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City Planning MPlan

London, Bloomsbury

This two-year long full time Master's programme encourages students to think independently and critically about city and regional planning problems both domestically and internationally. It specifically emphasises the importance of both a spatial and comparative perspective to planning.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
UK tuition fees (2023/24)
£14,100
Overseas tuition fees (2023/24)
£24,200
Duration
22 months
Programme starts
September 2023
Applications accepted
All applicants: 17 Oct 2022 – 31 Mar 2023

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. International Preparation Courses

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 programme equips students theoretically and practically, engaging them academically and in practice with planning and related fields of knowledge. Students will learn how to think critically, creatively and analytically across different spatial scales, from strategic to local - and across urban design, city planning, place-making, real estate and sustainability arenas - as they seek integrated solutions to defined planning problems.

Who this course is for

This degree programme will be particularly suitable for students from architectural, planning, urban design, landscape, real estate or civil engineering backgrounds, although students from a non-cognate background with a demonstrable interest in planning will be considered.

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

What this course will give you

In the second term of Year 2, students will have the option to study outside of the UK in one of our partner universities. Alternatively, you can take a work placement in the UK. 

UCL Bartlett School of Planning has a strong history of teaching and research at all levels. The school has been at the forefront of planning research and teaching for more than 100 years and is one of the foremost planning schools in the United Kingdom, with an international reputation.

Located in the heart of London, which offers unique opportunities to study the complexities of contemporary urban design and planning processes, the school encourages students to engage with practitioners, alumni and academic guests through its programme of seminars, site visits and workshops.

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

The foundation of your career

Employability

Students have gone on to take up positions in:

  • Local and central government
  • Charities
  • International co-operation agencies
  • Community development
  • Academia
  • Consulting
  • Research and academic institutions involved in the transport, energy, retailing and housing sectors, as well as in urban, regional and environmental planning.
  • Graduates have also undertaken PhD studies at The Bartlett School of Planning and other universities.

Accreditation

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

Teaching and learning

Methods of delivery will vary (because of the flexible nature of the programme) but a student might encounter studio teaching, formal lectures, analytical modelling, small-group tutorials and discussion, formal presentations, and site visits. Student performance is assessed through individual and group work, essays, and project work.

In terms 1 and 2 full-time students can typically expect between 8 and 15 contact hours per teaching week through lectures, workshops and tutorials. In term 3 students will be completing their own dissertation research, keeping regular contact with their dissertation supervisors.

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 programme has a modular structure. The programme comprises seven compulsory modules, two optional modules (modules which must be chosen from a prescribed list of four modules), and two elective modules (an open choice from postgraduate modules offered by the School of Planning or Centre for Applied Spatial Analysis, both within the UCL Faculty of the Built Environment). A project-based, practice-linked module binds the two years of the City Planning programme together through a series of live planning exercises which draw from a broad range of skills. In the first part of the module, working with our practice based partners, you will work in teams to produce a masterplan for a major area of redevelopment in London. Classes will be run as a planning studio with each session devoted to a different phase of the development of the plan, rehearsing specific skills and drawing from direct practice experience through a series of guest lectures drawn together from the module coordinator. In the second part of the module, working individually, you will develop a planning project based upon the theme from which you draw your other module choices. Finally, at the end, you will present the completed work from both elements of the module at an film event attended by staff and our industry partners. A core principle of the programme is that term two of the second year will either be spent undertaking scholarly study on a Masters level planning programme at an international partner institution (thus developing and embedding the theoretical and contextual planning knowledge learnt through the period of prior study at UCL via international comparison whilst living in a foreign city for a three month or four month period) or undertaking applied research as part of an industry work placement with appropriate planning organisations from the private, public and voluntary sectors in and around Greater London (thus developing and embedding the theoretical and contextual planning knowledge learnt through the period of prior study at UCL via reflective practice experience). 

Year 1 Year 2

Compulsory modules







Optional modules




Compulsory 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

We will run field trips as part of our postgraduate degree programmes. We expect to be able to run our trips to continental European destinations unless there are any further Covid-19 restrictions.

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 accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Introduction to Planning

Dr Ben Clifford, Postgraduate Tutor at The Bartlett School of Planning, gives an overview of the subject, and the school.

Watch on demand event

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2023/24) £14,100
Tuition fees (2023/24) £24,200

The programme is 300 credits in total. The full-time fee quoted is for Year 1 only (150 credits); the fee in Year 2 will be subject to UCL's annual fee increase.

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

The purchase of books many constitute an additional cost, but there is no requirement to purchase any book as part of the programme. Optional modules may incur additional expenses.

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. 

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

UCL offers a range of financial awards aimed at assisting both prospective and current students with their studies.

Any additional funding available from the Bartlett School of Planning and the Built Environment Faculty Office are advertised on the respective 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 Scholarship - Master's

Deadline: 31 May 2023
Value: Tuition fees plus £15,364 maintenance/yr (Duration of programme)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

Bartlett Promise Sub-Saharan Africa Masters Scholarship

Deadline: 31 March 2023
Value: Fees, stipend and other allowances (Duration of programme)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Brown Family Bursary

Deadline: 8 June 2023
Value: £15,000 (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and 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 and £115 for paper 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.

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: 2023-2024

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Bartlett School of Planning
Bartlett School of Planning

n.jasilek@ucl.ac.uk

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