University, Spatial Planning is understood as any legitimate intervention in the future
allocation and distribution of land and other spatial resources in and for cities. Therefore, the Master’s
programme in Spatial Planning trains you to balance conflicting interests and claims on urban land.
Furthermore, we focus on preparing public policy for sustainable cities, managing governance
processes in the urban environment, and developing concepts for a sustainable use of resources.

The Spatial Planning Master’s programme prepares students to approach issues such as: facilitating
sustainable urban (re)development, finding answers to changing socio-spatial demands (such as
demographic or climate change), dealing with complexities of metropolitan areas and real estate
development in difficult economic times, or governance of environmental changes in an uncertain
climate. Students will be trained in:
 analyzing spatial problems with dedicated spatial research methods;
 applying innovative knowledge and theories to come up with appropriate solutions;
 evaluating and prioritizing alternative spatial development options;
 conceptualizing the governance and management of cities; understanding and applying
normative and analytical insights from different planning theoretical debates;
 engaging in real world planning situations and advice on transforming cities for tomorrow.

Although the Master’s in Spatial Planning is an academic master, it aims to bridge practice and science.
So, we incorporate examples from the field in our teaching and encourage students to write an
internship-driven master’s thesis. The Master’s in Spatial Planning offers an interdisciplinary and
integrated approach to planning. There is no specialization in any sectoral aspect of spatial planning,
but instead a broad and interdisciplinary curriculum that embraces an integrated perspective to
planning.

Further down below, the intended learning outcomes are listed in detail.

The labour market

The Master’s prepares for a job as an independent and internationally recognized spatial planner in
policy, project and process management, or research – in the Netherlands or abroad from the local
up to the European levels. With a broad perspective and a keen eye for various cultural and
institutional contexts, planners are widely employed in a range of organizations such as municipal,
provincial or national governments, research and consultancy firms, profit and non-profit institutes,
social and civil organizations, real estate developers and investors, engineering and building firms,
and universities.

Structure of the Master’s programme Spatial Planning

First semester
The first semester includes four compulsory courses and one elective across two periods. In period 1
we provide a course on planning theory. This theoretical course looks beyond traditional planning
theory, incorporating an interdisciplinary and integrated approach to planning. In parallel, you take
Planning for Sustainable Cities, which is about different aspects of sustainability as a key principle of
spatial planning practice. In interactive classrooms, guest speakers discuss the issues from different
angles. In period 2, students further develop skills in quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Next to this, you choose one elective course offered by the department Human Geography and Spatial
Planning. Finally, the Graduate Planning Studio, which covers periods 1 and 2, provides a creative and
critical setting in which students are encouraged to rethink contemporary challenges and their relation
to spatial planning through a research project.

Second semester
The second semester covers periods 3 and 4 and opens with an international fieldtrip and the course
Urban Governance, which deals with governance and policy research and provides opportunities to
apply your knowledge in practical exercises in cooperation with external partners. The remainder of
the semester is dedicated to the individual research projects of students, ultimately leading to the

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Faculty of Geosciences – Department Human Geography and Spatial Planning
master’s thesis. You are supervised individually by experienced and specialized research staff. We
support you to explore your area of interest within spatial planning and encourage you to propose a
thesis subject yourself. The subject should always relate directly to a societal problem in the field of
spatial planning and be an academic endeavour. Parallel to the master’s thesis research, students are
encouraged and supported in doing a research internship in planning practice (e.g. at a municipality,
a consultancy, a ministry, an NGO). Although an internship is not mandatory, students are
recommended to link and combine the master’s thesis with an internship – it will provide substantial
insights in planning practice and help with establishing connections for empirical research, and it
serves as a step towards the labour market. When looking for an internship, the supervisors and
master’s programme coordinator will provide advice and assistance where possible and appropriate.

Courses within the programme

Spatial Planning

Period 1 GEO4-3124 Planning for GEO4-3123 Beyond

(Sept–Nov) Sustainable Cities (6 EC) Planning Theory (6 EC) GEO4-3127 Graduate
Planning Studio (8 EC)

GEO4-3120 Advanced Research Methodology (5 EC)

You can choose one elective course (5 EC):

 GEO4-3924 Cultures of Sustainability in Global Perspective
Period 2  GEO4-3519 Migration, Mobilities & Sustainable Futures
(Nov–Jan)  GEO4-3907 Mobilities, Travel & Networks
 GEO4-3316 Neighbourhoods and Crime
 GEO4-3917 Real Estate
 GEO4-5501 Techniques of Futuring: A Mixed Classroom with Policymakers
 GEO4-3121 Urban Infrastructures

GEO4-3119 Urban Governance (5 EC, week 1-9)

Period 3
(Feb–April) GEO4-3128 International Fieldtrip (2.5 EC, week 1-3)

GEO4-3125 Master’s Thesis / Internship Spatial Planning (22.5 EC) (no timeslot)
Period 4
(May–July) GEO4-3126 Planning Professionalization (0 EC pass/fail module)

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Faculty of Geosciences – Department Human Geography and Spatial Planning
Intended learning outcomes of the master’s programme
A1. Students can understand the governance and management of cities
Students will learn how planning and governance processes in the urban context work. Therefore,
different theoretical perspectives on governance in spatial planning are discussed and the role of
governance is analyzed in case studies of (inter-)national complex spatial projects. Students learn
to:
a. critically reflect upon current dilemmas and conflicts in scientific and societal debates related
to the diverse and complex nature of governance in spatial planning;
b. enhance skills to collectively design and communicate spatial projects and process
management strategies for addressing complex challenges in planning practice.
A2. Students can analyze spatial problems with scientific methods
Students are assisted in developing an advanced academic attitude, knowledge and skills by
offering an interactive learning environment inspired by their field of specialization and research
activities of lecturers. This entails providing students with:
a. a critical academic attitude towards knowledge and debates and an awareness of the role and
use of planning knowledge in society;
b. knowledge and understanding of state-of-the-art academic research in spatial planning as well
as its applications in society;
c. research skills (advanced methods and techniques) for carrying out research in spatial
planning.
A3. Students can apply existing knowledge and theories to understand planning problems and
propose adapted interventions
Students learn how to use planning theory effectively to analyze, develop and support spatial
planning in practice and research. Students learn to:
a. raise and discuss relevant questions in planning (such as the use of knowledge, market
mechanisms, ethics) and explore the answers to these questions;
b. conduct literature-based and empirical research in the field of spatial planning;
c. discuss academic arguments and theories to systematically and self-reliantly inquire a certain
planning topic;
d. evaluate existing approaches and develop new or adapted interventions.
A4. Students can critically reflect on spatial planning in the light of sustainable development
Students discuss the sustainable development of cities and regions and develop skills to assess
critically the sustainability of spatial development practices. Students learn to:
a. enhance skills to design and communicate sustainable development and strategies to govern
towards sustainable planned cities;
b. critically reflect upon literature on sustainable planning practices, both orally and in written
text.
A5. Students can integrate the academic knowledge and skills acquired to research specific spatial
planning problems in an independent and self-responsible way

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Faculty of Geosciences – Department Human Geography and Spatial Planning
Important contacts for students
Coordinator Master’s programme Spatial Planning
Find a lecturer
Student Affairs Faculty of Geosciences
Secretariat department Human Geography and Spatial Planning
Study advisor Human Geography and Spatial Planning
Board of Examiners
International Office Faculty of Geosciences

Important information for students

Attendance and effort requirements
Blackboard
Books, readers and printing
Buildings
Career Services UU
Complaints, objections and appeals
Department Human Geography and Spatial Planning
Disability or chronic illness
Education and examination regulation (OER)
Education committee
Faculty of Geosciences
Fraud and plagiarism
Graduation
Honours
Illness and absence
Internship
IT-facilities
KNAG
Library
Map collection
Nethur
Osiris Student
Registration for a course
Re-enrolment
Schedules
Student Service Centre (UU for U)
Study regulations
Student Statute

Study associations
V.U.G.S.
EGEA
Helix
U.A.V.

