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Development Planning Unit MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

This is the programme information for 2026/27 entry

If you require details of the previous year's programme, Development Planning Unit MPhil/PhD (2025/26), click here

UK students International students

Study mode

UK tuition fees (2026/27)

£11,600

£5,800

Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)

£31,300

£15,650

Duration

3 calendar years

5 calendar years

Programme starts

October 2026

Applications accepted

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis but should be submitted at least three months prior to your preferred start date.

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, in a relevant subject, is essential. Exceptionally: where applicants have other suitable research or professional experience, they may be admitted without a Master's degree; or where applicants have a lower second-class UK Honours Bachelor's degree (2:2) (or equivalent) they must possess a relevant Master's degree to be admitted. We expect any successful application to include a sufficiently strong and convincing proposal, and those holding a Master's degree are typically well prepared to provide one. Relevant work experience is highly desirable.

The English language level for this course is: Level 1

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.

Equivalent qualifications

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.

About this degree

The Development Planning MPhil/PhD supports research that makes a distinct contribution to knowledge and deepens understanding of how to address inequalities and injustices shaped by the nature of ‘knowledge’ itself on patriarchy, capitalism, urbanisation, climate change and governance. It does so through an interdisciplinary approach, engaging with urban planning, urban design, economic development, social development, gender relations, housing and land, migration and displacement, disasters, transport and urban food systems.

Socially grounded and reflexive research is central to the learning approach at The Bartlett Development Planning Unit, where theory, methodology and practice come together to explore international development. The MPhil/PhD enables you to develop specialist knowledge and conduct in-depth empirical research. Our distinctive, values-driven focus on cities and territories in the Global South emphasises the relationship between theory and practice in a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment.

You join a network of academics, students and researchers critically examining how injustices emerge from development interventions, while working with practitioners focused on policies and practices across many different contexts.

In your first year as an MPhil student, you are introduced to the department’s research culture through weekly seminars, selected modules offered across The Bartlett Development Planning Unit, and structured opportunities to develop your thesis. After this first year, you may apply to transfer to PhD status and begin your fieldwork.

Who this course is for

The Development Planning MPhil/PhD has a thriving international community of independent thinkers who make an original contribution to knowledge in their fields. This diversity fosters an environment where knowledge exchange can flourish through both academic and practitioner networks. We aim to grow this community by welcoming applications from both immediate graduates and practitioners wishing to reflect on their experiences.

Read about what it takes to become a UCL graduate research student

What this course will give you

UCL has been ranked ninth best university in the world for the second year in a row, marking UCL’s 13th year among the top 10 universities worldwide (QS World University Rankings 2026), and situated within London, the best city for students in the UK and Europe, and holds third place worldwide (QS Best Student Cities 2026). Across the university, UCL’s students and faculty are tackling grand challenges, ranging from climate change to social inequalities.

The Bartlett Development Planning Unit is an international centre concerned with promoting sustainable forms of development, understanding rapid urbanisation and encouraging innovation in the policy, planning and management responses to the economic, social and environmental development of cities and regions, especially in urban cities of the Global South. Our research and teaching staff are a multidisciplinary group, with extensive academic and professional experience in various fields of urban, regional, environmental, social and institutional development throughout the world.

We are part of The Bartlett, UCL's Faculty of the Built Environment, ranked #1 in the world for Architecture and the Built Environment (QS World University Subject Rankings 2025). The Bartlett is where the UK’s most ‘World Leading’ and ‘Internationally Excellent’ built environment research is undertaken, and The Bartlett is number one for Research Power in the UK in the built environment (according to the REF 2021 assessment).

The Development Planning MPhil/PhD is distinctive in offering a supportive cohort-based approach to your studies. We understand that pursuing a doctorate can be both rewarding and challenging – moving to and living in a new city, reorganising family lives, profoundly questioning your perspectives. Therefore, you will join a collaborative and caring academic community, supported by peers and staff who value shared learning and intellectual exchange instead of the traditional model of individual research with a supervisor.

Find out how your research could have an impact

The foundation of your career

The value-driven, independent research skills nurtured in our students on the course are in demand in a variety of sectors around the world including leading universities, postdoctoral research projects, international development institutions, government ministries, (international) non-governmental organisations and social movements. Others work in private consultancy firms, and many of our recent graduates go on to work in a range of positions within these institutions in the Global South. (Graduate Outcomes Data.)

Employability

To work within leading universities, postdoctoral research projects, international development institutions, social movements, government ministries and international non-governmental organisations, we will equip you with critical thinking and value-driven research skills through learning on our doctoral seminar series, research methodology series, and specialisation modules. Through our doctoral seminar series, you will engage with the process of doing doctoral research through guided extensive exposure and dialogue with the experiences of recent doctoral graduates and experienced academics. In the research methodology series, you will learn about the importance of coherent and ethical methodologies in which to conduct your selected research methods. You will also engage with The Bartlett Development Planning Unit’s specialist modules to build your own knowledge on the status of academic debates. To support you through self-directed study, you will also form a close working relationship with your supervisor.

