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Global Prosperity MSc

London, Bloomsbury

Globally, we need to challenge the dominant models of economic growth that drive inequality, climate crisis and social division. On the Global Prosperity MSc, you explore new definitions of prosperity grounded in justice, sustainability and quality of life. Drawing on economics, anthropology, political science, urban studies and sustainable development, the course prepares you for careers in policy, international development, social enterprise, research 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 close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

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

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Prospective students must demonstrate commitment to engage with complex global challenges across a range of disciplines. Applicants with significant work experience in government, business, civil society or social entrepreneurship and/or postgraduate training are strongly encouraged to apply.

The English language level for this course is: Level 3

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 world faces urgent, interconnected challenges: inequality is deepening, the climate crisis is accelerating, and political and social systems are under pressure. Livelihoods, communities and environments are threatened by extractive economies, weakened democracies and unsustainable development.

The Global Prosperity MSc responds directly to these global challenges. This degree offers a solution-focused, transdisciplinary approach to building more just, sustainable and inclusive futures. Grounded in the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity’s research and engagement with communities, citizen scientists, policymakers and organisations, it equips you with the skills and knowledge to rethink what prosperity means and lead transformative change in your future career.

During your studies you:

  • Strengthen critical, creative and practical skills to challenge dominant models and lead new approaches across policy, development, research, sustainability and social innovation
  • Develop a transdisciplinary understanding of prosperity and explore how policies and institutions can shape just and sustainable futures in government, business and civil society
  • Learn co-design and co-production methods grounded in lived experience, collaborative research and theoretical insight
  • Apply these methods to develop systemic, context-specific responses with diverse stakeholders
  • Tailor your learning through optional modules aligned with your interests and ambitions, covering global issues such as finance, environmental science, China studies, urban development and sustainability

You graduate ready to lead in the field you choose—whether policymaking, international development, ESG, sustainability, community innovation, green investment, entrepreneurship, research or academia—equipped to drive change across sectors, scales and disciplines.

Who this course is for

This course is for people who want to shape a more just, inclusive and sustainable world. You may be a recent graduate or a professional with experience in business, finance, government, international organisations, NGOs, social enterprise or the creative industries. You should be driven by the need to address global challenges—from inequality and climate change to the transformation of economic systems and institutions.

We welcome applicants with backgrounds in the social sciences, arts and humanities, natural sciences, engineering, law and public health. You may bring international perspectives, interdisciplinary interests or lived experience that informs your commitment to change. Ultimately, you will be seeking the knowledge, networks and skills to build a career that delivers real, lasting change.

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

What this course will give you

A new approach to global challenges
This course takes you beyond conventional thinking about economics and development. Grounded in global problems and values of justice, inclusion and sustainability, it challenges dominant models and equips you to imagine alternative futures. You study across disciplines and use research methods that centre collaboration with those directly impacted by policy and development decisions. Rather than treating prosperity as a fixed endpoint, you learn how it can be redefined and rebuilt for different contexts, communities and futures.

Guided by leading voices redefining prosperity
You are taught by academics at UCL Institute for Global Prosperity, who shape global debates through research, consultancy, and policy and community engagement. Highlights include research collaborations in the UK, Lebanon and Africa, the Citizen Science Academy, and the entrepreneur network Fast Forward 2030. They also contribute to international policy, including the UK House of Commons inquiry on aligning economic goals with environmental sustainability. As a student, you benefit from this expertise, with live research and partnerships informing your learning.

Study at a world-leading university
You will study at UCL, ranked 9th globally in the QS World University Rankings 2025 (QS World University Rankings 2026) situated in London, the best city for students in the UK and Europe, and third place worldwide (QS Best Student Cities 2026). 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 Rankings by Subject 2025). The Bartlett is a dynamic, interdisciplinary space that brings together core built environment disciplines with development, sustainability, prosperity and more. Together, our mission is to tackle some of the most pressing issues for people, communities and the planet, and build a better future for everyone. Learn more about a day in the life of a Global Prosperity MSc student.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme
Making an impact
A photo of four citizen scientists standing in front of a graffiti wall

Redefining prosperity in east London

We're working with citizen scientists to uncover diverse perspectives of what it means to lead a prosperous life, challenging the narrow framing of prosperity as material wealth.

