Spatial Planning & Design

Name: HZ University of Applied Sciences
Price range: $

You focus on adaptive planning and design of economically and socially dynamic areas under pressure of climate change. You monitor the effects of climate change and design spatial solutions on how cities and rural areas can deal with water challenges. You have to be creative to plan and design for improving the local context. You will learn how to 2D and 3D visualise and communicate your strategies.

This is Spatial Planning and Design

Year 1

First semester you have courses with all Water management students on generic topics as water challenges related to Climate Change and Sustainable Development. Furthermore you will get introducted to track-specific courses to prepare you on choosing a track after the first semester. You will work on professional development, your Dutch/English skills and research. In the second semester you will start to develop your drawing and designing skills. You will learn about planning policies and -regulations.

Year 2

During this year you will apply your planning and design skills in international assignments. You will work with spatial planning and topics such as:

Circular economy
Sustainable tourism
Mobility
Energy

You will create designs for various local clients. And you will learn about landscape design and rural planning. You will also go abroad on various excursions and for a project week.

Year 3

In the third year you choose a minor: a kind of six-month choice package. In the minor you choose you deepen or broaden your knowledge. You can do this at one of the research groups of the HZ water programmes, at another study programme or at another university of applied sciences in the Netherlands or abroad. In the second half of the year you will do an internship in the Netherlands or abroad at an organization in your specialization. You can choose where you want to do this.

Year 4

You will apply your skills and make a design for a complex project where topics as adaptation, mitigation, sustainability, climate change, infrastructure, tourism, food, energy, urbanization come together. You will also work together on a challenge with students from other study programmes on a project from a real client. And you will do your graduation research. This can be done in the Netherlands or in another country.

Will you safeguard our future?

Around the world water managers contend with droughts, floods, sea level rise, overfishing, pollution, plastic soup and many other risks to both our natural environment and our society. We need water managers to safeguard our future!

Read more about our Water Mangement programme

After graduation

Bachelor’s degree

Congratulations, you're graduated! From now on you may use the title ‘Bachelor of Science’.

Career prospects

With your Water Management diploma, you can work for a company, but can also enter the non-profit sector. The jobs depend on your specialization. You can work at all levels of governmental bodies, water boards, or research institutes, at consultancies, engineering firms and industries.

Assistent researcher
Consultant
Assistent area manager
Designer
Project coordinator

Further studies

Do you want to continue studying after your Water Management bachelor degree? Then there are several options.

River Delta Development
With your HZ bachelor degree, you have direct access to the River Delta Development master programme at HZ. When you choose to enrol in this programme, you can obtain your bachelor and master degree in 5.5 years.
Continue studying in the Netherlands
If you choose to continue at another university in the Netherlands, a pre-master may be required.
Continue studying abroad
If you decide to continue studying abroad, you can often immediately enrol in a master programme with your HZ bachelor degree

"It feels more like flexible working than studying."

Read the story of Michelle

"I hope to contribute to changes in the environment, which is strongly reflected in this master."

Read the story of Bob