In addition to the above and to the core UCL Careers provision, as a student at The Bartlett you will have access to a mix of faculty-wide and department-specific support and activities to bolster your career development and develop your networking skills to successfully navigate the job markets.

Networking

The Bartlett Development Planning Unit (DPU) offers a range of events and research-related activities to enrich the student experience. These include:

DPU Dialogues in Development, public events where a diverse range of speakers working in the field of development and planning are invited to share and discuss their work;
DPU Breakfasts, a series of informal conversations typically hosted by PhD students, over breakfast, which provide the opportunity to get insights into the research work undertaken by DPU academic staff;
DPU Career Events, a series of events and workshops involving staff, students, alumni and practitioner and industry partners to provide support and inspiration for post study career development.

Teaching and learning

The Development Planning MPhil/PhD is centred on a piece of self-directed research, supported by a Principal Supervisor. Your supervisor will set a schedule of regular meetings to guide your work and provide ongoing feedback. Alongside your individual research, you will take part in seminars, specialist sessions, peer presentations and group discussions to broaden and deepen your academic engagement.

In your first year, you will attend a compulsory series of seminars across Term 1 and Term 2. This includes a doctoral seminar series and a research methodology seminar series. You will also audit a specialisation module during both terms, chosen from the wide range of Master’s level modules offered within The Bartlett Development Planning Unit. In exceptional cases, your supervisor may advise you to audit an additional taught module.

Assessment is by means of an oral examination of your thesis, which should demonstrate your capacity to pursue original research based upon a good understanding of the research techniques and concepts appropriate to the discipline.

Primarily, you are expected to conduct independent research, with guidance and supervision. This course places emphasis on a close one-to-one working relationship between you and your supervisor. Your typical week will include 30 to 40 hours of academic work inclusive of any modules you audit and the seminar series you will attend in your MPhil year. Your Principal Supervisor will establish a timetable of regular meetings with you at which all matters relating to you work can be discussed.

Research areas and structure

Research areas

The Bartlett Development Planning Unit has four research clusters, that reflect the intellectual and political development of different strands of our work. These clusters are:

Urban transformations: Explores the multiplex urban transformation processes and its aim is to explicitly increase the room for manoeuvre for a variety of city actors to harness key levers of transformatory change;
Environmental justice, urbanisation and resilience: Explores 'urban transitions' faced by the Global South, by unearthing emergent relationships and contradictions between resilience and environmental justice in the contemporary geographies of capitalist urbanisation and accumulation;
Diversity, social complexity and planned intervention: Focuses on the social complexity in policy planning and methodology and divided cities and post conflict resolutions;
State and market governance and policy in development: Provides a forum for discussion and the development of collaborative research ideas on long-term approaches to the governance of development transitions.

You will be encouraged to participate in one or more of these clusters as they operate as hubs for interdisciplinary discussion and thinking between staff members and research students and offer platforms for the development of collaborative research ideas, methodologies and activities.

Course structure

The Development Planning MPhil/PhD begins with a compulsory series of seminars convened across Term 1 and 2 of your first year and is comprised of a doctoral seminar series and a research methodology seminar series. Each seminar series involves up to three hours of classroom time per week and four hours of self-directed study. Additionally, as a new candidate you must audit a specialisation module in Term 1 and 2 of your first year, which you will select from the broad range of master's level modules taught within The Bartlett Development Planning Unit. In exceptional cases, your supervisor may suggest that you also audit an additional taught module. Work that is assessed as part of the audited modules is used indicatively to calibrate your progress and is not a formal part of the Development Planning MPhil/PhD.

Initially, you will be registered for the MPhil degree. If you wish to proceed to a PhD, you will be required to pass an 'Upgrade' assessment. The purpose of the upgrade is to assess your progress and ability to complete your PhD course to a good standard and in a reasonable time frame. It is expected that a full-time student will attempt upgrade within 18 months of registration. Students will generally upgrade from MPhil to PhD within 14 months, after which a period of Study Leave (research fieldwork) can commence. Following the upgrade, candidates maintain close contact with their primary supervisor and are expected to share the results of their work with other researchers, both within The Development Planning Unit and elsewhere, such as at academic conferences, and through articles for publication in refereed academic journals.

The Development Planning PhD consists of a piece of self-directed research, with the support of a supervisor. Your principle supervisor will establish a timetable of regular meetings with you at which all matters relating to you work can be discussed. Your research will also be complemented by seminars, specialised inputs, presentations to peers and other academics, and group work discussions. Ultimately, your work is assessed through a thesis which should demonstrate your capacity to pursue original research based upon a good understanding of the research techniques and concepts appropriate to the discipline.

Discover our selection of Development Planning PhD theses

Research environment

The Development Planning MPhil/PhD provides high-quality research support and facilities, including one-to-one supervision and access to a wide range of specialised lectures, conferences and events. The course is structured to develop rigorous, value-driven researchers and to foster a strong peer network. You will be part of a safe, supportive and stimulating environment where you can test and refine new ideas and practices at the forefront of development planning research.