The foundation of your career

A degree in global prosperity can open an array of career opportunities across policy, social and sustainable entrepreneurship, education, government, the third sector, business and academia. Our graduates also go on to leadership roles in the public and private sector, work in civil service, and in the NGO and third sector. This includes a broad range of roles such as ecological consultants, policy officers and social research officers where they show initiative and a drive to make global change.

Our students have gone on to work with CAB International, the Ghent University Human Rights Research Network, London Borough of Waltham Forest, PwC, Carbon craft, WaterAid Pakistan, Multiverse, Mutuo, Spinal Research, WeAreWaterloo, Siegwerk, London Borough of Hackney and Austrade (Australian Trade and Investment Commission). Some graduates have founded their own businesses and consultancies, while others continue to doctoral research and academic careers at institutions such as UCL, University of Massachusetts, University of Vermont and Ghent University. Graduates have also continued to collaborate with us, working with networks and projects hosted at the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity (HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017-23, alumni testimonials, LinkedIn).

Read about student and alumni journeys ►

Coming to the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity was one of the best decisions I have ever made and it has furnished me with the tools for the useful career I was longing for.

A photo of Johnny Stormonth-Darling giving a presentation

Johnny Stormonth-Darling

Iswe Foundation, Global Prosperity MSc graduate

Learn more about Johnny's experience

Employability

As a Global Prosperity MSc graduate, you gain a versatile skillset for careers in policy, economics, business, sustainability and the third sector. You learn to work across disciplines, applying both qualitative and quantitative methods alongside strategic design thinking and prototyping to tackle complex global challenges.

You build analytical and problem-solving abilities, carry out independent research, and gain experience in policy engagement and mixed-method approaches. Through group work and collaboration, you develop the confidence to work with diverse stakeholders and across different values and perspectives. Alongside this, you sharpen your communication, digital, visual and public speaking skills, learning to present ideas across academic, professional and public settings.

The course also offers tailored career development through Writing Labs and Skills and Personal Development sessions, covering web design and blogging, academic writing, presentation skills, personal leadership, media communication and career building support—preparing you to lead change wherever you go next.

We offer integrated careers training as part of the core curriculum. UCL Careers also provides comprehensive support to students and recent graduates—including one-to-one guidance, employer connections, events and resources to help you explore options, build skills and achieve your career goals.

Networking

Grounded in the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity’s research-led and engagement-driven teaching, you connect with leading thinkers and practitioners through regular seminars, guest talks and workshops. Events like the Director’s Seminars and Soundbites offer opportunities to explore new ideas, share perspectives and gain exposure to current debates in prosperity, policy and innovation.

You also connect with emerging leaders in business and social enterprise and have the chance to collaborate on live projects focused on institutional and systemic change. Beyond the course, students get involved in UCL’s wide network of societies and often volunteer, intern or work with London-based organisations, charities and NGOs—building experience and networks that extend far beyond the university.

Teaching and learning

Teaching on this MSc emphasises active, research-led learning, and collaborative learning experiences. You engage critically with literature and competing ideas through lectures, seminars, pre-recorded materials and in-depth discussion. Teaching methods encourage participation and interaction, including group and paired work, case studies, and learning-by-doing approaches such as prototyping and design. You connect theory to practice through engagement with entrepreneurial leaders, policymakers and practitioners via tutorials, guest talks, site visits and field trips.

All modules combine formative in-class exercises and peer-to-peer learning with a diverse mix of summative assessments. These are designed to build your skills progressively and prepare you for your final dissertation, where you will design and deliver an independent research project. Assessment types include individual and group assignments, critical essays and reports, reflective pieces, presentations and blog posts, allowing you to develop and communicate complex ideas in both academic and publicly accessible formats.

In Terms 1 and 2 full-time students can typically expect between 10 and 12 contact hours per teaching week through a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops, and tutorials. Full-time students typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using their remaining time (approximately 25-27 hours) for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments. In Term 3 and the summer period students will be completing their own dissertation research, keeping regular contact with their dissertation supervisors.

