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Development Administration and Planning MSc

London, Bloomsbury

The Development Administration and Planning MSc at UCL equips you with the theoretical, empirical and practical expertise to promote social justice and address global development challenges. Through critical study, hands-on fieldwork and collaborative learning, you develop as a reflective practitioner, ready to work across sectors and scales to support inclusive, sustainable development in the Global South and beyond. 

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2026/27)
£21,500
£10,750
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)
£35,400
£17,700
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2026
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 26 Jun 2026

Applications closed

Applicants who do not require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 28 Aug 2026
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

The normal minimum qualifications are an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, or a lower second-class UK Bachelor's degree, or an equivalent overseas qualification, in a subject appropriate to the programme, plus relevant work experience.

In rare cases, applicants with degrees below this standard will be considered if they have significant relevant professional experience.

In all cases, successful applicants are expected to provide good references and a strong personal statement, which adequately demonstrate the applicant’s interest in the topics addressed by this programme.

The English language level for this course 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


The Development Administration and Planning MSc is an interdisciplinary course focused on socially just development planning. We take a decolonial perspective to build a collaborative understanding of how development interventions affect communities and settlements in different contexts, and interact with broad sets of cultural, institutional and governance apparatuses.

As a student, through core modules you:  

  • Critically explore the evolution of development concepts and ideas, with a focus on post-colonial theories and drawing on perspectives from a multiplicity of stakeholders  
  • Examine current methods for managing development projects 
  • Learn about bottom-up participatory approaches that support marginalised communities  
  • Develop a critical and reflexive approach towards ‘just’ development planning interventions across scales 
  • Take part in an overseas practice engagement, conducting fieldwork with partners and communities in a Global South location, with a focus on the ethics of engagement 
  • Build practical skills for your career as a development practitioner 

You shape your learning journey by choosing from a wide range of optional modules to develop your specialist interests—for instance, by exploring the complexity of financing sustainable infrastructure development, or examining how development has been represented in cultural studies. 

By the end of the degree, you will have developed expertise to critically and comparatively assess interventions that promote social justice; and to analyse the role of actors from state, markets, and civil society, in shaping effective long-term economic growth, greater international equity and environmental sustainability. 

Who this course is for

We offer practical and theoretical training in social transformation, designed for both recent graduates interested in exploring tools and frameworks for addressing global challenges, and for professionals with experience in government, civil society, or consultancy. We offer part-time and flexible study options that let you balance work and study. Our students typically come from academic backgrounds in social sciences, law, public administration, economics and politics. This diversity creates a collaborative working environment where students engage with different perspectives. 

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

What this course will give you

Understanding through theory, growing through practice
Our approach to education centres on building your experience as a development practitioner, skilled in evaluating your own methods and assumptions. Your studies culminate in applying your knowledge to a live development project with local partners and communities in a country in the Global South. To date, students have carried out overseas practice engagements in Brazil, Uganda and Ethiopia on themes including indigenous rights, access to education, queer rights, sanitation, food sovereignty and housing rights. Learn more about our past overseas practice engagements.

Learn from experts driving sustainable development
Our teaching staff are involved in research project and consultancies, in line with our mission to build capacity amongst professionals and institutions. They collaborate with partners around the world on action-oriented projects that inform their teaching. You benefit directly from these connections, with insights and input from working practitioners woven throughout your degree. Explore our Development Administration and Planning MSc’s staff profiles.


Join a global community committed to just and sustainable urban development
The Bartlett Development Planning Unit delivers world-leading teaching and research focused on socially just and sustainable development. Since 1954, we have worked with practitioners, and institutions, to design and implement innovative, sustainable, and inclusive development strategies. By joining us, you become part of global network of practitioners committed to equitable urban transformation. We are part of The Bartlett, UCL’s Faculty of the Built Environment, ranked #1 in the world for Architecture and Built Environment Studies (QS World University Subject Rankings 2025).

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme
Making an impact
An Illustration of a woman reading a book in darkness using a lantern.

The impact of energy poverty on students in Punjab, Pakistan

Read graduate Raana Hameed’s published dissertation highlighting how limited access to modern energy services at home and school reinforces deprivation.

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 2017-23). 

The analytical, methodological and practical skills nurtured in our students on the course are in demand in local, regional and national government, consultancy firms, national and international NGOs, United Nations programmes and international aid agencies around the world.  

