Master's degree Géographie, aménagement, environnement et développement Programme Territoires en transition : métiers du diagnostic, de l'aménagement et du développement local
This programme is taught in French.
field(s) of training :
Humanities and Social Sciences
diploma level :
Master's degree (five-year degree)
duration of the program :
2 years
location(s) :
Caen, Normandy, France
Course overview
In urban, periurban, or rural settings, territories and local development are at the heart of major challenges and public policy reforms: socio-demographic, agroecological, energetic. You want to work in territorial engineering? Join the Master’s program in Geography, planning, environment, and development and specialise in Territories in transition: diagnosis, planning, and local development.
This two-year programme addresses the challenges of sustainable territorial development and planning. You will strengthen your methodological skills through complementary approaches:
- Quantitative: geostatistical analysis, GIS, spatial analysis, database management, questionnaire-based surveys, etc.
- Qualitative: interviews, field observations, etc.
You want to know more about our programmes in digital social humanities? Check our website dedicated to the digital sector!
Highlights
Field work
The best place to carry out analyses is the field! Field works are organised all year long in the Normandy region.
Research-oriented programme
The master's is supported by the laboratoire Espaces et sociétés (ESO · UMR CNRS 6590) laboratory of the University of Caen Normandie and prepares to doctoral studies in Geography.
Application requirements
Entry requirements
To enter this master's programme, you must have obtained a Bachelor's degree level diploma in:
- Geography
- Sociology
- Economy
- Law
- Foreign languages
Your application will be examined based on the following criteria:
- Academic background
- Motivation
- Resume
If your application is accepted, you will be interviewed by members of the teaching team.
Language proficiency requirements
Minimum French proficiency level required: C1
Apply and register
The registration process takes place in 3 steps:
Application process
Admission and registration requirements may vary depending on your nationality, country of residence, foreign secondary school leaving certificate, and the nature of your programme of study. Discover how to apply to the University of Caen Normandy.
Welcoming international students
Since 2019, the University of Caen Normandy has been awarded the "Bienvenue en France" label by Campus France, highlighting the quality of the university's welcome for international students.
Course structure
The Master's
- Takes place on site on Campus 1, Caen, University of Caen Normandie.
- Amounts to
- 286 hours in Year 1 (approximately 20 hours a week)
- 435 hours in Year 2 (between 25 and 30 hours a week)
- Demands significant personal investment (team work and individual work).
- Includes a compulsory internship. Is open to continuing education students.
Course units
The Master's relies on the acquisition of theory and methods as well as their applications, conveyed through course units:
- Social and economic geography
- Territorial planning tools
- Planning and urban development frameworks and stakeholders
- Local government law
- Methodology for territorial assessment and fieldwork
- Geographic information systems (GIS) and database management
- Geostatistical analysis
Thematic modules focus on:
- Housing and housing policy
- Local development and metropolitan growth
- Inequalities, public policy, and social development
- Territorial agri-food projects
- Tourism, leisure, and local development
In addition, cross-disciplinary courses help prepare your professional career:
- Project design and management
- Communication
- Practical professional experience through supervised projects and field workshops, as well as internships and research work (master's thesis and potentially a PhD proposal):
- In year 1: individual master's thesis.
- In year 2: professional internship or PhD proposal.
Internships and placements
To support your career plans, the Master's programme has a end-of-studies internship at the end of Year 2. The internship is compulsory to obtain the laster semester of the Master's: it lasts between 4 and 6 months and can be done in a private or public organisation, as well as a research laboratory.
Language of instruction
French
Study abroad
If you want to go abroad during the Master's, the Geography department takes part in international exchanges to you to:
Learning outcome
By the end of the Master's degree, you will be able to :
- Master local planning and development procedures as well as territorial challenges faced by areas in transition (urban, periurban, and rural)
- Manage a project
- Present and share information, written and oral, in both French and English
- Work in a team and gather public actors
- Carry out a territorial diagnosis
- Transform official decisions into concrete projects
- Define the objectives of a territorial project and the human, material, and financial resources required for its implementation
- Initiate, coordinate, and evaluate a project at the local or national level
Further study
A Master's degree aims at becoming a trained professional in your speciality. You can also pursue an academic career with doctoral studies in the field of geography, for instance within the Hommes, sociétés, risques, territoires (ED556 HSRT) doctoral school of the University of Caen Normandie (in French).
Careers
Opportunities
- Territorial and/or sustainable development officer (generalist or specialist)
- Territorial planning project manager
- Territorial analyst
- GIS and evaluation officer
Address
Université de Caen Normandie
UFR SEGGAT · Sciences économiques, de gestion, de géographie et d’aménagement des territoires
Esplanade de la Paix · CS 14032 · 14032 Caen Cedex 5
France
Course leader
Michaël Bermond · michael.bermond@unicaen.fr
Michaël Bermond · michael.bermond@unicaen.fr
Olivier Cantat · olivier.cantat@unicaen.fr