Career Services
During your Master’s programme you can find out what kind of job you would like after graduation.
You will acquire geographical knowledge and competences, and train the skills needed for your first
job. While following courses, you are encouraged to try to find out which topics you like, which skills
you are good at, and where your interests and ambitions are. Throughout the academic year you will
be able to explore the job market by attending guest lectures, meeting alumni, studying abroad or
doing an internship.

Career Services will help you as well towards your step to the job market: you can do online tests to
find out what is important for you, follow workshops, meet a career officer and practice job-interviews.
The annual career event of Utrecht University will be held in February. Check the website of your
Master’s programme or www.uu.nl/careerservices.

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Faculty of Geosciences – Department Human Geography and Spatial Planning
 Education and Examination Regulations
for the Master’s degree programmes in

 Earth Sciences
 Energy Science
 Environmental Sciences
 Human Geography and Planning
 Science and Innovation
 Development Studies
 Spatial Planning
 Human Geography

2024-2025

Graduate School of Geosciences

Utrecht University

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Faculty of Geosciences – Department Human Geography and Spatial Planning
SECTION 1 – GENERAL PROVISIONS ..................................................................................................... 14
art. 1.1 – applicability of the Regulations ............................................................................................ 14
art. 1.2 – definition of terms.............................................................................................................. 14
SECTION 2 – ADMISSION ..................................................................................................................... 15
art. 2.1 – admission requirements of the degree programmes ............................................................... 15
art. 2.2 – English language (for Master’s Degree Programmes taught in English)...................................... 15
art. 2.3 – admissions procedures ....................................................................................................... 15
art. 2.4 – conditional admission decision: pre-Master ........................................................................... 15
SECTION 3 – CONTENTS AND STRUCTURE OF THE DEGREE PROGRAMMES ................................................ 16
art. 3.1 – aim of the degree programmes ............................................................................................ 16
art. 3.2 – mode of attendance ........................................................................................................... 16
art. 3.3 – language of instruction ....................................................................................................... 16
art. 3.4 – study load ......................................................................................................................... 16
art. 3.5 – programmes; start dates .................................................................................................... 16
art. 3.6 – components of the Master’s programmes .............................................................................. 17
art. 3.7 – courses taken at another Dutch research university ............................................................... 17
art. 3.8 – courses taken at a foreign research university ....................................................................... 17
art. 3.9 – area with negative travel advice .......................................................................................... 17
art. 3.10 – components taken elsewhere ............................................................................................. 18
art. 3.11 – actual teaching structure ................................................................................................... 18
SECTION 4 – COURSES ........................................................................................................................ 18
art. 4.1 – course .............................................................................................................................. 18
art. 4.2 – course admission requirements............................................................................................ 18
art. 4.3 – registration for courses ....................................................................................................... 18
art. 4.4 – attendance and effort requirements ..................................................................................... 18
art. 4.5 – participate in courses; order of priority ................................................................................. 19
art. 4.6 – complete courses for international students before winter break .............................................. 19
art. 4.7 – evaluation of the quality of education ................................................................................... 19
SECTION 5 – TESTING ......................................................................................................................... 19
art. 5.1 – general ............................................................................................................................. 19
art. 5.2 – Board of Examiners ............................................................................................................ 19
art. 5.3 – assessment of traineeship or research assignment and thesis .................................................. 20
art. 5.4 – grades .............................................................................................................................. 20
art. 5.5– repeat exams: supplementary tests ...................................................................................... 20
art. 5.6– force majeure: replacement tests ......................................................................................... 21
art. 5.7 – type of test ....................................................................................................................... 21
art. 5.8 – oral tests .......................................................................................................................... 21
art. 5.9 – provision for testing in special cases ..................................................................................... 21
art. 5.10 – time limit for grading tests ................................................................................................ 21
art. 5.11 – period of validity .............................................................................................................. 21
art. 5.12 – right of inspection ............................................................................................................ 21
art. 5.13 – retention of tests ............................................................................................................. 21
art. 5.14 – exemption ....................................................................................................................... 22
art. 5.15 – fraud and plagiarism ......................................................................................................... 22
art. 5.16 – control of plagiarism ......................................................................................................... 23
art. 5.17 – right of appeal ................................................................................................................. 23
SECTION 6 – EXAMINATION.................................................................................................................. 23
art. 6.1 – examination ...................................................................................................................... 23
art. 6.2 – cum laude classification ...................................................................................................... 24
art. 6.3 – degree .............................................................................................................................. 24
art. 6.4 – degree certificate and International Diploma Supplement (IDS) ............................................... 24
art. 6.5 – grading tables ................................................................................................................... 24
SECTION 7 – STUDENT COUNSELLING ................................................................................................... 24
art. 7.1 – student information system ................................................................................................. 24
art. 7.2 – academic advice and support............................................................................................... 24
art. 7.3 – disability and chronic illness ................................................................................................ 25
SECTION 8 – TRANSITIONAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS ............................................................................. 25
art. 8.1 – safety net arrangements ..................................................................................................... 25
art. 8.2 – hardship clause ................................................................................................................. 25
art. 8.3 – amendments ..................................................................................................................... 25
art. 8.4 – publication ........................................................................................................................ 25
art. 8.5– effective date ..................................................................................................................... 25
Annex 1: Language policy ................................................................................................................. 26

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Faculty of Geosciences – Department Human Geography and Spatial Planning
The Education and Examination Regulations set out the degree programme-specific rights and obligations of
students on the one hand and of Utrecht University on the other hand. The University’s student charter contains
the rights and obligations that apply to all students.

These Regulations were adopted by the Dean of the Graduate School of the Faculty of Geosciences with the
approval of the Faculty Council and the Education Committee on 25 June 2024.

This is a translated version of the officially valid Education and Examination Regulations in Dutch (Onderwijs- en
Examenregeling).

