Master in Nordic Urban Planning Studies

Nordic Urban Planning Studies is a two-year Master of Science programme taught in English. It is run jointly by Roskilde University in Denmark, Malmö University in Sweden and UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø. You study urban planning through a Nordic lens, with a focus on sustainable cities.

What you study

The programme looks at global urban planning through Nordic approaches to sustainable urbanisation. Themes include public space and liveability, mobility and transport, citizen empowerment and climate adaptation. You learn to analyse urban problems using qualitative and creative methods, and quantitative techniques such as spatial visualisation and geographical information systems (GIS).

Courses are named in the study plan. At Roskilde University in the first semester you take Critical Urban Studies (5 ECTS), Livable Cities (5 ECTS), Approaches to Urban Planning (5 ECTS) and a project on Urban Planning in a Welfare Context (15 ECTS). Later semesters offer options at the partner universities. At Malmö University you can take Catching Urbanity (15 ECTS) and Making Urban Studies (15 ECTS). At Roskilde University you can take Cities, Culture and Politics (5 ECTS), Methods in Community Planning (5 ECTS), GIS and Visualisation (5 ECTS) and a project on Mobilities and Globalizing Cities (15 ECTS) or a project-oriented internship (15 ECTS). At UiT you can take the Arctic Cities Field Course (20 ECTS) and Culture, Politics and Planning (10 ECTS). In the final semester you can choose Urban Project Management (5 ECTS), Ethnography and Visualisation for Planning Practice (5 ECTS) and a live case project or internship (20 ECTS). The programme ends with a 30 ECTS master's thesis.

How the programme is organised

You attend at least two of the three universities and can choose to attend all three. Mobility for at least one semester is required. Erasmus+ funding is available to support mobility. Teaching uses Roskilde University's project format: you identify a problem, analyse it, choose methods and build a theoretical framework under the guidance of a researcher. Group projects are central, and you can do an internship. Field trips are part of the curriculum. The first semester starts with a week of social activities and excursions. Students come from many backgrounds and form a tight-knit group with staff from the three universities.

Who it suits

This programme suits you if you want to work with cities, regions and urban life across national borders. It is for students who are comfortable with interdisciplinary work and group projects, and who want to combine social, cultural and technical aspects of planning. The programme attracts students from around the world, from architects to social scientists, who share an interest in Nordic planning.

Admission, language and next steps

The programme is taught in English. To apply for a master's programme at Roskilde University, you apply directly to the institution. Check the admission requirements on the university's website. Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland study free of charge. Other students pay a tuition fee set by the institution. The degree awarded is Master of Science (MSc) in Social Sciences in Nordic Urban Planning Studies. Graduates receive a degree from either two or three universities, depending on their study path (double or multiple degree).

Master’s applications go straight to Roskilde University, not through optagelse.dk, and the institution sets its own deadline. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, residence permits and housing.