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Development Planning Unit MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

This is the programme information for 2025 entry

If you require details of the previous year's programme, Development Planning Unit MPhil/PhD (2024), click here

UK students International students

Study mode

UK tuition fees (2025/26)

£11,000

£5,500

Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)

£29,800

£14,900

Duration

3 calendar years

5 calendar years

Programme starts

October 2025

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 programme 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

Successful PhD research should make a distinct contribution to knowledge and help the world better understand how to deal with inequalities and injustices operating through and because of urbanisation, climate change, and changes in governance. In response, the Development Planning MPhil/PhD achieves this through an interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral approach to urban planning, urban design, economic development, social development, housing and land, migration and displacement, disasters, transport and urban agriculture.

Research is an important part of the learning that The Bartlett Development Planning Unit promotes around theory, methodology and practice in the field of international development, and the Development Planning MPhil/PhD offers opportunities for our students to gain a thorough knowledge of a particular subject area and an in-depth exploration of an empirical reality. The Bartlett Development Planning Unit's unique and value-driven focus on cities and territories located in the Global South is based on an emphasis of relating theory and practice in a collaborative and stimulating intellectual environment. We are also distinctive in offering a rich and supportive seminar programme based on weekly interactions throughout the first year that prepares you for the transfer from MPhil to PhD status.

At The Bartlett Development Planning Unit, we also emphasise the importance of putting theory into practice, so as a student of the Development Planning MPhil/PhD you will benefit from being connected with a network of academics, students and researchers who are simultaneously developing an understanding of the many ways in which injustices manifest from development projects and interventions, and be immersed in an academic community that is working with communities in action-research projects with global partners. In this course, you can also undertake a period of fieldwork in a country relevant to their research, during which the PhD candidate will collect primary data applying to their context.

On your first year as a Development Planning MPhil student, you will settle into the department’s supportive research environment by attending weekly seminars, exploring a variety of modules offered to students of The Bartlett Development Planning Unit, and strengthen your PhD work and eventual thesis. After your first year, you can upgrade to a Development Planning PhD student and commence your research 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 of inquiry, including urban planning, urban design, economic development, social development, housing and land, disasters, migration and displacement, transport and urban agriculture. This diversity fosters an environment where knowledge exchange can flourish.

We aim to grow this community by welcoming applications from both immediate graduates and practitioners wishing to reflect on their experiences.

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.

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 2025), and situated within London, the best student city in the world (QS Best Student Cities Ranking 2025). Across the university, UCL’s students and faculty are tackling grand challenges, ranging from climate change to healthcare for ageing populations.

The Bartlett Development Planning Unit’s postgraduate courses are supported by international agencies, and national and provincial governments, and the Unit sits within The Bartlett, UCL's Faculty of the Built Environment, which is ranked #1 in the world for Architecture and the Built Environment, and remains #1 in the UK for the tenth year in a row (QS World University Subject Rankings 2024). 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 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.

The Development Planning MPhil/PhD will support you in pursuing independent research into the political, economic, social and institutional dimensions of development planning. 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.

The Development Planning MPhil/PhD also provides high-quality research support and facilities, including:

One-to-one support from a supervisor;
Access to a large range of world-class libraries, including those in UCL, the University of London, and the British Library; and
Access to a vast array of specialised lectures, conferences and events.

Find out how your research could have an impact

The foundation of your career

94% of graduates from The Bartlett Development Planning Unit were in work or further study 15 months after graduation and are working in 52 countries around the world (HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017-21).

The Development Planning MPhil/PhD draws strong connections to professional networks through our teaching and research activities, including our ongoing research projects led by academics of The Bartlett Development Planning Unit.

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.

Top industry sectors for our graduates of The Bartlett Development Planning Unit graduates in work are construction, built environment and property (14% of graduates); academic research and higher education (11%); health and social care (11%); policy and government (7%); and other scientific and technical professions (7%). Example employers include ARUP, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Human Development and Cultural Affairs, PwC, UNESCO, World Bank, African Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, EY, International Climate Institution, local and district councils, United Nations, World Food Programme, C40 Cities, Wellcome Trust, and Peabody.

Alumni testimonials

“Pursuing a PhD at The Bartlett Development Planning Unit was an exceptional experience. Although the PhD process can often feel isolating, I was fortunate to be supported by a compassionate DPU team that was always caring and encouraged me to adopt participatory approaches, helping me stay closely connected to my case studies.” - Alban Hasson, Development Planning PhD graduate

“The Bartlett Development Planning Unit’s doctoral programme equipped me with research and communication skills through the doctoral training series and research methods series in year one of my studies. During these seminar series, I got the opportunity to learn from academics and peers about their research, present my own research ideas, and receive feedback at critical stages of the doctoral journey. Importantly, participating in the seminar series provided me with an opportunity to build a sense of cohort and make life-long friendships with peers, which made the doctoral journey much enjoyable.” - Harshavardhan Jatkar, Senior Research Fellow in Circular Economy and Energy Planning at the Bartlett School of Environment, Energy, and Resources and Development Planning PhD graduate

Discover more about our MPhil/PhD students and alumni stories on The Bartlett Development Planning Unit website, and in our Alumni Careers Stories series on YouTube ▶

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 action-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 their selected research methods. You will also engage with The Bartlett Development Planning Unit’s specialist modules to build your own knowledge on the current status of academic debates. To support you through self-directed study, you will also form a close working relationship with your supervisor.

