The IMSDP Overview
The Post-graduate Programme in International Spatial Development Planning – in short International Module in Spatial Development Planning or IMSDP – is an intensive three months (early March through May) teaching and research programme for post-graduate students and researchers in urban studies and planning. It is offered by the KU Leuven Departments of Architecture and Earth and Environmental Sciences, in collaboration with the research units P&D, OSA and Geography and Tourism and over twenty academic partners. From 1997 to 2017, the Programme was known as EMSDP.
The IMSDP programme is open to Doctoral students, Master students (II level Master), Post-graduate students and Researchers, as well as professionals willing to improve their knowledge and research skills. It includes three forms of training: structured lectures, a series of self-standing presentations on relevant case studies or topics, and a post-graduate research seminar in which IMSDP students present their work in progress to peers and staff.
Applicants from Europe and from countries around the world are invited to join with doctoral students and research fellows from the KU Leuven in a unique programme of intensive study and critical discussion of International Spatial Development Planning, specifically designed for postgraduate training.
The programme begins the first week of March and runs over a three – extendable to four – months period. The first three months cover lectures, presentations and research seminars, while the fourth month can be devoted to individual research under local tutorship.
The successful completion of the course – including the positive evaluation by the teachers involved – has two possible outcomes:
- it can be fully validated within the home Ph.D. study programme of the students for up to 30 ECTS;
- it can award a Post-graduate Certificate in International Spatial Development Planning, representing 30 ECTS credits (see specific section further on).
In 2011 the programme was awarded the AESOP – Association of European Schools of Planning Prize for teaching excellence (see details at: Planning Prize for Teaching Excellence )
