After graduation

Skills after graduation

Graduates of this master's are urban managers who are well trained in strategic planning, policy development, governance, communication, negotiation, research, and spatial analysis. You will have broadened your knowledge regarding urban issues, policies and trends from local and international perspectives, which vary from different geographical contexts and social environments. You will be equipped with the knowledge to be an innovative urban manager and creative planner.

After graduation, you will be able to apply the learnt methodologies and techniques in your work. You will also be able to plan, manage, and define tasks for others effectively. Having studied in the international IHS environment, you will be able to collaborate with people from different backgrounds and cultures. More specifically, IHS graduates gain the skills to:

• Identify contemporary urban issues and trends in developing, developed and transition countries.
• Monitor and evaluate urban management policies in terms of actors, performance and context
• Manage stakeholders, negotiate effectively and execute complex decision-making
• Design strategies and actions based on problem analysis
• Conduct academic, applied and commissioned research across a spectrum of urban topics
• Work in international teams across different sectors and disciplines
• Demonstrate presentation, communication, and negotiation skills

Career prospective

You will graduate as an expert with specialist knowledge in the sphere of urban management and development. The career prospects of urban management development graduates are excellent. Cities are expanding increasingly fast, this means that there is an ever-growing demand for urban professionals who are able to come up with solutions and innovations that will make a difference in a city. Once you have completed the programme you will be able to work in various sectors ranging from city/town planner to urban project manager, or urban development specialist.

IHS is a highly reputable institute with a strong reputation with donor agencies and training centres worldwide. Our lecturers have outstanding international experience and continue to work all over the world, therefore, creating a possibility to discuss and initiate links to programmes and projects in the countries and cities of the participants.

Here are a few examples of positions taken up by our graduates:

• Advisor-Public Transport Planning at GIZ Albania

• Senior Program Analyst at ThinkWell

• Urban Strategy Specialist at Urban Innovation

• Environmental Planner at Ruth Villalobos & Associates, Inc.

• Architect and Urban Planner at IPHAN

Join a powerful alumni network

During the course of 60 years, the IHS has developed an extensive and international network with former students. The IHS Alumni are urban professionals who have key positions in projects, programmes and organisations in public, private and academic sectors. The IHS alumni have formed a unique and global network of international contacts which currently has more than 9000 urban professionals in 143 countries that are actively engaged in the field. Once you graduate you will be able to benefit from this diverse and extensive network of urban professionals. As a student of IHS, you will also have the unique opportunity to connect with like-minded people from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds with whom you exchange experience and knowledge.

In 2009 the IHS Alumni International (AI) network was established. The goals of IHS AI are to maintain and promote the formation of IHS Alumni Associations around the world, and to provide a platform to support active interaction between them, IHS and the urban world. The network slogan is “sharing urban knowledge” internationally. The Alumni International Board oversees the activity of Local Alumni Associations and connects alumni through various events and initiatives.

Meet the IHS graduates