Graduates from the Development Administration and Planning MSc have gone on to work in a wide range of organisations, including: 

  • Multilateral and international organisations, such as various United Nations bodies (UNDP, UNESCAP, UNESCO, UNICEF, UN- Habitat), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ–German Agency for International Cooperation), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). 
  • Government agencies and public bodies, including the UK Department for International Development (now part of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office – FCDO), the governments of Pakistan and India, the Planning Institute of Jamaica, and the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). 
  • International and national NGOs, such as Save the Children, Christian Aid, BRAC (Building Resources Across Communities), Practical Action, Oxfam, CARE International, Engineers Without Borders, WaterAid, Transparency International and Plan International. 
  • Research institutes and academic organisations, including the Urban Institute, Overseas Development Institute (ODI), Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), and International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). 
  • Consultancies and professional services, such as PADECO Co., Ltd., Environmental Resources Management (ERM), Atkins, Urban Emerge, Arup and ICF International. 

Our course also inspires graduates to pursue further research at PhD level, work as academics in reputable universities, and as independent consultants.  

Read more about our alumni’s experiences and careers stories 

My favourite part of the programme was the field trip to Ethiopia. It gave me so much exposure and relevant experience. It helped connect the theoretical approaches that I was learning in class to the practical realities happening in the field.

A photo of Rushini

Rushini Perera

Development Administration Planning MSc graduate

Learn more about Rushini's experience

Employability

The Development Administration and Planning MSc equips you with analytical, methodological and practical skills to address global challenges of inequality and sustainability, preparing you for careers in government, consultancy, NGOs, UN programmes and international aid agencies. 

Our core and optional modules build your critical thinking, research and communication skills, while group work and applied assignments strengthen your ability to engage with diverse stakeholders. A series of cross-programme Development Workshops simulate real-world planning challenges, encouraging collaboration, negotiation and strategic thinking, stimulating reflexive thinking on the ethics of working with partners and with local communities. Overseas practice engagements give you direct exposure to development work in international settings.  

We draw on strong professional networks throughout the degree. These partnerships provide real-world insight, hands-on experience and valuable connections in the field of development administration. 

We also offer a Dissertation Fellowship Scheme that gives students, selected through a competitive process, the opportunity to work on real-world topics proposed by partner organisations. These fellowships align your dissertation with current development and planning practice, offering opportunities for professional development and, in some cases, leading to research collaborations, internships or employment. 

Networking

We host skills development and careers networking sessions with UCL Careers and connect you with partner organisations, alumni, development practitioners and academics. In addition, The Bartlett Development Planning Unit (DPU) offers a range of extracurricular 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, 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 Administration and Planning MSc combines classroom and real-world learning to explore participatory, community-based approaches to social justice and global development challenges. On campus, you learn through lectures, seminars, group work and online activities, led by academics with expertise in both research and practice. Outside the classroom, you engage with live examples and projects—applying classroom learning to real-world contexts. 

The course is assessed through coursework, written examinations and the 10,000-word dissertation report.

In Terms 1 and 2, as a full-time student you can typically expect between 9-12 contact hours per teaching week through a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials. Outside of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials, as a full-time student you typically study approximately 25-30 hours, to undertake self-directed study and completing assignments.

In Term 3, you will complete the overseas practice engagement. The duration of this engagement will depend upon travel arrangements with partner organisations but is typically around two weeks overseas. During Term 3 and the summer period, you will complete your own dissertation research, keeping regular contact with your dissertation supervisor.

Modules

In Terms 1 and 2, you take compulsory modules that make up 75% of the taught part of the course (90 credits), providing the theoretical and methodological foundations for becoming a development practitioner. The remaining 25% (30 credits) comes from optional modules, allowing you to tailor your studies to your interests. The practice module—which builds on the overseas practice engagement—runs throughout Terms 1, 2 and 3. 

In Term 3 and over the summer, you will focus on your dissertation—an independent research project supported by a dedicated dissertation tutor. The dissertation allows you to explore an area of the course that most interests you in depth. Your research should be based on secondary data and/or primary data that can be accessed without fieldwork, such as online or archival sources. You may choose to focus on a specific case study or a broader theme, but in both cases, your argument must be supported by logical reasoning and empirical evidence. This process develops your skills in research design, literature review, evidence analysis, and academic writing. The final output is a 10,000-word dissertation, submitted at the end of the summer. 

The Development Administration and Planning MSc is delivered over two years when taken part-time. 

Typically, in Year 1, you will take two core modules, taught in Terms 1 and 2. 
In Year 2, you will study one core module and choose your optional modules, taught across Terms 1, 2 and 3. You can select either one 30-credit optional module or two 15-credit optional modules. 