SECTION 1 – GENERAL PROVISIONS

art. 1.1 – applicability of the Regulations
These Regulations apply to the teaching and examinations of the Master’s degree programmes in Development
Studies, Earth Sciences, Energy Science, Environmental Sciences, Human Geography, Human Geography and
Planning (research programme), Spatial Planning and Science and Innovation (hereinafter called the degree
programmes) and to all students registered for these degree programmes and to all students who apply for
admission to these degree programmes in the academic year 2024-2025.
The degree programmes and individual Master’s programmes are run by the Graduate School of Geosciences
within the Faculty of Geosciences.

art. 1.2 – definition of terms

In these Regulations, the terms below have the following meanings:
a. academic vacation periods: periods without any teaching obligations for teaching staff and learning
obligations for students, as laid down in the academic calendar for the degree programmes.
b. academic calendar: the division of the academic year periodically determined by the Executive Board
c. the Act: the Dutch Higher Education and Research Act 1992 (Wet op het Hoger onderwijs en
wetenschappelijk onderzoek 1992, WHW).
d. Board of Studies: the Board of the Graduate School of Geosciences.
e. component: a unit of study (course) within the degree programme, as included in the prospectus and the
University Course Catalogue.
f. course: the whole of the education and testing of a component.
g. course guide: document specifying for each course the aim and content of the course, the exit qualifications,
effort requirements (such as the attendance and test requirements) that a student must meet to achieve the
exit qualifications and to qualify for a final grade, required literature, the way in which the final grade is
calculated, the timetable and the instructional formats, name and availability of the course coordinator.
h. course period: part of the academic year, the start dates of which are laid down in the academic calendar
and the number of weeks in the calendar of the degree programme.
i. credit: a value expressed in EC, where the study load is expressed as one credit being equivalent to 28
hours of learning. The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) ensures that credits are comparable within
Europe.
j. degree programmes: the Master’s degree programmes referred to in Art. 1.1 of these Regulations, consist of
a coherent whole comprised of units of study. A Master’s degree programme may include several Master’s
programmes.
k. Education provision: the provision granted by the Director of Education to a student with a disability or
chronic illness, which outlines the necessary and reasonable facilities to which the student is entitled;
l. effort requirements: phrase used for all the requirements that the student must meet during a course in
order to be eligible for a final grade. These effort requirements are described in the University Course
Catalogue and laid down in the course guide (see above).
m. examination: the final examination of the degree programme that is passed if all obligations of the entire
Master’s degree programme have been fulfilled.
n. examiner: an assessor whose competence has been determined by the Board of Examiners of the program.
o. International Diploma Supplement: the annex to the Master’s degree certificate, which includes an
explanation of the nature and contents of the degree programme (partly in an international context).
p. semester: part of the academic year (roughly 5 months), the start and end dates of which are laid down in
the academic calendar. The academic year is divided in two semesters: semester 1 (course period 1 and 2)
and semester 2 (course period 3 and 4).
q. student: a person who is registered at the University to take courses and/or sit the tests and final
examination of the degree programme.
r. Student Affairs Geosciences: student information desk and student progress administration unit of the
Faculty.
s. test: interim examination as referred to in Art. 7.10 of the Act.

The other terms have the meanings ascribed to them in the Act.

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Faculty of Geosciences – Department Human Geography and Spatial Planning
SECTION 2 – ADMISSION
art. 2.1 – admission requirements of the degree programmes
1. The holder of a Dutch or foreign higher education degree, equivalent to a Dutch bachelor's degree, who
possesses knowledge, understanding and skills as specified in the programme-specific component of the
degree programme concerned, can be admitted to one of the Master’s programmes.
2. Selection of students is based on a review of the following core competences of applicants as specified in the
programme-specific component of the degree programme concerned.

art. 2.2 – English language (for Master’s Degree Programmes taught in English)
1. Registration for the degree programmes is possible only after it has been demonstrated that the requirement
of adequate command of the English language is fulfilled. Deficiencies in previous education in English must
be made up before the start of the degree programme by sitting one of the following tests:
 IELTS (International English Language Testing System), academic module. The minimum required IELTS
score (overall band) is: 6.5 with at least 6.0 for the components ‘writing, speaking, listening and
reading’.
 TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The minimum required TOEFL score is 93 (internet-
based test) with at least a score of 24 reading, 22 listening, 20 speaking and 20 writing.
 Cambridge EFL (English as a Foreign Language) Examinations, with one of the following certificates:
- Cambridge English C1 Advanced (CAE). Minimum score: 176 total, 169 writing.
- Cambridge English C2 Proficiency (CPE). Minimum score: 180 total, 169 writing.
2. The holder of a university Bachelor’s degree awarded in the Netherlands fulfils the requirement of adequate
command of the English language.
art. 2.3 – admissions procedures
1. Responsibility for admission to the degree programmes of the Graduate School and the various Master’s
programmes lies with the Board of Admissions of the Graduate School.
2. In order to determine eligibility for admission to the degree programme, the Board of Admissions will
consider and evaluate the knowledge, understanding and skills of the applicant. The Board may request
experts within or outside the University to assess the applicant’s knowledge, understanding and skills in
particular areas, in addition to a review of written documents of qualifications gained.
3. In order to determine eligibility for admission to a programme within the Master’s degree programme, the
Board of Admissions will examine whether the applicant meets the admission requirements referred to in
Art. 2.1(1) or will meet them in time. In its review, the Board will include the applicant’s core competences
referred to in Art. 2.1(2), as well as the applicant’s knowledge of the programme’s language of instruction.
On this basis the Board of Admissions will assess whether the candidate is able to achieve the exit
qualifications of the Master’s degree programme with sufficient effort within the nominal duration of the
programme.
4. A request to be admitted to the Master’s degree programme and a specific programme must be submitted to
the Board of Admissions before the relevant deadline on the prospective student website
(www.uu.nl/masters or www.uu.nl/internationalmasters). Requests submitted after these deadlines will not
be considered. The decision not to process the request refers to the possibility of appeal to the Examination
Appeals Board.
5. The applicant will receive written notification whether or not he or she has been admitted to the degree
programme and a specific Master’s programme. The possibility to appeal to the Examinations Appeal Board
will be indicated in this notification.

art. 2.4 – conditional admission decision: pre-Master

1. If the outcome of the evaluation referred to in Article 2.3, paragraph 2, into the knowledge, insights and
skills of the candidate is that the candidate does not yet meet the admission requirements referred to in
art. 2.1, but will meet them after having passed a pre-master course tailored to the Master’s
Programme, the candidate will be given a conditional admission decision.
2. This conditional admission decision will state that the candidate concerned will be admitted to the
Master’s Programme if:
a. the pre-master course with the courses described therein and the study load, expressed in credits, has
been passed
b. within the period stated in the admission decision.
3. The candidate will receive written confirmation of the conditional admission decision, which will point out
the possibility to appeal to the Examinations Appeals Board.
4. After the conditions referred to in paragraph 2 (a) and (b) have been met, the conditional admission
decision will be converted into a definitive admission decision.
5. After the expiry of the period referred to in paragraph 2(b), the student may no longer participate, or
participate again, in the pre-master course of Utrecht University.
6. In the event of insufficient qualitative progress and/or participation in the defined deficiency
programme, the Board of Admissions of the Graduate School may exclude the student from further or
repeated participation.

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 7. The tailored package of courses, referred to in paragraph 1, is open only to candidates who hold the
nationality of an EU/EER member state or Switzerland, or do not hold this nationality but do hold a
residence permit that entitles them to statutory tuition fees, and have completed their previous
education in the Netherlands.
8. The Board of Admissions may deviate from the requirements referred to in paragraph 4 in special cases.
In any case, special dispensation will be given to refugees with residence status and refugees with a W-
card, who have applied for asylum and have not yet received a final decision on their application.
Deviation from the requirements is not possible if the candidate requires assistance from Utrecht
University in applying for a visa, where the university acts as a sponsor.

