London, Bloomsbury

If you require details of the previous year's programme, Urban Studies MSc (2024), click here

As cities become increasingly central to research, policy-making, and public discourse, understanding their complexities is more important than ever. With the UN predicting that 75% of the global population will reside in cities by 2050, the nature of urbanisation is diverse and multifaceted. Join us and explore the scale and intricacies of modern urbanism through this interdisciplinary Master’s programme. Develop the skills necessary for a career in academia, research, and other fields that require a deep understanding of cities and urban transformation. 

Applications open

Applications open

Normally a minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

Students gain an advanced understanding of urban theory, develop a range of critical analytical lenses to explore urban challenges shaping the world, contemporary as well as historical. The programme focuses on an interface between theory and practice across a diverse set of topics, from critical urban debates to creative engagements with the urban. It also questions our normative categorisation of cities such as the global South, post-socialist cities and other regional rationalisations to rethink a global understanding of concerns from capitalist development to socio-ecological change.

This interdisciplinary programme welcomes candidates from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds, and is suitable for students who wish to develop their understanding of critical debates in this field, either as a foundation for further research or to enrich their practical and professional contribution to the urban arena.

Located in UCL's Bloomsbury campus, you will engage with the broad range of urban expertise associated with the UCL Urban Lab: from Geography to English and Engineering, from Urban Planning to the latest developments in Architectural History.

You will think carefully and critically about the latest international, comparative and historically-informed perspectives on cities and urbanisation as part of the Global Urbanisms cluster in the Department of Geography.

Students will use London as a key laboratory to introduce and explore a series of interconnected critical themes within Urban Studies. They will also tailor their cross-disciplinary learning to their interests and enthusiasms with a broad range of potential optional modules spanning many different UCL Departments.

"UCL's dedication to fostering critical thinking and innovation means you'll be well-equipped to tackle the complex challenges of urban life and make a meaningful impact." - Nurin Huda Hanif, MSc Urban Studies, 2023.

Since the launch of the Urban Studies MSc in 2008, graduates from the programme have found employment in a variety of sectors such as municipal and local government, urban political organisations, communications companies, financial services, social enterprise initiatives, cultural institutions, community development organisations and think tanks. (Graduate Outcomes survey 2017-2022)

Urban Studies graduates have an impressive record of continuing their research as PhD students - in geography, development planning, and architectural design - in the UK as well as in Europe and North America.

This programme will significantly improve the knowledge and skills necessary for careers in academia, public and private research, and other commercial and professional fields where an advanced understanding of cities and urban change is required. Through this programme, students will meet leading practitioners from fields such as architecture and planning, journalism, environmental sectors, as well as art (and community) activism-related actors. You will become part of a growing international network of graduates who are a valuable source of advice, information and guidance for current students.

Students will benefit from the expertise of our world-class researchers and due to the inter-disciplinary nature of our work, you can develop your knowledge across subjects, learning from academics not only in Geography but the wider UCL community as well. The department also hosts annual careers events where alumni share their experience of post-graduation training and employment across the wide variety of opportunities available to geography graduates.

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, field trips, tutorials, discussion groups, presentations and group work.

Assessment is through coursework in the form of essays and the dissertation. Oral presentations constitute a smaller part of assessment in some modules. 

Each 15 credit module involves 150 hours of learning, including lectures, practicals, pre-recorded lectures, independent study, peer-to-peer learning, tutorial support, and assessment and assessment preparation. This will be supplemented by voluntary in-person activities including research seminars and assessment and feedback hours.

For full-time students, this is typically around 12 hours per week contact time. Outside of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials, you will typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using your remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments. Additionally, you will be expected to complete a dissertation, worth up to 60 credits. You will have regular contact with your supervisor(s) who will guide and support you throughout your work.

You will undertake a maximum of 8 taught modules and the research dissertation. Students can select from a wide range of optional modules including GEOG0078 Geographies of Material Culture, GEOG0082 Social Science Research: Methodologies and Methods and GEOG0087 Precarious Urban Environments. See the Modules section below for more information.

Full time structure:Term One:We recommend you take a maximum of 2 optional modules.

Term Two:You will take a maximum of 3 optional modules.

Term Three:The dissertation planning commences in term two with the research and writing conducted in term three and the summer.

We recommend you take two optional modules in your first year.  

In year two, you will take the remaining compulsory module and the required number of optional modules to complete the programme. Students normally commence their independent dissertation planning in the first year with research and writing conducted in the summer of both years and submission in September of the second year.

As a modular flexible student, you can study at your own pace over a maximum period of five years ensuring that you have completed the 2 compulsory modules and the required number of optional modules by the end of the programme. Students normally commence their independent dissertation planning before their final year with the submission of the dissertation in September of the final year.

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Urban Studies.

Field visits within London will sometimes be offered as part of some of the taught modules. Field work is also generally expected for the collection of empirical material as part of the dissertation. 

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

For flexible/modular offer holders a £500 fee deposit will be charged.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

While there are no planned field trips as part of the curriculum, certain modules do emphasise out-of-classroom learning involving field visits to sites within London. Any costs, for example a one day travel card, will be incurred by the student. A Day off-peak travelcard for zones 1-9 costs around £17.00, but most visits will be within zones 1-3.

There are also social events to ensure students can gather together in an informal setting, the costs of which are borne individually. Visits to exhibitions if appropriate might be recommended (not compulsory) and again the cost of entrance fees to these will be borne by the students, typically around £15-£20. 

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

ESRC funding exists for students taking the MSc as a prelude to a three-year PhD. Please check the UCL website for taught graduate scholarships

Overseas students: Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships Plan, Ford Foundation International Fellowships, Marshall Scholarships and Fulbright Traditional Postgraduate Student Awards.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

geog.office@ucl.ac.uk

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