"A highlight of this study are the Fieldworks and Ateliers that will offer you the tools for a great professional skillset afterwards"
As someone who was always fascinated by how people interact andhow the built environment has an influence on our behavior andfeelings, I decided to study Spatial Planning and Design at theUniversity of Groningen.
In our degree we get many opportunities to deepenour academic knowledge in relevant topics, and at the same time weget a lot of team work experience that portrays the actual workingenvironment of a Spatial Planner. It is a degree that covers notonly the planning and designing part but also the history andsociology of it, while being positively challenging withoutcompromising your own creativity.
A highlight of this study are the Fieldworks and Ateliers thatwill offer you the tools for a great professional skill setafterwards.
- Vanessa Bill
"SPD teaches practical and academic skills while positively challenging individuals to work in teams as well as individually"
Being fascinated by the built environment, people's interactionwith it, and ways to improve and design functional places, I havechosen to study Spatial Planning and Design in Groningen. Thisdegree delves into multiple spheres relevant to today's world,giving students a broad understanding of future career prospects.It teaches practical and academic skills while positivelychallenging individuals to work in teams as well asindividually.
The Netherlands is a great country to explore and learn aboutthe historic evolution of spatial planning. Through multiplefieldwork opportunities offered by the university, students gainhands-on experience in the real world.
- Nina Zrubakova
"The thing I like most about the programme, is the fact that it is both practical and theoretical."
The thing I like most about the programme, is the fact that itis both practical and theoretical.
I have always been interested in the built environment, thelandscape, and how we humans interact with it. I feel like thestudy Spatial Planning and Design offers a broad view on thesetopics from different perspectives. During the year, theoreticalcourses with lectures where you mostly have to do self-study arealternated with practical courses in which you work in groupcontext. An example of these courses are the atelier courses andthe fieldworks we go on. By doing these practical courses, you getto see and learn about real life examples of current spatialissues, which is very interesting.
- Mila Kooijman
Learning Communities: visit to the North/South subway line in Amsterdam
For our first Learning Community activity of the year we visitedthe North/South subway line in Amsterdam. A former project managershowed a short film about the plans for the North/South line andhow this new subway should be realized. The beginning of thepresentation showed that many economic and technical setbacks werefaced during this project. All these setbacks have led to theplanned opening of the North South line in 2018 (10 years laterthan initially planned!).
After the film and presentation we went on site totake a look at the infrastructure project. We all got a helmet, apair of boots and a jacket on for safety. After this we were showna part of the subway line which still was still under construction.After the tour we got the opportunity to ask some questions and wemade a nice group photo. As first year students this was a fun wayto learn something relevant to our study programme and got an firstimpression about where we might end up later in the work field.
Read more about the Learning Communities at SpatialSciences.
- Arnout de Haan
Moving to the Netherlands was easier than I thought
My name is Zuzana, I am 20 years old and I come from Slovakia. Ichose the University of Groningen because the city has a largeinternational student population, which is always an advantage forsomeone coming from abroad. Most people here speak English, whichis accommodating for internationals.
Moving to the Netherlands was easier than Ithought. I was able to get a room in one of the studentaccommodations where I share a building with people from all aroundthe world. It is an amazing experience because I am exposed to manydifferent cultures and manners. As daunting as it sounds, I feel athome now.
The university offers a wide range of extracurricular activitiesand associations where I was able to meet new people and makefriends. The faculty's student association organizes many eventsthat create a welcoming environment for first-year students andunforgettable experiences. Groningen offers a diverse range offacilities that are student-friendly such as cheap sport centrememberships, lively bars and wild nightlife. From an academicperspective, Groningen has a variety of modern and comfortablestudy places like the Forum, University Library and many studycafés. No matter what type of student you are, you cancertainly find your new home here.
- Zuzana
Study associations
Ibn Battuta
Ibn Battuta is the Faculty Association of Spatial Sciences
Becoming a member of Ibn Battuta means you can join the socialdrinks, foreign trips, lectures and all other activities organizedby the Association. At these events you come into contact withstudents from all years, which is a great way to make friends thatcan last a lifetime! Ibn Battuta also organizes informative andcareer-focused activities. Our informative activities, such aslectures, In-Housedays and the Career Day will help you to orienton your future.