SECTION 3 – CONTENTS AND STRUCTURE OF THE DEGREE

PROGRAMMES
art. 3.1 – aim of the degree programmes
See degree programme-specific component of the degree programme concerned.

art. 3.2 – mode of attendance

The degree programmes in Development Studies, Earth Sciences, Energy Science, Environmental Sciences,
Human Geography and Planning (research programme) and Science and Innovation are offered full-time. The
degree programmes in Spatial Planning and Human Geography are offered full-time as well as part-time.

art. 3.3 – language of instruction

All degree programmes are taught in English.
Annex 1 states the reasons behind the choice of language policy for the degree programmes.

art. 3.4 – study load

The degree programmes in Earth Sciences, Energy Science, Environmental Sciences, Human Geography and
Planning (research programme) and Science and Innovation have a total study load of 120 credits. The degree
programmes in Development Studies, Spatial Planning and Human Geography have a total study load of 60
credits.

art. 3.5 – programmes; start dates

1. The Graduate School of Geosciences offers the following Master’s degree programmes and Master’s
programmes.

Master’s degree programmes Master’s programmes

Earth Sciences Earth, Life and Climate

Earth Structure and Dynamics

Earth Surface and Water

Marine Sciences

Energy Science Energy Science

Environmental Sciences Sustainable Development

Water Science and Management

Human Geography and Planning Global Urban Transformations

Science and Innovation Innovation Sciences

Sustainable Business and Innovation

Development Studies International Development Studies

Spatial Planning Spatial Planning

Human Geography Urban and Economic Geography

The Master’s degree programmes prepare students for undertaking research in one or more sub-fields of
Geosciences.
2. All Master’s degree programmes have one start date a year: 1 September.

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art. 3.6 – components of the Master’s programmes
See degree programme-specific component of the degree programme concerned.

art. 3.7 – courses taken at another Dutch research university

1. Courses provided by another Dutch research university qualify as optional programme components with the
approval of the Board of Examiners. The credits and marks awarded by the other Dutch institution will be
used.
2. The Board of Examiners will withhold approval if it is of the opinion that a replication of content exists in
relation to courses already completed or yet to be completed by the student. In the event that courses are
replicated in terms of their content, either wholly or in part, the Board of Examiners may limit the
contribution of these courses to the examination through deduction of credits in proportion to the overlap.

art. 3.8 – courses taken at a foreign research university

1. Courses provided by a foreign research university qualify as optional programme components with the
approval of the Board of Examiners. The Board of Examiners will decide whether these courses are at a
sufficient academic level.
2. The Board of Examiners will withhold approval if it is of the opinion that a replication of content exists in
relation to courses already completed or yet to be completed by the student. In the event that courses are
replicated in terms of their content, either wholly or in part, the Board of Examiners may limit the
contribution of these courses to the examination through deduction of credits in proportion to the overlap.
3. The degree programme will publish the procedure for contributing courses taken abroad on the student
site:
- stating at what moment and in what manner students may apply for approval for courses taken
abroad;
- giving students the option of applying for approval at such time that they have received a decision
from the Board of Examiners by the start of their period abroad.
4. Conversion of credits achieved for courses taken abroad is as follows:
a. The credits will be taken over for courses provided by foreign universities within the European
Union/European Economic Area that work with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) which have
been approved by the Board of Examiners with regards to their content and level. Contrary to this, the
Board of Examiners may decide to award a different number of credits if it is established that the credits
awarded abroad do not correspond to the study hours.
b. The credits will be converted for courses provided by foreign universities outside the European
Union/European Economic Area that do not work with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS)
which have been approved by the Board of Examiners with regards to their content and level, in
accordance with the university-wide conversion table. See www.uu.nl/credit-omrekentabel. The Board of
Examiners may deviate from this in exceptional cases.
5. Conversion of grades achieved for courses taken abroad is as follows:
a. Foreign grades are converted into the alphanumerical results Pass/Fail; in addition, the original grades
and assessment scale will be recorded in OSIRIS. Furthermore, the original results will be printed on the
International Diploma Supplement referred to in Article 6.4, stating the information from Nuffic
concerning the grading scales at foreign institutions www.nuffic.nl/onderwerpen/onderwijssystemen.
b. The foreign university will determine where the cut-off score lies for a pass, and records in the transcript
whether the student has passed.
c. The foreign results will not count towards the student's average final mark.
d. The Board of Examiners will determine whether and how foreign results will count towards determining
whether the student has passed with distinction (cum laude).

art. 3.9 – area with negative travel advice

1. Study components that require the student to travel to areas abroad or to the Caribbean territory of the
Kingdom for which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a travel warning of classification red (do not
travel) or orange (only necessary travel) that applies to the period that the study component is to be taken
cannot be included in the degree programme.
This also applies if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a negative advice for travel from the
Netherlands.
2. At the student’s request, on behalf of the Dean the provisions of the first paragraph may be deviated from in
exceptional circumstances. Such deviation is only possible if it has been declared on behalf of the Executive
Board that there are sufficient guarantees that the health and safety of the student will be safeguarded.
3. In the event that the travel advice classification changes to red or orange while the student is already
present in the area abroad or in the Caribbean territory of the Kingdom, the Executive Board may advise
students to return to the Netherlands if, having taken account of the local risks and impact of travelling, the
Executive Board deems it unwise to remain. Students who do not follow the urgent advice to return cannot
include the study component in the degree programme, unless an individual exemption as referred to in
paragraph 4 is granted.
4. Upon a request by the student for an exemption from the urgent advice to return, on behalf of the Dean the
provisions of the third paragraph may be deviated from in exceptional circumstances. On behalf of the Dean

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 an exemption from the advice to return may be granted. An exemption can only be granted if it has been
declared on behalf of the Executive Board that there are sufficient guarantees that the health and safety of
the student concerned will be safeguarded.

art. 3.10 – components taken elsewhere

1. The condition for gaining the degree certificate of the Master’s examination of the programme is that at least
half of the Master’s degree programme is passed in components provided by Utrecht University.
2. Components passed elsewhere during the degree programme can only be incorporated in the student’s
examinations programme with prior permission from the Board of Examiners.
3. Exemption can be granted for components passed at an institute of higher education prior to the start of the
Master’s degree programme only on the basis of Art. 5.14.
4. Contrary to Art. 3.9.3, components that have been passed in a Master’s degree programme at Utrecht
University prior to the start of the Master’s degree programme may be counted towards the student’s
examinations programme with the classification awarded.

art. 3.11 – actual teaching structure

1. All teaching is scheduled according to the university academic calendar (annual schedule with four course
periods) and the university timeslot model (schedule with fixed times per week for courses)1.
2. The basic assumption is that students in a full-time program study 35 to 40 hours per week. The study
consists of teaching hours and self-study.
3. In the University Course Catalogue and/or course guides and/or in the digital learning environment
(Blackboard) each course indicates:
a. the learning objectives;
b. the timeslots;
c. instructional formats;
d. type of tests
4. The education director ensures the timely publication of teaching schedules and the dates of tests and
repair/supplementary tests of courses. Students can view the schedules of the teaching, tests and
supplementary tests via MyTimetable.

SECTION 4 – COURSES
art. 4.1 – course
All courses that are part of the degree programmes have been included in the prospectuses for the programmes
and can be found at the student site.

art. 4.2 – course admission requirements

See degree programme-specific component of the degree programme concerned.

art. 4.3 – registration for courses

1. Participation in a course is possible only if the student has registered for it before the deadline specified by
the Board of Studies. Registration rules and closing dates will be published through the student site.
2. All the courses that are listed in the University Course Catalogue will take place.
3. If fewer than 15 students register for a course, the course coordinator may decide, in consultation with the
Director of Education, to offer the course in a different instructional format and/or assessment.
4. A student may register for a maximum of two courses of 7,5 EC or three courses of 5 EC per period.
5. An extra course must always be requested at the degree programme office. This extra course may only be
chosen from the range of courses offered within a student’s own degree programme; requests may be made
only during the regular registration period.
6. If the student fails to make adequate progress on the course and/or there is insufficient capacity for a
course, the Director of Education may exclude the student from registration for a third course within a single
course period.
7. Subject to notification to the contrary, the student who has registered correctly and in time for a course will
have a confirmed place on the course no later than 15 working days before the start of the course.
8. During the late registration days, a student may only register for the courses for which capacity is still
available.
art. 4.4 – attendance and effort requirements
1. Students are expected to participate actively in the courses they registered for.

