• Curriculum
  • Courses first semester

Curriculum

The MEMR programme combines an intensive academic education with a pragmatic approach to metropolitan management and is composed of several courses that deal with different aspects of metropolitan management. This MSc course has an overall workload of 60 ECTS and accommodates up to 25 participants each year, in a two-term course structure.

The full programme consists of the following elements:

First semester

The first semester programme consists of one term of six months (September-February) at Erasmus University Rotterdam; three to four afternoons per week (Monday - Thursday) lectures are given and local excursions take place. This term is divided into three blocks of two months each; each block consists of different modules, that can be also followed separately in different years, for those wishing to do the course part time (for more information on the part-time MSc course, please contact the MEMR staff!). Usually, there is one week of vacation after the first block  (late October or early November), and around 2 or 3 weeks of Christmas vacation (after the second block).

Teaching staff from the partner universities, as well as guest lectures, are invited to Rotterdam to enhance the quality of the course. Moreover local excursions will take place regularly to visit places of interest for the course-related topics. Field visits are an integral part of the curriculum and aim at showing participants how theory is (or is not) applied in practice. Participants have the opportunity to test their knowledge and to interact with professionals in different fields of urban management. During the first term we will also organise one international excursion for our students.

Written examinations will take place after each block - the exams of the first block will take place in late October or early November, the exams of the second block in early January. Moreover, the students have to accomplish some written assignments as well - the deadline for handing in those assignments varies per module. One of the assignments will consist in writing the thesis proposal - the deadline for this assignment will be in February.

Language courses

As most of the Dutch speak the English language, it is not necessary to learn Dutch. Anyhow, for those willing to learn this language, or to take courses in another language, there are possibilities at Erasmus University Rotterdam. It is possible to combine a language course with the MEMR, and you might choose to do so, for example to improve your language skills for the country you are going to write your thesis in the second semester. Most languages spoken in the countries of our partner universities are actually taught at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Language courses are offered on different levels and you can choose between Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese.

For detailed information about starting dates and application procedures, please contact the Language Centre of Erasmus University Rotterdam

Second semester

The second term (March-August, 6 months) is an essential part of the postgraduate master's program. During this second semester, participants can choose to continue their studies at one of the partner universities: Antwerp, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Venice or Rotterdam, whichever suits their specialization best. The partner universities will help to find accommodation and moreover allow the MEMR students to make use of their facilities. On the basis of individual tutorials and discussions in the second semester, either in Rotterdam or at one of the partner universities, an effective agenda can be worked out for the set tasks, which should result in a formal thesis.

The second semester is thus mainly spent writing a thesis, under supervision of a tutor from the chosen university. It is, however, also possible to choose a different city if this is necessary for the research project. If other cities or universities are chosen, MEMR and EURICUR staff and the partners in their network will guide thesis supervision. Distant supervision will then mostly be required and should be considered. The decision where to go in the second semester will be taken during the course, with regard to where the research project can be carried out best. Apart from the five official partners, we have also excellent contacts with Shanghai Normal University and Loughborough University (UK); on occasion it is also possible to write your thesis in one of these two universities.

Thesis (18 ECTS)

The thesis is a crucial element of the Master's Programme and should demonstrate not only your understanding of the intellectual concepts and knowledge base of Urban Management but also your ability to apply them to important issues and situations. The thesis is expected to be of a high quality, fully conforming to international academic standards.

The thesis subject is selected and worked out in close consultation with staff members of MEMR and EURICUR: the work involves research activity that must lead to an elaboration of a thesis. At the end of the lecturing blocks participants will be expected to develop an outline proposal for their thesis. This forces participants to start thinking of application of theory and relevance of the study from the start of the master course. On the base of this thesis proposal each participant will be assigned with a supervisor that will guide the participant during the second semester.

The study load of the thesis work is about 5 to 6 months of full time work, including the fieldwork. Although the bulk of the thesis work takes place from March till August, an early start with its preparation is essential. Writing a good thesis cannot be done without a well thought out conceptual framework. The gradual development of this framework requires time to help ideas ripen and grow through continuous re-examination in the light of new information and course inputs. Thus, it is vital that systematic thinking about - and preparation for - the thesis begins early.

Occasionally it is possible to combine the thesis writing with an internship. The MEMR course has always encouraged participants to combine their thesis project with an internship during the second semester. However, we do not have a fixed number of internships at offer - rather than that we provide our students with the opportunity to establish contacts with organisations that might have a need for a trainee. In the past, some students managed to get internships through our guest lecturers and the lecturers from our partner universities. Past MEMR participants have completed internship programs of 3 to 9 months in different organizations among which: Eurocities, Municipality of Rotterdam, Rotterdam Development Corporation, Municipality of Venice, COSES (Research Institute for Urban Issues in Venice), and Municipality of Barcelona.

The Graduation Ceremony

The graduation ceremony is organized every year in September at one of the partner universities (Barcelona 2004, Copenhagen 2005, Rotterdam 2006, Venice 2007 and Antwerp 2008) and consists of the public defence of the thesis, graduation seminar, handing out of diplomas and a social programme. Besides that, the annual MEMR Alumni meeting takes place during the same weekend. The ceremony is thus attended by members of the Alumni Network as well as by family and friends of the graduates and scientific staff of the partner universities. After the graduation, former and present MEMR students can participate in an excursion programme.