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Studies & Degrees in Territory Organization

Territory organization is the usual English rendering of the Spanish term ordenación del territorio, known elsewhere as spatial or regional planning. It is the public policy, and the academic field behind it, that decides how land is used above the level of a single town: where infrastructure and public facilities go, which areas are protected, and how cities and rural areas develop in balance. The regional government of Andalusia describes its purpose as making sure that human activities with a direct effect on land use are established and developed in a coordinated, balanced and mutually compatible way, so that a sustainable model of territorial development takes hold in the long term.

Students learn to read a territory as a system. Programmes combine physical and human geography, urban and regional planning instruments, environmental assessment, landscape, and a strong technical component: cartography, geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing. Fieldwork is a regular part of the training.

Qualifications and levels

In Spain the subject is rarely a degree on its own at undergraduate level. It is studied inside a bachelor's degree (grado) in geography and deepened in a master's degree. Official Spanish degrees follow the national structure: a grado of 240 ECTS credits, master's degrees of 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits, and then the doctorate.

  • Bachelor's degree. The Universidad de Alicante teaches the Grado en Geografía y Ordenación del Territorio, with 240 credits and 50 places, in Spanish with some subjects also offered in Valencian and English. The Universidad de Sevilla teaches the Grado en Geografía y Gestión del Territorio, with 240 credits over four years; its students must show a B1 level in a foreign language before the degree is awarded.
  • Master's degree. The Universidad de Zaragoza offers the Máster Universitario en Ordenación y Gestión del Territorio y del Medio Ambiente, of 60 ECTS credits. It covers the assessment and management of impacts and natural hazards, the management and conservation of natural areas, and the planning of services and activities in urban and rural areas. The Universidad de Sevilla offers the Máster Universitario en Gestión del Territorio. Instrumentos y Técnicas de Intervención, with 60 credits in one year.
  • Doctorate. According to the Universidad de Zaragoza, its master's degree gives access to the doctoral programme in Ordenación del Territorio y Medio Ambiente.

Degree names are changing. The Universidad de Zaragoza lists its Grado en Geografía y Ordenación del Territorio as being phased out and now admits students to the Grado en Geografía, Territorio y Medio Ambiente. The Universidad de Murcia states that its degree of the same name has been in the process of being phased out since the 2020-21 academic year. Check on the university's own page which degree is open to new students.

Admission

For a grado, the Universidad de Zaragoza asks for the Spanish Bachillerato plus the university entrance exam (PAU) or an equivalent test, among other access routes; applicants with school qualifications from another country should ask the university which route applies to them. Master's programmes accept graduates from several fields. The Zaragoza master's lists geography, environmental sciences, geology, economics, architecture, law, public administration, tourism and sociology among its entry profiles. When a master's degree is taught in Spanish and Spanish is not the applicant's mother tongue, the university asks for proof of a sufficient level of Spanish.

Where to study it

All 15 schools listed under this subject on SpainExchange are in Spain, and all are universities. They are spread across the country: Andalusia (Seville, Granada, Cádiz and Huelva), Aragon (Zaragoza), Asturias (Oviedo), the Basque Country, the Canary Islands, Castilla-La Mancha, Madrid, Murcia and the Valencia Region (Alicante). Teaching is mainly in Spanish, with some subjects in the co-official language of the region or in English, as in Alicante.

The location matters for the content. Spatial planning in Spain is a regional power: Andalusia, for example, has exclusive competence over it under its Statute of Autonomy. Case studies, planning laws and internships therefore tend to reflect the region where the university is.

Careers

Graduates work mostly in regional and local administration and in consultancies. The Universidad de Sevilla, citing the Colegio de Geógrafos, names the most requested lines of work as geographic information technologies, territorial and urban planning, territorial development, and environmental planning and management. The Zaragoza master's lists roles such as spatial planning officer, strategic planning specialist, urban planning technician, rural and local development officer and landscape assessment technician. Teaching and research are further options.

Frequently asked questions

Is territory organization the same as urban planning?

Not exactly. Urban planning deals with a town or city, while territory organization works at a wider, regional scale and sets the framework that urban plans and sector policies follow.

Which degree do I need to study it in Spain?

Most students take a four-year, 240-credit bachelor's degree in geography with a planning component and then a master's degree of 60 to 120 ECTS credits. The Zaragoza master's also admits graduates in environmental sciences, architecture, law and other fields.

In which language are the programmes taught?

Mainly in Spanish. The Universidad de Alicante also offers some subjects in Valencian and English, and universities ask non-native speakers for proof of Spanish for master's degrees taught in Spanish.

Where do graduates work?

In regional and local government, planning and environmental consultancies, GIS and cartography services, local development agencies, and teaching or research.