Department-level Development Workshops will introduce you to the current debates and issues surrounding international development and planning. Through lectures, short films, and group discussions you will discuss key topics in urban development, urban equality, drawing on post- and de-colonial insights. Through a roleplay methodology in the Development Workshops, we will encourage you to mix with your peers across the MPhil/PhD and the seven master’s courses across The Bartlett Development Planning Unit and “step into the shoes” of a multiplicity of stakeholders involved in planning and decision-making. This will help you and your peers explore the intersecting identities and interests of development stakeholders whilst fostering empathy with their narratives, helping you acknowledge the complexity of real-world planning processes.

Networking

At The Bartlett Development Planning Unit, we have built a strong community of academics, researchers and students and will offer you the opportunity to connect through events (including our flagship Dialogues in Development lecture series, film screenings, and talks with academics about their research projects), guest lecturers, workshops, and personal introductions facilitated by supervisors through their extensive networks. You will also benefit from our digital Alumni Networking Platform where you can discover the international reach of our alumni community on a map and connect with individuals by year of graduation, course of study and by city.

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. Open across the Faculty, this includes a programme of lively industry panel discussions and interactive workshops, spotlighting the key sectors graduates typically venture into such as construction, consultancy, commercial property and urban planning and development.

Additionally, The Bartlett’s Building a Better Future Consultancy Project will give you a unique opportunity to collaborate in a multidisciplinary team to tackle a real world challenge the built environment is grappling with, equipping you with the in-demand skills sought after by employers. Featured organisations in this programme include global consultancies such as BuroHappold, Hoare Lea, AtkinsRealis to burgeoning start-ups and SMEs as well as local councils and not-for-profit organisations such as C40 Cities, Greater London Authority and London authorities.

Teaching and learning

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 programme 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.

Assessment is by means of 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.

Primarily, you are expected to conduct independent research, with guidance and supervision. The programme places emphasis on a close one-to-one working relationship between you and your supervisor. Your Principle Supervisor will establish a timetable of regular meetings with you at which all matters relating to you work can be discussed.

Each seminar series involves approximately 42 hours of contact time and 84 hours of self-directed study.

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.

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 Bartlett Development Planning Unit is committed to offering the highest quality education at postgraduate level. Our programmes are highly competitive, with successful applicants coming from a wide range of backgrounds across the development field. You will also benefit from tapping into a network of international students, academics and researchers from every corner of the globe, bringing together a diversity of interests, experiences, and knowledge to enhance your learning.

The MPhil component of the Development Planning MPhil/PhD consists of a structured programme which trains value-driven, rigorous researchers and builds a supportive peer support network that will provide you with a safe, secure and stimulating environment for testing and developing new ideas and practices at the frontiers of development planning research. This is the only development-oriented PhD programme in London to offer this supportive peer structure as an intrinsic part of your studies.

Working alongside staff, you will be involved in intellectual research situated at the interface of theory and practice. This orientation affects the way we approach research, issues of social justice and sustainable development in the Global South, and the types of knowledge that are produced.

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. This is free to registered students.
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.
UCL provides 1,000 study spaces including spaces for individual study and group working/project working.
UCL has over 20 computer workrooms across campus, available for use by all UCL students. Wi-Fi is widely available throughout UCL, including at The Bartlett Development Planning Unit, and we have several dedicated computers located in the PhD Room that are exclusively available for Development Planning MPhil/PhD students only.
The Bartlett Development Planning Unit also has facilities for photocopying and printing for MPhil/PhD students.
Financial support to attend and present work at national and international conferences.

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 pass an 'Upgrade' assessment. Students will generally upgrade from MPhil to PhD early in the second year, after which a period of Study Leave (research fieldwork) can commence. In the second year, you will prepare an upgrade viva, with the goal of successfully upgrading to the PhD. 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 should complete their research, submit their thesis and take the final examination within a period of 48 months.

Once you have upgraded (generally 14-16 months after your initial enrolment) students who do not hold a Tier 4 Visa 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

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.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time	Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£11,000	£5,500
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£29,800	£14,900

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.

Additional costs

As a research student, your optional additional costs may include expenses such as books, conference attendance and field research, in the UK or overseas.

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 £1000 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 discussed with your potential supervisor in advance.

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.

Funding your studies

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

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

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.

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. 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 take a 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 are able to adequately supervise your research, we will then invite you apply formally to UCL.

Further details on how to apply to an MPhil/PhD can be found on the UCL Graduate Admissions website.

Please note that Development Planning MPhil/PhD students must commence their studies at the start of the academic year, typically in September.

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.

This programme 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.