Modules

The course is structured around four core modules, spread across Terms 1 and 2. Pathways to Prosperity 1: Global Legacies and Pathways to Prosperity 2: Global Futures provide the conceptual foundations of the degree by examining historical and current challenges to global prosperity and social experiments creating better futures. The modules Researching and Measuring Global Prosperity and Collective Problem Solving for Inclusive Prosperity introduce novel methodological techniques and collective problem-solving processes for engaging with practitioners, institutions and policymakers.

Apart from the compulsory modules, 45 credits of optional/elective modules will be distributed across the two terms. You should discuss the distribution of compulsory and elective/optional modules with the course director ahead of initial enrolment.

In Term 3, you will focus a research dissertation of your own choosing on a topic related to Global Prosperity. Dissertations can be both desktop/literature based or involve practical empirical research.

Part-time students can take 60 to 120 credits each year of their studies.

We recommend that in their first year, part-time students take a minimum of 90 credits. In the second year, we recommend part time students take a maximum of 90 credits, which must include the dissertation module (60 credits).

The compulsory modules are the same as full-time study.

Apart from the compulsory modules, a minimum of 30 credits of optional modules and up to 15 credits of elective modules will be undertaken across the first and second year. The distribution of compulsory and elective/optional modules should be discussed with the course director ahead of initial enrolment.

Students undertaking modular/flexible study may choose to organise the distribution of their modules flexibly across the five years provided they complete 180 credits by the end of year five.

The compulsory modules are the same as full-time study.

Apart from the compulsory modules, students should choose 30 credits of optional modules and 15 credits of elective modules. The distribution of compulsory and elective/optional modules should be discussed with the course director and/or personal tutor ahead of each year's enrolment process.

Modular/flexible students are expected to have completed the majority of their taught modules before undertaking their dissertation.

Compulsory modules







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 Global Prosperity.

Fieldwork

Short, half-day field trips are a mandatory component of some of our optional modules. Fieldwork related to your dissertation is encouraged and may take place in the UK or elsewhere in the world. However, risk and ethical considerations will need to be discussed with the course director and fully approved according to UCL regulations and the circumstances at the time.

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

The UCL Institute for Global Prosperity’s vision is to build a prosperous, sustainable global future underpinned by fairness and social justice and a long-term vision of humanity’s place in the world. We are transforming the way economies are conceived and managed, and redefining our relationship with the planet.

Find out more

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All open days and events

Online - Open day

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.

You may need to spend a minimal amount (ie £20) on local transport for short field visits in London as part of optional modules.

The UCL Institute for Global Prosperity spans UCL’s Bloomsbury and UCL East campuses. While all core teaching activities are delivered at UCL Bloomsbury, some complimentary research- and practice-led activities may be delivered at UCL East. Students are able to select their optional modules from an extensive suite of elective modules delivered by the Institute of Global Prosperity and other UCL academic departments on both UCL campuses.

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 UCL Institute for Global Prosperity aims to support students’ studies on the course with the Institute for Global Prosperity Equity Fund and Global Scholarship for Prosperity in the 2026-27 academic year. Additional funding is advertised on the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity and The Bartlett websites.

As a student affiliated with The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, depending on your eligibility you can apply to The Bartlett Promise Scholarship which aims to enable students from backgrounds underrepresented in the built environment to pursue master's studies. Please see the Master's scholarship and Sub-Saharan Africa Master's scholarship pages 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

UCL East London Scholarship

Deadline: 25 June 2026
Value: Tuition fees plus £17,096 stipend ()
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 course of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

Your application should include both a personal statement and a CV.

When we assess your personal statement we would like to learn:

  • Why you want to study Global Prosperity at graduate level
  • Why you want to study Global Prosperity at UCL Institute for Global Prosperity and UCL
  • What particularly attracts you to this course
  • How your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging course
  • How you see this degree leading to a future transformative career

We advise applicants to upload any supporting documents related to research, work experience, extracurricular activities or other projects mentioned in the personal statement or CV.

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

Institute for Global Prosperity
Institute for Global Prosperity

bartlett.pg-igp@ucl.ac.uk

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