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City Planning MPlan

London, Bloomsbury

The two-year MPlan City Planning is designed to provide you with a solid foundation to build your career in planning. During this urban planning master’s degree we encourage students to think independently and critically about city and regional planning challenges. You will study both spatial planning and comparative perspectives, gaining a comprehensive understanding of how to address planning issues in the UK and internationally. 

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£16,000
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£27,500
Duration
22 months
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard is required.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

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

Our two-year, full-time, accredited MPlan City Planning is a principle- and theory-driven course, providing you with a conceptual understanding of planning principles and the skills needed to build a career in planning and the built environment. You will learn to think creatively and analytically across different spatial scales, from strategic to local levels, and across urban design, city planning, place-making, real estate, and sustainability. Engaging in case studies and fieldwork will deepen your practical experience. By the end of the degree, you will have a solid understanding of managing both built and natural environments.

During your studies you will:

  • Learn about professional planning practices, systems, cultures, sustainability and the pillars of planning.
  • Gain a comprehensive understanding of urban design, planning research, and planning and environmental law.
  • Experience practice- and studio-based modules, developing strategic plans for urban areas.
  • Investigate national planning systems and approaches, identifying key analytical themes and challenges unique to different contexts.
  • Explore contemporary planning issues and debates through discussions with practitioners. 
  • Delve into live planning challenges during fieldtrips and site visits. Follow our current students' trips on our Instagram @mplancity.
  • Explore your own interests, choosing specialist modules in: Infrastructure Planning; Investigating Urban Transformation in Historic Cities; Planning for Housing; Planning for Sustainability, Climate Change and Inclusion; Planning for Urban Design; Smart City Theory and Practice; Sustainable Development Themes and Goals; or Urban Regeneration.
  • Choose to study abroad or take a workplace placement with one of our partners, expanding your practice outside the classroom.
  • Earn a degree accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). 
     

Who this course is for

This planning degree is ideal for those wishing to get into planning practice, research or consultancy. Typical academic backgrounds include architecture, planning, urban design, landscape, real estate or civil engineering, although we consider students from any academic background with a demonstrable interest in planning.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

World-class, research-led education
Our school has been at the forefront of planning research and teaching for more than 100 years. Our faculty, The Bartlett, is ranked #1 for Built Environment studies in the world (QS World University Rankings 2024). The Bartlett is also where the UK’s most ‘World Leading’ and ‘Internationally Excellent’ built environment research is undertaken (REF 2021).

Immerse yourself in London
London is not only the best city for students in the world (QS Best Student Cities 2025). With our campus located in the heart of the city, you are surrounded by unique opportunities to study the complexities of contemporary urban design and planning processes.

Build your career in planning
Through hands-on learning, including a field trip, site visits and project work you will gain the skills and knowledge required to excel in your future job. Experience from the study abroad or work placements module will give important experience for your future career. From enrolment, through to three years after graduating you can also access UCL’s Careers Service to support you in finding the right path for your career ambitions. 

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

95% of graduates from The Bartlett School of Planning are in employment or further study within 15 months of further study (HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey).

They are now working in 44 countries around the world in careers across: 

  • Local and central government
  • Charities
  • International co-operation agencies
  • Community development
  • Academia
  • Consultancy
  • Research and academic institutions involved in the transport, energy, retailing and housing sectors, as well as in urban, regional and environmental planning.

The MPlan City Planning offers students a unique ability to appeal to a wide range of employment opportunities, with demand for graduates with the skills taught during the degree with public and private employers, in the UK and internationally.

Employers of our graduates include, Greater London Authority, Buro Happold, Atkins, Prior + Partners, Stantec, Connected Places Catapult, London boroughs and municipalities in the UK and internationally.  

Learn more about careers in urban planning and our alumni careers ►

Alumni experiences

“I am currently a Development Manager with the Greater London Authority. I work on large scale strategic development projects on public land on sites across London; basically, making the best use of public land to meet the needs of Londoners. It involves elements of urban design and placemaking, stakeholder engagement and relationship management, housing and affordable housing delivery, contracting and procurement, and infrastructure planning and delivery.” – Stephanie Goldberg, City Planning MPlan graduate

Read about Stephanie’s experience ►

Employability

You will gain many transferable skills required to build your career in planning and the built environment. These include:

  • Report writing
  • Urban design skills
  • Use of a range of software for urban design and planning
  • Presentations

Working with dedicated specialists in UCL's Careers Service and our careers specialist in The Bartlett School of Planning you will be supported in exploring your options, gaining valuable skills and experience, demonstrating your hands-on experience and guiding you through the job application process. 

Networking

There are many networking opportunities throughout your course. We encourage and give opportunity for students to engage with practitioners, alumni, and academic guests through seminars, events, site visits, and workshops. We also have socials and events specifically for City Planning MPlan students to get to know each other, complemented with opportunities to engage with students and staff from across The Bartlett School of Planning.