1
For full-time or time-intensive components such as fieldwork and excursions, scheduling will span multiple or
all timeslots

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2. Besides the general requirement for the student to participate actively in the course the additional effort
requirements for each component, such as attendance and test requirements, are listed in the University
Course Catalogue and laid down in the course guide.
3. Students may be granted exemption from attendance for reasons demonstrably beyond their control (for
instance as a result of illness or family circumstances), at the discretion of the course coordinator. Students
must notify the study programme’s secretariat of their absence in advance. The course coordinator may
request the student to provide written evidence.
4. In the event of qualitatively or quantitatively inadequate participation, the course coordinator may exclude
the student from further participation in the course or part of it.
5. Effort requirements (such as holding a presentation or writing a paper) can never expire. If students fail to
meet an effort requirement in time for reasons beyond their control, they must report to the course
coordinator immediately after the situation has arisen and, if instructed by the course coordinator, provide
evidence of the exceptional circumstances (see also art. 5.6.1).
6. Students who wish to apply for special arrangements with regard to effort requirements as a result of
chronic illness, disability or Outstanding Student Athlete status, may submit a request (see also Art. 7.3).
art. 4.5 – participate in courses; order of priority
1. If a course has a limited capacity, the University Course Catalogue and / or prospectus indicates how many
students can register for the course.
2. Participation is only possible if the student is registered, students have priority on courses that belong to the
compulsory and compulsory electives part of their study programme.
3. Apart from the general priority rule formulated in paragraph 2, admission to courses with a limited capacity
will be based on the following placement rules:
a. students who are repeating a course because they did not successfully complete the course due to
circumstances demonstrably beyond their control;
b. students for whom the course is compulsory or a compulsory elective;
c. exchange students accepted by the faculty who have registered in time under approval;
d. remaining students.
4. In the case of electives with a limited capacity, lots will be drawn. Students of the faculty (including accepted
GEO exchange students) will be given priority over external students.
5. A student is expected to be aware of all information that is sent to the student’s university email address, or
that is published on the student site of the study programme and in the electronic learning environment.
Information distributed in this manner is assumed to be known.
art. 4.6 – complete courses for international students before winter break
International exchange students have the opportunity to complete courses, selected by the Director of Education
in course period 2, before the winter break.

art. 4.7 – evaluation of the quality of education

See degree programme-specific component of the degree programme concerned.

SECTION 5 – TESTING
art. 5.1 – general
1. During the course, the student will be tested for academic schooling and on the extent to which the
student has sufficiently achieved the learning objectives set. The testing of the student will be concluded
at the end of the course.
2. The University Course Catalogue and/or course guide describe the effort requirements the student must
meet to pass the course, as well as the criteria on which the student is assessed. In the event of a
difference of opinion, the course guide will be followed.
3. The course coordinator can indicate in the course guide for at most one test component that obtaining a
sufficient grade of at least 5.50 is a condition for awarding a sufficient final grade. Only in special cases
and with the approval of the Director of Education, this condition can be linked to more than one test
component.
4. Subject to what is stated in article 5.5. and 5.6 each test component that is part of the final assessment
of a course is taken and assessed once.
5. If a student repeats a course, the last classification gained will count.
6. Should a student pass a course, but still wishes to repeat the course, the complete course must be
repeated.
7. The Regulations of the Board of Examiners describe the testing process (see: student site).

art. 5.2 – Board of Examiners

1. The Dean will establish a Board of Examiners for each degree programme or group of degree programmes
and will ensure that the Board of Examiners can operate independently and professionally.

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2. The Dean will appoint the chair and the members of the Board of Examiners for a period of three years on
the basis of their expertise in the field of the degree programme(s) in question or the field of testing, in
which:
 at least one member comes from outside the degree programme or group of degree programmes
concerned, and
 at least one member is a lecturer on the degree programme or group of degree programmes concerned.
Re-appointment is possible. Before making this appointment, the Dean will consult the members of the
Board of Examiners concerned.
3. Persons holding management positions that include financial responsibilities or who are wholly or partially
responsible for Master’s degree programmes are not eligible for appointment to the Board of Examiners or
as chair of the Board of Examiners. These persons will in any event include the Dean, the Vice Dean,
directors/heads/managers of a department, members of a department’s management/governing team,
members or chairs of the Board of Studies of the Graduate or Undergraduate School and the Director of
Education.
4. Membership of the Board of Examiners will end on completion of the term of appointment. The chair and
members of the Board may also be dismissed by the Dean at their own request. The chair and members of
the Board will be dismissed by the Dean if they no longer meet the requirements of paragraphs 2 or 3 of this
article. The Dean may also dismiss a chair or members found to be performing their statutory duties
unsatisfactorily.
5. The Dean will announce the composition of the Board(s) of Examiners to students and lecturers.

art. 5.3 – assessment of traineeship or research assignment and thesis

1. A traineeship or research assignment will be assessed by the supervisor and examiner from Utrecht
University as well as by one or more other internal and/or external experts.
2. Master’s theses will be assessed by at least two examiners.

art. 5.4 – grades

1. Grades will be awarded on a scale of 1 to 10. The final assessment of a course is either pass or fail,
expressed in numbers: 6 or higher and 5 or lower respectively.
2. The final course grade will be rounded to one decimal place. A partial course grade will never be rounded.
3. The final course grade of 5 will not have any decimal places. An average grade of 4.95 to 5.49 is a fail (5);
an average grade of 5.50 to 5.99 is a pass (6).
4. The course guide sets out the way in which the final course grade is calculated.
5. Alphanumeric results are awarded in the following cases:
- a student who is registered for a course and has not participated in one of the test modules will be
given an NV (Niet Verschenen – No Show). If non-participation is for reasons beyond the student’s
control the student will be given an ND (Niet Deelgenomen– Not Participated);
- a student who has not participated in all the test modules will be given an NVD (Niet VolDaan –
Incomplete);
- a student who failed to meet the condition of a sufficient minimum grade of 5,50 for a test
component will be given an NVD (Niet VolDaan – Incomplete);
- if the student has completed a module, but has not received a grade for it, he may be given a V
(Voldoende – Satisfactory) as the result;
- if the student has not completed a module but does not receive a numeric result, the student can
be given an ONV (ONVoldoende - Unsatisfactory) as the result;
- a student who has been granted exemption by the Board of Examiners will be given a VR
(VRijstelling – Exemption);

art. 5.5– repeat exams: supplementary tests

1. If the student does not receive a pass grade but does receive a final grade of at least 4.00 before rounding,
the student will be given a once-only opportunity to take a supplementary test.
2. If the student passes the individual supplementary test, a final grade of 6.00 for the entire course will be
recorded in the student progress administration system. Partial course grades that the student has achieved
will not be taken into account in establishing the final grade of the supplementary test.
3. If the student does not pass the supplementary test, the initial final grade will be entered into the student
progress administration system, thus rendering all partial course grades no longer valid.
4. If the student cannot be awarded a sufficient final average grade of 5.50 or higher because the student has
failed to pass one test component with the condition of a sufficient grade, the student will be given one
opportunity to take a supplementary partial test. The content of this partial test serves to replace the test
component for which the mandatory minimum grade of 5,50 or higher is not achieved.
5. If a supplementary partial test is adequately repaired, the grade 5.50 is assigned to the test component and
the final average grade will be recalculated according to the conditions specified in the course guide.
6. If the student does not pass the supplementary partial test, the final grade NVD will be entered into the
student progress administration system, thus rendering all partial course grades no longer valid.
7. The student will not qualify for a supplementary test if the student has not met all the effort requirements of
the course.
8. The student will not qualify for a supplementary partial test if the student has been awarded a pass.

