Bachelor
Human Geography and Planning
★ StudyPath verdict
7.5/10
Best for students passionate about urban development, spatial planning and sustainability in Northern Europe; solid academic reputation with good research integration but fewer direct industry placements than more vocational alternatives.
Tuition · Intl
↗€14,000
EU: €2,694/year · click ↗
Duration
3 years
180 ECTS
Start
Sep 26
apply by May 26
Language
English
IELTS 6+
Accred.
NVAO
NVAO 2026
Admission
Open
no intake cap
Enrolled/yr
↗126
DUO ↑103% ↗
Intl. %
?
no data yet
S:F ratio
↗25:1
institution-wide ↗
Min. English
6
IELTS required
Entry route
↗Any VWO
profile required ↗
Satisfaction
↗4.1/5
NSE 2026 ↗
Employment
?
no data yet
Median salary
?
no data yet
Alumni
?
no data yet
↗ Real values are sourced; tiles marked “?” aren’t collected yet · Enrolled/yr is live from DUO · Satisfaction/outcomes are live from StudiekeuzedatabaseLast sync: 24 Jun 2026
About this program
Do you want to know where to build what types of houses to solve the housing crisis? Do you wonder why climate change has different consequences in different regions?
Do you dare to ask critical questions about how different places develop to help remake a better world? Then Human Geography & Planning is the right choice for you!During this programme, you learn to investigate society in its geographic context. You will learn to explain how and why cities and regions develop differently, and how this relates to where and when these developments take place. For example, why do some regions benefit more from globalisation than others? Or, what are the consequences of population decline for people living in shrinking regions? And, how can you work together with different organisations to plan and build suitable residential areas?You will learn to answer such questions and use this knowledge to create new ideas and develop the places that we live in today and in the future. The programme covers a wide variety of topics, including urban development, globalisation and labour markets, migration, and urban and regional planning. Geographers and planners combine these topics with a spatial perspective to make the world we live in a better place; making places better together.During the first year you learn academic skills and are introduced to various themes of human geography & p
Institution’s own description (HOVI via Studiekeuzedatabase)
English180 ECTSBachelor of ScienceField area: Behaviour & SocietySector: Aarde en MilieuCode of Conduct (intl.)Full-timeBachelor
Teaching formats
Computer assignmentsGroup assignmentIndividual assignmentLectureLiterature studyOral presentationPracticalResearch project
About University of Groningen
Founded in 1614, the University of Groningen is the second oldest university in the Netherlands with over 33,000 students. Known for its vibrant student city atmosphere (1 in 4 residents is a student), excellent research output, and 4 Nobel Prize laureates including Ben Feringa (Chemistry 2016).
Living in Groningen
Student cost of living
Rent · room
€450/mo
Monthly total
€800–€1,400
Cost of living
Medium
Population
234k
Young, vibrant, and welcoming. Groningen has a laid-back northern Dutch charm combined with the energy of a true student city. The compact city center is easy to navigate by bike, and the local community is known for being friendly and open to international students.
View city guide →Specializations
Year 3 tracks
?No data yet
Curriculum
Course structure by year
Year 160 ECTS
Foundations
- Reflecting on Human Geography and Spatial Planning (5 EC)
- Urbanism and Planning (10 EC)
- Economic Geography (10 EC)
- Statistics 1 (5 EC)
- Introduction to Academic Research (5 EC)
- Population Geographies (10 EC)
- Geographic Information Systems (10 EC)
- Rural Geography (5 EC)
Year 260 ECTS
Deepening
- Migration and Development (10 EC)
- Qualitative Research Methods (5 EC)
- People, Place and Culture (10 EC)
- Restricted Elective (5 EC)
- Governance Dynamics (5 EC)
- Physical Geography (5 EC)
- Statistics 2 (5 EC)
- Landscapes (5 EC)
- Philosophy of Social Science (5 EC)
- Quantitative Research Methods (5 EC)
Year 360 ECTS
Specialisation
- Minor or Optional Modules (30 EC)
- Geography, Planning and the European Union (5 EC)
- Planning Dynamics (5 EC)
- Bachelor's Project (15 EC)
- Fieldwork Abroad (5 EC)
180 ECTS total · semester-by-semesterSource ↗
Career outcomes
Graduate surveys · field-group level
Where bachelor graduates continue
Economische Geografie26%
Environmental and Infrastructure Planning26%
Sociale Planologie20%
Population Studies11%
Field-group estimates from national graduate surveys via Studiekeuzedatabase — not measured per programme
Progression & cohort
Official register statistics
Continue to year 272%
Complete this degree48%
Continue studying after graduating69%
Women among first-years40%
Say workload is “just right”71%
Official register statistics (1cijferHO · 2025) via Studiekeuzedatabase
Student voices
National Student Survey (NSE) — first-party reviews coming
4.1/5overall satisfaction · NSE 2026 · 98 respondents
Content & set-up3.9
Teachers4
Atmosphere4.4
Involvement & contact3.9
Study guidance4.1
Testing & assessment3.8
Facilities4.1
Career preparation3.4
Teachers' English4.3
Would choose again4.2
Source: Nationale Studenten Enquête via Studiekeuzedatabase (Studiekeuze123/LCSK)
Admissions
Minimum language scores · from StudyInNL
- IELTS: 6
- TOEFL iBT: 80
Scholarships
Internships
?No data yet
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