Through The Bartlett School of Planning and UCL’s dedicated Careers Network you will also have the chance to participate in various events and training tailored to the industry, such as alumni and industry insight panels, career taster sessions, masterclasses, careers fairs and more.

Accreditation

The MPlan City Planning is fully accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

Learn more about urban planning degree accreditation ►

Teaching and learning

From module to module, depending on your choices, you may learn through studio teaching, formal lectures, analytical modelling, small-group tutorials and discussion, formal presentations, and field trips and site visits.

You will have assessments throughout your degree including individual and group work, essays, project work, presentations, and – in some instances – exams. In addition, the dissertation will test your ability to develop and implement a large-scale piece of research.

In terms one and two full-time students can typically expect between 8 and 15 contact hours per teaching week through lectures, workshops and tutorials. In term three of year two, students will be completing their own dissertation research, whilst keeping regular contact with their dissertation supervisors for regular feedback.

Outside of lectures full-time students typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments.

Modules

The course is designed around a number of key themes which run through the modular structure:

Planning systems and cultures – Students will gain an understanding of the history, culture and practice of city and regional planning in both the UK and in an international comparative context;

The pillars of planning – Students will gain an understanding of the key social science pillars of planning knowledge, namely environment, society, economy and politics, and an appreciation of law and legal regulation and rights in relation to the environment and sustainability;

Space, place and design – Students will understand planning’s role in place making, the importance of good urban design and the practicalities of spatial plan making; 

Independent study – student research skills will be enhanced though methods workshops and an in-depth dissertation or major project of 15,000 words; and,

Specialisation – The course allows students to pick two 15 credit modules whilst at UCL from a wide choice of modules offered by both the School of Planning and the Centre for Applied Spatial Analysis (CASA) relating to various planning specialisms or urban analytics.

All of these themes continue throughout term 2, year 2 when students will either spend the entire term studying abroad at an international partner institution or in a work placement.

Compulsory modules

Pillars of Planning






Planning Research and Analytics



Dissertation in City Planning


Optional modules




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 300 credits. Upon successful completion of 300 credits, you will be awarded an MPlan in City Planning.

Fieldwork

Our course also includes a residential field trip during which themes relevant to the course are explored in different place contexts. This is an opportunity for you to consider built environment issues in real world settings and network as a course community. The cost of travel and accommodation for the field trip are covered by UCL although students will need to cover meals and other personal expenses.

Placement

Term two of year two is spent either as study abroad or in an industry placement.

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.

Visit us

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Build a career in urban planning

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Looking to build a career in urban planning? Explore how a master’s degree at The Bartlett School of Planning can open doors to roles in city planning, sustainability, transport, regeneration, and more. Join our careers-focused virtual event to discover the diverse pathways our world-leading courses prepare you for—and how you can shape inclusive, future-ready places.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £16,000
Tuition fees (2025/26) £27,500

The programme is 300 credits in total. The full-time fee quoted is for Year 1 only (150 credits).

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

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

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

This course includes one field trip. Travel and accommodation (including breakfast) for the trip will be covered by UCL, however students will need to cover the costs for visas, other daily meals and any other personal expenses. The exact costs will depend on the location and prevailing exchange rates; however, it is estimated that students would need to budget between £200 and £300.

During the course we will also attend site visits across London. Students will need to pay for their own transport to sites. Based on visits last year you should expect to budget up to £60 across the year to access sites by public transport. Sites are always within the TFL travel zones, and full-time students should be able to benefit from a student Oyster card for slightly discounted travel rates.

The option to study at a partner university or take a UK work placement incurs no extra cost but students will be expected to pay for their own travel costs. 

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

In our faculty, The Bartlett Promise Scholarship aims to enable students from backgrounds underrepresented in the built environment to pursue master's studies. Please see the UK Master's scholarship and Sub-Saharan Africa Master's scholarship pages for more information on eligibility criteria, selection process and FAQs.

We have given an over view of other funding options you may be eligible for on the Bartlett School of Planning and The Bartlett websites.

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 Sub-Saharan Africa Masters Scholarship

Deadline: 28 March 2025
Value: Fees, stipend and other allowances (Duration of programme)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Bartlett Promise UK Master's Scholarship

Deadline: 31 May 2025
Value: Tuition fees plus £15,864 maintenance/yr (Duration of programme)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

Next steps

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:

  • why you want to study City Planning at graduate level
  • why you want to study City Planning at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to the chosen programme
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree

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.

To support you in the application process we’ve written a guide on writing a personal statement for an urban planning degree. 

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.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Bartlett School of Planning
Bartlett School of Planning

bsp.pgt@ucl.ac.uk

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