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9. The lecturer will determine the form and content of the supplementary (partial) test.

art. 5.6– force majeure: replacement tests

1. Students who miss a test or part of a test owing to circumstances demonstrably beyond their control will be
given only one opportunity to sit a replacement test. Only students reporting these circumstances beyond
their control immediately after their occurrence to the course coordinator will be eligible to sit a replacement
test (see also art. 4.4.).
2. The lecturer will determine the form and content of the replacement test.
3. If the student is not present at the replacement test, or fails to meet the terms of the replacement test in
good time, the student will not be offered another opportunity.

art. 5.7 – type of test

1. Testing as part of a course will take place as stated in the course guide.
2. Upon request, the Board of Examiners may allow a test to be administered in a manner which departs from
the provisions of the first paragraph.

art. 5.8 – oral tests

1. Only one person at a time may be tested orally, unless the Board of Examiners decides otherwise.
2. An oral test will be administered as far as possible by two examiners, for a maximum of 60 minutes.

art. 5.9 – provision for testing in special cases

1. If not providing for an individual testing possibility would result in a ‘special case of manifest unfairness’,
the Board of Examiners may decide to grant an individual testing possibility.
2. Requests for a special possibility to sit a test must be submitted to the Board of Examiners as soon as
possible, together with supporting documentary evidence.

art. 5.10 – time limit for grading tests

1. Within 24 hours of administering an oral test the examiner will determine the grade and provide the student
with a written statement of the grade awarded.
2. The examiner will grade a written or differently administered test or partial test within 10 working days of
the test date, and will make this grade known.
3. If the mark is not available within this period time for reasons of force majeure, the examiner must
communicate this to the student, indicating when the mark will be determined. Force majeure may only be
established in consultation with the Director of Education.
4. If there is a third examiner, a new assessment period of 10 working days will commence, immediately
following the first period of 10 working days. It is not possible to commence a new period following this
second period.
5. Time frames for assessment do not apply during academic vacation periods.
6. The written statement of the grade awarded must inform the student of the right of inspection referred to in
Art. 5.12 and of the possibility to appeal to the Examination Appeals Board.

art. 5.11 – period of validity

1. The term of validity of courses passed is eight years between test date and exam date.
2. Notwithstanding this, in case of special circumstances the Board of Examiners may, if the student
requests, determine an extended validity period for a course, or impose a supplementary or
replacement test.
3. Partial tests and assignments passed in a course that was not successfully completed will expire at the
end of the academic year in which they were passed. Partial tests and assignments expire at the end of
the course period in which they were passed, if the course concerned is taught more than once per
academic year.

art. 5.12 – right of inspection

1. Within 20 working days after the announcement of the result of a written or digital test, the student is
allowed to inspect the student’s graded work upon request. A copy of that work will be supplied to the
student on request.
2. During the period referred to in the first paragraph, the student may inspect the questions and assignments
of the test concerned, as well as the standards on which the grade was based.

art. 5.13 – retention of tests

1. The assignments, answers and the work assessed in the written tests will be kept in paper or electronic form
for a period of two years following the assessment.
2. The thesis and its assessment will be kept in paper or electronic form for a period of seven years following
the assessment.

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art. 5.14 – exemption
At the student’s request, the Board of Examiners may, after consulting the examiner in question, grant
exemption from a programme component if the student:
a. has already either completed a university or higher vocational programme component which is equivalent in
content and level; or
b. has demonstrated, through work or professional experience, sufficient knowledge and skills in relation to
that component.

art. 5.15 – fraud and plagiarism

1. Fraud and plagiarism are defined as an action or omission on the part of students which produces an
incorrect representation of their own performance as regards their knowledge, skills and understanding,
which may result in the examiner no longer being able to assess the knowledge or ability of the students in
a proper and fair manner.
Fraud includes:
 cheating during tests. The person offering the opportunity to cheat is an accessory to fraud;
 share answers with others while taking a test;
 seeking the help of third parties during a test;
 being in possession of (i.e. having/carrying) tools and resources during tests, such as pre-programmed
calculators, mobile phones, smartwatch, smartglasses, books, course readers, notes, etc., unless
consultation is explicitly permitted;
 having others carry out all of part of an assignment and passing this off as own work;
 The course coordinator specifies in the course guide whether and to what extent the use of software
such as generative artificial intelligence is allowed in a course or for an assignment. Under no
circumstances are students allowed to use software such as generative artificial intelligence to generate
(part of) an assignment and submit this as their own work.
 gaining access to questions or answers of a test prior to the date or time that the test takes place;
 perform (or try to perform) technical changes that undermine the online testing system;
 fabricating survey or interview answers or research data;
Plagiarism is defined as including data or sections of text from others/the student's own work in a thesis or
other paper without quoting the source. Plagiarism includes the following:
 cutting and pasting text from digital sources such as encyclopaedias and digital publications without
using quotation marks and referring to the source;
 cutting and pasting text from the internet without using quotation marks and referring to the source;
 using excerpts from printed material such as books, magazines, other publications and encyclopaedias
without using quotation marks and referring to the source;
 using a translation of the abovementioned texts without using quotation marks and referring to the
source;
 paraphrasing of the abovementioned texts without giving a (clear) reference: paraphrasing must be
marked as such (by explicitly linking the text with the original author, either in text or a footnote),
whereby the impression is not created that the ideas expressed are those of the student;
 using visual, audio or test material from others without referring to the source and presenting this as
own work;
 resubmission of the student’s own earlier work without source references, and allowing this to pass for
work originally produced for the purpose of the course, unless this is expressly permitted in the course
or by the lecturer;
 using the work of other students and passing this off as own work. If this happens with the permission
of the other student, the latter is also guilty of plagiarism;
 in the event that, in a joint paper, one of the authors commits plagiarism, the other authors are also
guilty of plagiarism, if they could or should have known that the other was committing plagiarism;
 submitting papers obtained from a commercial institution (such as an internet site offering excerpts or
papers) or having such written by someone else, whether or not in return for payment.
2. a. In all cases in which fraud or plagiarism is found or suspected, the examiner will inform the
student and the Board of Examiners of this in writing.
b. The Board of Examiners will give the student the opportunity:
 to respond to that in writing;
 to be heard.
3. The Board of Examiners will determine whether fraud or plagiarism has occurred and will inform the student
of its decision in writing of any sanctions in accordance with the stipulations of the fourth paragraph, stating
the possibility of appeal to the Examination Appeals Board.
4. The Board of Examiners is authorized to impose sanctions. In doing so, the Board of Examiners shall ensure
that the sanction is proportionate: the consequences of the sanction shall be in proportion to the degree and
seriousness of the fraud or plagiarism committed.
5. One or more of the following sanctions may be imposed, depending on the nature and extent of the fraud or
plagiarism committed, and the circumstances in which the fraud or plagiarism was committed, as well as the
student's study phase:
 invalidation of the paper or test submitted;
 reprimand, a note of which will be made in OSIRIS.

