History of Architecture and Urbanism

The MA track positions the evolution of the European city (including the post-socialist cities in Central and Eastern Europe) as intimately linked with trends and tendencies at the global scale.

• At the University of Groningen, the history and theory of architecture and urbanism has a strong and distinctive profile. It is taught within the context of social, economic, political, cultural, and philosophical phenomena and geared towards the active participation of the students in the discourse on global urban tendencies. Embedded in a classical art historical context, this so-called 'Groningen school' expands its scientific explorations to meet the neighbouring spatial sciences and targets planners and policymakers, cultural heritage specialists, as well as historians and art historians.
• Past, present, and future are seen as a continuum, the historian's expertise and research tools as constituting a methodology that is applicable throughout this continuum, its essence being the conviction that historical knowledge is key to tackling current and upcoming challenges, including human-made crises.
• The University of Groningen promotes cooperation and actively collaborates with universities and institutions in the Netherlands and abroad: Delft University of Technology, Gent University of Technology, Berlin University of Technology, ETH Zürich, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency, ICOMOS, International New Town Institute, and others.
• The beautiful historic city of Groningen is well-known for being the liveliest student city in the Netherlands, with a vibrant international student population.

'Cultural Heritage' explores the ways in which we pass on historical relics to the future, what this says about our cultures and societies, and the tension between global trends and local identities.'Origins of the Healthy City' examines the relationship between healthy cities and urban policies. In 'Theories and Methodologies in Architectural and Urban History', students develop a critical overview of thoughts on function (type) and thoughts on form and style and do research into a specific European city (e.g., Prague, Berlin, Barcelona, Paris, Belgrade, and Budapest, amongst others); students actively participate in excursions and are encouraged to explore the cities in different contexts.

Students are encouraged to spend a term abroad to complement the MA curriculum; especially the 2nd semester offers ample opportunities to opt for study, research, or internship at a foreign university or institution, thanks to our international network and exchange contracts in Germany, Belgium, Italy, Colombia, Spain, Poland, Hungary, and elsewhere. Furthermore, our collaboration with the International New Town Institute offers our students exchange projects in China and Kenya.

The master's track opens a myriad of career opportunities, in the Netherlands and abroad, as has been proved over the years. Specifically, our graduates have found careers in the Province of South Holland, De Architects (architectural journalism), CeanConsluting (a management office), Vitruvianum (an architecture centre in Heerlen), the municipality of Groningen, real estate advisory office, architectural firms, and elsewhere.

The research of the Expertise Center reflects its roots in the history and theory of architecture and urbanism: it focuses on architectural and urban objects, their cultural values, and their performance (specifically in terms of health impacts). Topics range from urban biographies to designers' monographs, from building typologies to the issues at stake when modifying cultural heritage, from the morphology of post-war housing estates to the use and reuse of public space.