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MSc Ecology and Urban Engineering
| Programme Details | |
|---|---|
| Start Date | September entry |
| Awards Available | Master of Science (MSc) |
| Duration | 1 year Full Time |
| Location | UCL East |
About the course
The MSc in Ecology and Urban Engineering brings together ecological theory, urban design and civil and environmental engineering to equip a new generation of built environment professionals with the multidisciplinary knowledge and tools to translate scientific theory into real-world practice.
Students are trained through a multidisciplinary lens, coupling foundational understandings of applied urban ecology, biodiversity monitoring and data handling with deployable climate-resilient and biodiversity-sensitive urban design. Students work with a range of industry professionals from the engineering, urban planning and design, architecture and urban greening disciplines, enabling theory to be translated into practical applications relevant to built environment-focused consultancies, local governments, communities, and NGOs, among others. This course is underpinned by the practical realities and constraints of delivering nature-led urban infrastructure, grounding students with a technical understanding of individual disciplines whilst providing the tools to enable collaborative, multifunctional designs towards nature- and climate-positive urban environments. The integration of these skillsets are in high demand both nationally with the onset of statutory biodiversity net gain, and globally in our collective pursuit to fulfil the target to protect 30% of the planet for nature by 2030.
Designed and delivered by UCL’s award-winning ecologists in collaboration with spatial planning experts at the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment and engineers from the Faculty of Engineering Sciences, this brand-new MSc applies ecological expertise to the planning, design and delivery of future urban environments.Through this cross-cutting programme, you will learn how to apply novel nature-led engineering and sustainable construction methods to overcome the constraints and negative impacts of traditional approaches on the climate and urban biodiversity.
In parallel, you will develop a strong foundational understanding of ecological science, including the practical skills required to capture and analyse large datasets using artificial intelligence and sensor technology. You will formulate experimental designs and investigate complex problems using various field research techniques to understand the impacts of urban infrastructure and construction on natural systems. You will also work on live urban projects, applying your learning to tackle real-world challenges alongside programme partners from industry and local government.
What you can look forward to
The MSc Ecology and Urban Engineering is taught in UCL’s purpose-built People and Nature Lab at the new UCL East campus on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, East London.
- Learn from world-renowned expert academics from across UCL Faculty of Life Sciences, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, and the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment.
- Attend extensive and varied site visits that illustrate theory delivered in lectures, seminars and workshops applied to real-world practice.
- Understand how to successfully integrate green, blue and grey infrastructure, learning from local, national and international projects to mainstream climate- and biodiversity-sensitive urban design.
- Support local authority decision-makers, developers, consultancies and NGOs as they rise to the challenge of adapting our cities to meet ambitious environmental and biodiversity targets.
- Interface with industry professionals from across the built environment disciplines to establish a network and build a pipeline of career opportunities.
- Enjoy practical fieldwork in the purpose-built People and Nature lab, located at the internationally acclaimed Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
- Acquire sought-after data analysis and programming skills, using widely adopted programming languages like R and SQL.
- Test and assess new ecological approaches to spatial planning at the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA).
- Design and implement your own practical research project, with guidance from expert UCL academics and/or industry partners.
Where the course can take you
Transformative legislation (including the UK Government’s Environment Act 2021) means that future construction and infrastructure developments are required to promote biodiversity net gain (BNG) and adopt innovative solutions to the climate and ecological emergencies on an international stage. This MSc has been designed to equip you with the specialist knowledge required to place ecology and climate resilience at the heart of built environment practice.
By combining skillsets in ecological science, data science, urban planning and design and civil and environmental engineering, your expertise will be in high demand across local and national government agencies, urban think tanks, and consultancies that span the built environment disciplines.
Introducing the People and Nature Lab's Rooftop Garden
When designing the new UCL East campus, the People and Nature Lab established the Rooftop Garden – a dynamic research hub exploring urban biodiversity. Equipped with advanced sensors, the Garden supports diverse species and studies environmental conditions. The space is also used for community engagement and student wellbeing through various educational activities, including urban food growing and gardening workshops to highlight sustainable food practices and connect students and the public to urban nature.
Find out more about the Rooftop Garden, and visit our interactive data visualisation platform designed by our colleagues at the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis.