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  if applicable: exclusion from participation in the remaining tests of that course;
 no longer being eligible for a positive degree classification (cum laude) as referred to in article 6.2;
 exclusion from participation in tests belonging to the course concerned for the current academic year, or
for a maximum period of 12 months;
 complete exclusion from participation in all tests for a maximum period of 12 months.
6. In the case of extremely serious and/or repeated fraud or plagiarism, the Board of Examiners may
recommend that the Executive Board permanently terminate the concerned student’s registration for the
programme.
7. If the Board of Examiners determines that there has been widespread or organised fraud, on a scale which
would affect the test results in their entirety, the Board of Examiners will decide without delay that the test
concerned is invalid and that all the participants must resit the whole test at short notice. The Board of
Examiners will set the date on which the test must be retaken. This date will be no later than ten working
days after the fraud was established, so that the participants can still benefit from their preparatory work for
the test.

art. 5.16 – control of plagiarism

1. For the purpose of controlling plagiarism handing in an electronic version of written assignments by the
student (such as papers, theses) can be imposed as a compulsory condition by the examiner of the relevant
course, whether or not they are using a designated plagiarism detection system. If the student does not
submit an electronic version of the assignment in time, the assessor may decide not to assess the
assignment.
2. In all cases, submitting an electronic version of the final thesis is mandatory for students.
3. By submitting a written assignment, the student gives permission in the broadest sense of the word for the
control of plagiarism via a plagiarism detection system as well as for recording the written assignment in
databases, to the extent necessary, for future plagiarism checks.
4. In the event that a particular course coordinator decides to disclose documents, students reserve the right
not to disclose their written assignment other than for the purpose of plagiarism as referred to in paragraphs
1 and 2 of this article.

art. 5.17 – right of appeal

The student has a right to appeal decisions taken by the Board of Examiners or by examiners. The appeal must
be made in writing, and explaining the basis for the appeal, to the Examination Appeals Board within six weeks
of taking the test or examination, or of the decision being made, pursuant to Section 7.61 of the Higher
Education Research Act 1992.

SECTION 6 – EXAMINATION
art. 6.1 – examination
1. As soon as a student has fulfilled the requirements of the examinations programme, the Board of Examiners
will determine the result of the examination and award a certificate, as described in art. 6.4.
2. Prior to determining the result of the examination, the Board of Examiners may conduct its own
examination of the student’s knowledge of one or more components or aspects of the degree programme.
The Board of Examiners will only conduct such an investigation if it establishes that there are certain facts
or circumstances that leads it to the conclusion that the Board of Examiners cannot vouch for the student
having obtained the exit qualifications for the course (as referred to in art. 3.1 of the Education and
Examination Regulations).
3. Assessment of the examinations file constitutes part of the final examination. The date of examination will
be the last working day of the month in which the Board of Examiners has determined that the student has
fulfilled all the requirements of the examinations programme. The student must be registered for the
degree programme on the examination date.
4. Conditions to pass the examination are:
 all components are passed;
 the composition of the course package completed meets the level requirements set.
5. A further condition for passing the examination and receiving the certificate is that the student was
registered for the degree programme during the period in which the tests and the final examination were
taken. If the student does not fulfil this condition, the Executive Board may issue a statement of no
objection in relation to the passing of the examination and the issue of the certificate, after the student has
paid the tuition fees and administration charges owing for the ‘missing’ periods.
6. A student who has passed the examination and is entitled to a certificate may request the Board of
Examiners to not yet grant the certificate and to postpone the examination date referred to in paragraph 3.
This request must be submitted within 10 working days after the student has been informed of the result of
the examination. The student will indicate in this request a preferred examination date.
7. The Board of Examiners will grant the request in any case if the student:
a. is to fulfil a management position for which Utrecht University has provided an administrative grant
b. is to do a traineeship or take a component of a programme abroad.

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 Postponement of the examination date is possible only once and for the duration of one academic year at
the most. Postponement may only be granted for the duration of thirteen months for students who want to
make use of tuition fee-board activities.

art. 6.2 – cum laude classification

1. If a student has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement in the student’s Master’s degree
programme, the degree will be awarded cum laude; this classification will be noted on the degree
certificate.
2. The cum laude classification will be awarded to the Master’s examination if each of the following
conditions have been met:
1. the weighted average of the grades achieved for the Master’s programme components is at least 8.00
before rounding.
2. the student has received a minimum grade of 8.00 for the Master’s thesis.
3. the student has been granted no more than 7.5 credits in exemptions that do not count towards the
examination programme (1-year programmes) or no more than 15 credits (2-year programmes).
4. No decision has been reached by the Board of Examiners regarding commitment of fraud/plagiarism that
would otherwise no longer qualify for a positive classification (cum laude).
5. the Master’s examination has been passed within one and a half years (one-year degree programmes) or
three years (two-year degree programme).
3. The Board of Examiners may decide to award the cum laude classification even if not all the
requirements referred to in paragraph 2 are met. Such a decision must be unanimous.
4. Classifications other than cum laude will not be noted on the degree certificate.

art. 6.3 – degree

1. The Master of Science degree will be awarded to the student who passes the examination.
2. The degree awarded will be noted on the examination certificate.

art. 6.4 – degree certificate and International Diploma Supplement (IDS)

1. The Board of Examiners will award a certificate as proof that the examination was passed.
2. The Board of Examiners will add the International Diploma Supplement in the English language to this
certificate, which provides (international) insight into the nature and contents of the completed degree
programme.

art. 6.5 – grading tables

1. The International Diploma Supplement gives the student’s cumulative average mark and an ECTS Grading
Table.
2. The cumulative average mark shows the student’s academic performance on a scale of 1 to 10. It is
calculated based on the final results for the courses the student has successfully completed within the
degree programme. Courses that are not assessed on a numerical basis are not included in the calculation.
The cumulative average mark is weighted based on the number of credits for each course.
3. The ECTS Grading Table gives a clear picture of Utrecht University’s marking culture for educational
institutions and employers outside the Netherlands. Based on the Grading Table, they can convert the
results into their own marking system. The ECTS Grading Table is an institution-wide table for all Master’s
Degree programmes. This table uses a ten-point scale where only the marks from 6 to 10 are shown, as only
passing marks are included in the Grading Table. The marks are expressed only as whole or half points. The
percentage given with each mark indicates how frequently each mark is awarded.
The ECTS Grading Table is calculated on the basis of:
1. all final passing marks in courses undertaken towards the degree, excluding alphanumerical results;
2. not weighted according to study load;
3. in the three most recent academic years;
4. of students who were registered for a Master’s Degree programme at Utrecht University.

SECTION 7 – STUDENT COUNSELLING

art. 7.1 – student information system
1. The Faculty must record the individual study results of the students and make them available through Osiris-
student.
2. Certified student progress files may be obtained from Student Affairs Geosciences.

art. 7.2 – academic advice and support

1. The Faculty is responsible for providing an introductory programme and student counselling to students
registered for the degree programmes.
2. Student counselling encompasses:
 encouraging students to feel part of the community;

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  supervising programme choices;
 assisting a student to familiarise himself with the job market.
 an introductory programme in the first week of the first semester of the first year of study
 referring and assisting students who encounter difficulties during their studies.

art. 7.3 – disability and chronic illness

Students with special needs are afforded the opportunity to take classes and sit tests in the manner agreed in
their Education provision. Requests for a provision are submitted to the student adviser via OSIRIS-student.