Furthermore, studying at UCL offers the following facilities to our Development Planning MPhil/PhD students:

The Doctoral Skills Development Programme is open to all graduate research students at UCL to help you expand your generic research skills, personal transferable skills, life skills and employability.
UCL has 17 libraries which grant access to paper resources, electronic journals and a growing number of books for UCL students. The UCL campus is also conveniently located close to the British Library and the University of London libraries.
You will have access to a wide range of study and work spaces across UCL, including over 1,000 spaces for individual and group work, more than 20 computer rooms, and dedicated space for PhD students within The Bartlett Development Planning Unit.
Financial support to attend and present work at national and international conferences.

If you wish to proceed to a PhD, you will be required to pass an 'Upgrade' assessment. You will normally transfer from MPhil to PhD early in the second year after successfully orally defending your research proposal. After which, a period of research fieldwork can commence. For the remainder of the Development Planning PhD, you will be conducting independent research with guidance and supervision from your supervisors whilst writing your thesis.

All Development Planning MPhil/PhD students should complete their research, submit their thesis and take the final examination within a period of 48 months.

The Development Planning MPhil/PhD is typically completed over three years when taken on a full-time basis. Initially, you will be registered for the MPhil degree and will be required to study on a full-time basis in your first year whilst you complete these requirements. If you wish to proceed to a PhD, you will be required to transfer your status by passing an oral 'Upgrade' assessment.

Once you have upgraded (generally 14 to 16 months after your initial enrolment) students who do not have visa restrictions may opt for part-time enrolment. For the remainder of the Development Planning PhD, you will be conducting independent research with guidance and supervision from your supervisor whilst writing your thesis.

All Development Planning MPhil/PhD students in part-time enrolment should complete their research, submit their thesis and take the final examination within a period of 72 months.

Fieldwork

Fieldwork in a city or country in the Global South is normally expected for Development Planning PhD students. The duration of field work can range from repeated visits of shorter duration to a year-long period.

Accessibility

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time	Part-time
Tuition fees (2026/27)	£11,600	£5,800
Tuition fees (2026/27)	£31,300	£15,650

Postgraduate Taught students benefit from a cohort guarantee, meaning that their tuition fees will not increase during the course of the programme, but UCL reserves the right to increase tuition fees to reflect any sums (including levies, taxes, or similar financial charges) that UCL is required to pay any governmental authority in connection with tuition fees.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Where the course 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.

Additional costs

For your field work you will need to budget for flights, accommodation, and incidental costs from the methods you might use. You should expect to budget from £1,000 upwards, however costs will depend on your chosen length of stay, choice of accommodation, and location as prices will vary in different countries. These can be discussed with your potential supervisor in advance.

For in-person teaching, 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 £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2025. 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.

Funding your studies

The Development Planning Unit has dedicated funding to support conference attendance. Although not guaranteed, the department can often offer small, fee-paid, casual appointments to conduct research as part of larger research programmes.

The Bartlett Promise Scholarship aims to enable students from backgrounds underrepresented in The Bartlett to pursue Master's studies. Please see the PhD scholarship webpage for more information on eligibility criteria, selection process and FAQs.

Any additional funding available will be advertised on The Bartlett Development Planning Unit scholarships and funding webpage and The Bartlett faculty webpage.

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

See all the ways you can fund your studies

: Bartlett Promise PhD Scholarship

Deadline: 16 May 2025

Value: Full fees, plus £21,237 maintenance (Normal duration of programme)

Criteria Based on financial need

Eligibility: UK

UCL Research Opportunity Scholarship (ROS)

Deadline: Deadline: NOW CLOSED FOR 2025/26

Value: UK rate fees, a maintenance stipend, conference costs and professional development package (3 years)

Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need

Eligibility: UK

Next steps

As a Development Planning MPhil/PhD student, you will be initially registered for the MPhil degree and will be required to study on a full-time basis in your first year whilst you complete the requirements of the course, including timetabled doctoral seminars.

The application for the Development Planning MPhil/PhD course is a two-part process.

Step one:

We ask that you send to us a copy of your CV and a brief research proposal (between two to three pages) which outlines the work that you would like to accomplish with The Bartlett Development Planning Unit. In this brief proposal, please outline where you would situate your work theoretically, which literature you would relate to, a research question, and a sketch of a possible methodology.

The research proposal is crucial to our decision on your application since it demonstrates your ability to identify and articulate an independent line of research inquiry. Your research proposal is evaluated on its potential to identify an area of research that merits further study.

Please send your CV and proposal to Professor Colin Marx via email (c.marx@ucl.ac.uk) for initial evaluation, and we will be in touch shortly thereafter.

You may also like to look at the profiles of our academics to familiarise yourself with their work and research. If any members of academic staff stand out to you as someone with whom you may want to work, please mention this in your email to us. We will then send your CV and proposal to potential supervisors within the department.

Step two:

If we can adequately supervise your research, we will then invite you to make a formal application to the university.

We advise you to commence this process in the November preceding the year of study (assuming an October academic year start). This will typically allow you to hold an offer from UCL to show to scholarship competitions which are usually held in late January. The latest we can entertain an application for study is normally the end of June.

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

This course requires two references. Further information regarding references can be found on this Selecting your references page.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.