Inside Urban Economic Development MSc

About the course

On the Urban Economic Development MSc, we train students to become development practitioners and better understand the dynamics of the city economy and encourage them to develop their own theoretically-sound perspectives on how to address urban challenges.

Studying with us, you can expect to focus on a range of contemporary themes in urban economic development, including key debates around:

• The role of governments in enhancing the performance of city economies;
• Different approaches taken across countries and the policy trade-offs they entail;
• The challenges and opportunities of globalisation, liberalisation, decentralisation, digital technologies;
• The implications of climate change for inclusive and sustainable regional economies;
• The impact of the global economy on patterns of urbanisation;
• The causes and consequences of inequality within cities; and
• Pathways towards ecological and circular economies.

Our course is strongly interdisciplinary, attracting participants from a range of academic backgrounds, including economics, architecture, and urban studies, among others. We are brought together by sharing a common belief in social equity and environmental sustainability. Our successful applicants have an average of three to five years of professional experience in fields such as international development and local government administration.