SECTION 8 – TRANSITIONAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS

art. 8.1 – safety net arrangements
In those cases not provided for in these regulations, or not provided for sufficiently clearly, the decision will be
made:
a. by the Board of Examiners if based on Articles 7.3j (permission for flexible study programme), 7.11 (award
and postponement of degree certificate) and 7.12b (statutory powers of the Board of Examiners) of the Act
or on the basis of Articles 3.6 to 3.9 (composition of the optional course profile, optional courses), 5.5 to
5.11 (decisions on tests), 5.14-5.16 (exemption, fraud and plagiarism) and 6.1-6.2 (examination and cum
laude) of these Education and Examination Regulations this falls within the competence of the Board of
Examiners;
b. in all other cases by the dean or an officer appointed for this purpose on behalf of the dean, after the Board
of Examiners has expressed its view.

art. 8.2 – hardship clause

Following the rules laid down in these Education and Examination Regulations, the Board of Examiners will
decide, unless this would have manifestly unreasonable consequences for the student that due to special
circumstances are disproportionate to the purposes to be served by the rule.

art. 8.3 – amendments

1. Amendments to these Regulations will be laid down by the Dean after having heard the advice of the
Education Committee and after consultation with the Faculty Council and the Education committees, in
separate resolutions.
2. An amendment to these Regulations is not to be applied to the current academic year unless it is reasonable
to assume that it will not harm the interests of the students.
3. Furthermore, an amendment may not have an adverse effect for students on any other decision the Board of
Examiners has taken pursuant to these Regulations with respect to a student.

art. 8.4 – publication

The Dean will publish these Regulations, as well as each amendment, on the internet.

art. 8.5– effective date

These Regulations take effect on 1 September 2024.

o–o–o

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Annex 1: Language policy

The Geosciences Master’s programmes are taught in English for several reasons. Firstly, English is the language
of choice given the international character and orientation of the content of the programmes. Adressing issues
such as planning challenges, climate mitigation, and earth structures is inherently international. A diverse and
international classroom increases the ability to study these topics from multiple perspectives, which is an
important part of the learning experience. Teaching in English makes it possible for students from different
countries and backgrounds to communicate and collaborate effectively.
English is widely accepted as the lingua franca in international research, and many of our researchers come from
countries outside the Netherlands. It is important that students can benefit from their expertise, and teaching in
English facilitates this exchange.
Thirdly, the programmes prepare students for a career, either inside or outside of academia, that will at the very
least have an international context. Acquiring skills in academic English is therefore an important part of the
programmes. This enables students to compete effectively in the (international) job market, and to communicate
their research findings effectively to a global audience.

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Programme-specific part of the Education and
Examination Regulations 2024-2025

Graduate School of Geosciences:

Master’s degree programme in Spatial Planning

Art. 2.1 - Admission requirements

1. Admission to the Spatial Planning programme is granted to students with a Dutch or a foreign diploma
confirming that they have acquired the knowledge, insight and skills at the university Bachelor’s level.
Furthermore, students need to prove that they have gained the following specific knowledge, insight and
skills:
a) knowledge in the field of Planning, at the advanced level of the major Human Geography and Planning
at Utrecht University, or equivalent to this level
b) insight into Planning at the advanced level of the major Human Geography and Planning at Utrecht
University, or equivalent to this level
c) academic and research skills at the advanced level of the major Human Geography and Planning at
Utrecht University, or equivalent to this level
d) good command of the language or languages used in the programme

2. Students will be selected based on objective standards regarding:

a) their previous academic performance in a relevant subject area
b) relevant skills
c) their command of the language or languages used in the programme.
d) the following additional selection criteria with proven relevance for the opinion on the suitability of the
candidate:
 motivation
 average grade
This information is used to consider whether the student concerned will be able to complete the Master’s
Programme successfully within the set time period. The admission requirements have been formulated clearly
and transparently so that candidates know in advance which requirements must be met in order to qualify for
selection.

Art. 3.1 – Aim of the degree programme

The programme has four central aims. Students are challenged to develop:
1. in-depth theoretical insights into spatial planning;
2. appropriate research skills to investigate spatial issues;
3. a critical attitude to reflect upon spatial developments within their political and societal context;
4. substantive and process-oriented knowledge and skills to handle complex spatial issues and challenges in an
appropriate way.

The intended learning outcomes of the programme:

1. Students can analyze spatial problems with scientific methods
2. Students can use existing knowledge and theories to find solutions
3. Students can critically reflect on sustainable spatial development
4. Students understand the governance and management of cities
5. Students can independently apply their academic knowledge and skills

The intended learning outcomes of the programme are specified in the prospectus.

Art. 3.6 - Components of the Master’s programme

1. Appendix 1 describes the required courses of the programme, including the course load.
2. Students may select an elective course of 5 EC from other UU programmes or from other universities, but
these need to be approved by the Board of Examiners (see EER Art. 3.7). The elective components within
the programme are listed in Appendix 2.
3. The prospectus gives a detailed description of the content and the form of instruction of the components of
the programme, including prior knowledge that is required to participate successfully.
Art. 4.2 - Course admission requirements

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Faculty of Geosciences – Department Human Geography and Spatial Planning
The Executive Board decides the order in which the required components of a Master’s degree programme must
be completed. This will be published in the prospectus.

Art. 4.7 - Evaluation of the quality of education

1. The Director of Education monitors the quality of education, and ensures that both the courses and the
curriculum are evaluated. The Director takes into consideration the advice and suggestions given by the
Education Committee regarding improving and ensuring the quality of the programme.
2. Students who have participated in the course will be informed of the results of the course evaluation.

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Faculty of Geosciences – Department Human Geography and Spatial Planning
Appendices

Appendix 1: Structure of the programme

Required/theoretical 27,5 EC
Methods of research 5 EC
Elective course 5 EC
MSc research/thesis 22,5 EC

Compulsory components (55 EC)

GEO4-3123 Beyond Planning Theory 6 EC

GEO4-3124 Planning for Sustainable Cities 6 EC

GEO4-3119 Urban Governance in Spatial Planning 5 EC

GEO4-3120 Advanced Research Methods for Spatial Planning 5 EC

GEO4-3128 International Fieldtrip 2,5 EC

GEO4-3125 Master’s Thesis/Internship Spatial Planning 22,5 EC

GEO4-3126 Planning professionalization 0 EC

GEO4-3127 Graduate Planning studio 8 EC

Appendix 2: Elective courses (5 EC)

GEO4-3924 Cultures of Sustainability in Global Perspective 5 EC

GEO4-3519 Migration, Mobilities & Sustainable Futures 5 EC

GEO4-3907 Mobilities, Travel & Networks 5 EC

GEO4-3316 Neighbourhoods and Crime 5 EC

GEO4-3917 Real Estate 5 EC

GEO4-5501 Techniques of Futuring: A Mixed Classroom with Policymakers 5 EC

GEO4-3121 Urban Infrastructures 5 EC

Overgangsregeling 2024-2025

Courses Spatial Planning < 2023-2024 Courses Spatial Planning > 2024-2025

GEO4-3115 Beyond Planning Theory (7,5 EC) GEO4- Beyond Planning Theory (6 EC) + extra
3123 assignment of 1,5 EC

GEO4-3117 Planning for Sustainable Cities (7,5 EC) GEO4- Planning for Sustainable Cities (6 EC) +
3124 extra assignment of 1,5 EC

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