Educational quality of the programme
At VUB the quality of the education takes centre stage. This isn't something we say lightly: we scrutinise our programmes regularly to align them with changing student needs in a rapidly changing society.
Our strenghts
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Encompassing and research-based curriculum: urban topics are approached from different disciplines. To keep the programme up to date, studied subjects shift according to the research currently performed in the field.
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Committed group of staff and students: the lecturers and other staff members are very approachable and open to feedback of students, who act as cocreators of the programme.
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The programme has a clear focus on Europe.
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Excursions: as a city must be experienced to be understood, excursions are an important part of the programme and very much appreciated by the students.
Where do we get this information from?
We routinely ask our students to give their honest opinion about the study programme during their academic career. We also consult our professors and assistants and gauge the expectations in the future field of work. Lastly, we receive structured feedback from our former students and compare our programmes with others at home and abroad.
Quality Cycle
Internal Follow-Up Meeting (October 2023) - Peer Review (November 2026) - Decision by Education Quality Council (May 2027)
Opportunities
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Narrowing the focus of the programme based on the compulsory courses would sharpen its profile.
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Because many students do an internship, the programme could - on top of the guidance that is currently already provided – monitor the internship more closely.
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Strengthening the collaborations with the private sector, in addition to the already existing interactions with Brussels and European organisations and NGOs, would further improve the relationship with the current labour market.
What is the programme working on now?
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The programme highly values the interaction with alumni and the professional field and will further invest in these relationships. This entails networking with existing and potentially new internship host organisations, developing new educational formats to allow practitioners to integrate their knowledge in university teaching and setting up a labour market survey to keep track of the expectations for urban studies graduates.
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An evaluation of the different modules and options offered in the programme is planned in order to further refine the curriculum.
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The programme plans to develop course units in methods and skills to prepare students even better for the professional field.
This public information is part of VUB’s quality assurance and was approved by the Course Council in 2020.