Cultural Geography and Tourism

Understanding and interpreting advanced theories and practices of leisure and tourism and the interaction between tourism and the social, cultural and physical environment.

Tourism is based on the cultural appreciation and value of the cities and landscapes tourists visit. Tourism also has a major economic, social and environmental impact on places and regions. This Master's specialisation allows you to understand the processes involved and how to use them in practice. In this specialisation you will mainly learn to understand and interpret advanced theories and practices of leisure and tourism and their influence on the social and physical environment. Since tourism is mainly about experiencing places and events, you will learn to understand where these experiences come from, what effects they have and how they can be influenced.

Tourists travel to places which are different, attractive, challenging and special, and which provide them with a thrilling experience. Geographers study, how these experiences actually evolve, how they are created and produced, how these experiences differ from group to group and how places can be designed accordingly. Tourism also has a profound effect on places, on the local economy, on the culture of the people who live there and on the ecology and landscape. Also these aspects are of central interest for the scholars in this Master's specialisation. Finally, not just places are affected, but the movements, flows and related streams of people, goods, money, information, images, and traffic have an enormous effect on our global landscape, which we study in the framework of this Master's specialisation.

The Master’s specialisation in Cultural Geography and Tourism is taught the Nijmegen School of Management. It has a course load of 60 EC* (one-year). All the courses are 6 EC and the Master’s thesis is 24 EC. The structure is as follows:

Semester 1

• Urban and Cultural Geography (6 EC)
• Preparing the Master’s Thesis (6 EC)
• Leisure, Tourism and Environment: Sustainable Development (6 EC) N.B.: This course takes place in Wageningen
• Elective course(s) (12 EC)

Semester 2

• Leisure, Tourism and Environment: Experience and Environment (6 EC) N.B.: This course takes place in Wageningen
• Master's Thesis and Internship (24 EC)

Elective courses

You’re free to choose courses that add up to at least 12 EC and meet your interests as long as they, in some way, can be linked to this specialisation and are taught at Master’s level. You can choose courses within Human Geography that are compulsory for other specialisations or from other related Master’s programmes, for example:

• Multiculturalism, Diversity and Space (Radboud University) (6 EC)
• Leisure, Tourism and Globalisation (Wageningen University) (6 EC)
• City and Region Marketing (course in Dutch) (6 EC)
• Tourism (Radboud University) (5 EC)
• Things: Material Culture and the Politics of Identity (Radboud University) (5 EC)
• New Media and Social Media in Functional Context (Radboud University) (5 EC)
• Event and Tourism Marketing (Erasmus University) (5 EC)
• Brand Management (Erasmus University) (6 EC)
• Leisure and Creativity in the Information Society (Breda University) (6 EC)
• Understanding Leisure Attractions and Events (Breda University) (6 EC)
• Imagineering as Strategic Design in Leisure Organisations (Breda University) (6 EC)
• Experience Marketing (Breda University) (6 EC)
• Analysing Leisure Interactions (Breda University) (6 EC)

1. A completed Bachelor's degree from a geography-related discipline
   In order to get admission to this Master's you will need a completed Bachelor’s degree from a geography-related discipline, such as Urban/Spatial Planning, Environmental Studies, Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, History, Philosophy, Religion Studies, European Studies, International Relations, Political Science, Public Administration, Economics, Development Studies, Language Studies, Architecture, (Urban) Design Studies, Leisure and Tourism, Conflict Studies and Management Sciences. Your prior education needs to be approved by the Examination Board.
2. Proficiency in English
   In order to take part in this programme, you need to have fluency in both written and spoken English. Non-native speakers of English* without a Dutch Bachelor's degree or VWO diploma need one of the following:
   • A TOEFL minimum overall score of 90, with subscores no lower than 18
   • An IELTS of minimum overall score of 6.5, with subscores no lower than 6.0
   • Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) with a mark of C or higher

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

There are various scholarships available for studying at Radboud University. Some of the opportunities are described below. A full list, including detailed information, can be found on our scholarships and grants page at our website. 

Radboud Scholarship Programme

Open to a select number of excellent international students. Instead of the institutional tuition fees, non-EEA students pay the legal tuition fees (€2,006 in 2017/2018). Visa and residence permit costs, liability insurance and health insurance are also covered.

Orange Tulip Scholarship

Open to students from Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Indonesia, South-Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and China. Instead of the institutional tuition fees, non-EEA students pay the legal tuition fees (€2,006 in 2017/2018). Visa and residence permit costs, liability insurance and health insurance are also covered.

Fulbright-Radboud Scholarships

Open to excellent American students. The grant will be paid in 12 monthly instalments of 1,050 euros. International travel and the cost of the residence permit will be covered, and an extra allowance of €1150 will be paid on arrival.

Sino-Dutch Bilateral Exchange Scholarship

Open to excellent students from China. Consists of a contribution of € 16,113 towards the total costs of one year of study or research in the Netherlands.

DIKTI-Neso Scholarships

Aimed at lecturers at higher education institutions in Indonesia who wish to pursue a PhD or Master's at a university in the Netherlands. A DIKTI scholarship includes allowances for living expenses, insurance, travel costs, tuition fees and more.

Indonesian Education Scholarship (LPDP)

Open to excellent Indonesian students under the age of 35. Involves a full scholarship.

Holland Scholarship Programme

Open to excellent students from Canada, America, India and Turkey. Scholarship consists of 5,000 euros payed at the start of study.

Dutch Student Finance

EU/EEA students and Swiss students under 30 years of age are eligible if they are working at least 56 hours per month in the Netherlands, or have been living in the Netherlands for five years or more. Dutch student finance consists of four components: a basic grant, a supplementary grant (depending on the parental income), a student travel product, and a loan.