During the summer of Year 2, you will focus on your dissertation—an independent research project supported by a dedicated dissertation tutor. The dissertation allows you to explore a topic that interests you, using secondary data and/or primary data available without fieldwork (such as the internet or archival sources). You may focus on a case study or a broader issue, but your argument should be supported by logic and empirical evidence. Through this process, you will strengthen your research design, literature review and analytical skills, applying the knowledge gained during the taught modules. The project culminates in a 10,000-word dissertation submitted at the end of the summer. 

The Development Administration and Planning MSc can be taken flexibly over two to five years. You may structure your core and optional modules in any format that suits your needs, but the practice module and dissertation must be completed in the final years of study. 

The dissertation is an independent research project, supported by a dedicated dissertation tutor. It gives you the opportunity to explore a topic that most interests you, using secondary data and/or primary data that does not require fieldwork (such as internet or archival sources). This process develops your skills in research design, literature review, evidence analysis and academic writing. The 10,000-word dissertation is submitted at the end of the summer. 

Compulsory modules



Development in Practice


Development and Planning Dissertation


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 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Development Administration and Planning.

Fieldwork

In Term 3, you participate in an overseas practice engagement, working and conducting research with local partners and communities to address development challenges in a city of the Global South. The research areas reflect the priorities of the partner organisation and the specific context.

During the overseas practice engagement, you apply your classroom learning through a hands-on research project engaging with a real-world scenario, while continuously reflecting on your actions – what they mean for you as a development practitioner, how your positionality relates to the case study, and more. Before travelling, you work in groups to explore how development programmes and projects are planned and delivered in the specific context of the engagement. You engage with the tools and approaches to design, manage and evaluate development interventions, while collaboratively imagining alternative, just, and inclusive forms of development.

Research findings and recommendations are presented to partners and then compiled in written reports. Research reports are shared with partners to critically support their work, contributing to real projects on the ground. These reports become a meaningful part of your professional portfolio, as you move forward in your career.

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.

Where you'll study

Students gathered having a discussion in a colourful graffitied site during their fieldwork.

At The Bartlett Development Planning Unit, you will join an international community of practitioners working towards socially just and sustainable development through collaborative learning, research, partnerships and practice. You will be supported to challenge assumptions, test ideas, and explore inclusive, participatory approaches to development.

Find out more

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Graduate Open Events: Bartlett Promise UK Scholarship

Join our virtual event to explore our postgraduate courses, hear from academic staff and current students, and learn about the application process, scholarships, and career support. A live Q&A will give you the chance to get your questions answered. Take the next step toward shaping a more sustainable built environment with us.

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Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2026/27) £21,500 £10,750
Tuition fees (2026/27) £35,400 £17,700

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

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 full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of UK, a fee deposit will be charged at 2.5% of the first year fee.

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

For modular/flexible offer holders with a fee status classification of UK, a £350 deposit will be charged.

For modular/flexible offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a £500 deposit will be charged.

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

Core costs related to mandatory overseas practice engagement are covered by tuition fees. This includes partner and facilitation expenses, travel-related costs where travel is possible (eg transportation, visas, travel insurance) and accommodation costs where required. Students should anticipate to budget approximately £200-300 to cover their personal expenses whilst on the overseas practice engagement, for example food, mobile data and additional leisure activities, however costs will depend on the location and exchange rate at the time. 

Students will need to fund their travel to the Development Workshop, which is a mandatory part of the course. The workshop takes place in London. You should expect to budget up to £15-25 for travel and subsistence. 

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

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 Master's scholarship and Sub-Saharan Africa Master's scholarship webpages for more information on eligibility criteria, selection process and FAQs. 

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: 29 March 2026
Value: Fees, stipend and other allowances (Duration of programme)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: Overseas

Bartlett Promise UK Master's Scholarship

Deadline: 31 May 2026
Value: Full tuition fees and an annual stipend of £17,096 for a 12 month master's or £15,864 for a 9 month (Duration of programme)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme (CSSS)

Deadline: 9 December 2025
Value: Full fees, flights, stipend, and other allowances (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

GREAT Scholarship

NOW CLOSED FOR 2026/27 ENTRY
Value: £10,000 towards tuition fees (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

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 course of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application, we would like to learn: 

  • Why do you want to study Development Administration and Planning at UCL at the graduate level 
  • What particularly attracts you to the chosen course 
  • What do you think you will bring to the course 
  • How your academic and professional background meet the demands of this challenging course 
  • Where would you 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 course match what the course will deliver.  

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.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2026-2027

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Development Planning Unit
Development Planning Unit

bartlett.pg-dpu@ucl.ac.uk

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