Health in Urban Development MSc

London, Bloomsbury

The Health in Urban Development MSc develops the capacity of urban health professionals and development practitioners to respond to the challenges of urban inequalities, informality and environmental risks in the 21st century. Our course explores the relationships between health, social justice, urban governance and development planning in the urban context in the Global South and Global North and the effects of urbanisation, social interactions and policies on the physical and mental health of communities. 

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£20,500
£10,250
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£33,000
£16,500
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 academic year
2 academic years
5 academic years
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

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate subject (e.g. Planning, Architecture, Social Sciences, Geography, Health Studies, Civil Engineering) or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

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

The Health in Urban Development MSc will provide you with the foundations for analysing and responding to issues of urban health around the globe, through research methodology, evaluation of community and policy-level recommendations, as well as practice-based experience.

Gain experience in urban health

The Health in Urban Development MSc is an urban health course that produces interdisciplinary perspectives of the interrelationships between health, social justice and development planning in urban contexts of the Global South and the Global North. This approach will give you an understanding of how health injustices manifest differently between and within contexts and will give you the confidence to move into your future career as an urban health and development expert with experience working with specific case studies, and an ability to identify opportunities for knowledge exchange between different contexts.

At The Bartlett Development Planning Unit, we emphasise the importance of putting theory into practice and as a Health in Urban Development MSc student you will have the opportunity to do so through an overseas practice engagement that will immerse you in the planning of real cities by working with communities in action-research projects with global partners, and through our Development Workshops that simulate the complex processes of negotiating development strategies with students from other master’s courses.

Explore your personal interests through optional modules

In addition to core learning on the Health in Urban Development MSc and practical projects, you can develop your personal interests and choose from a wide range of optional modules from across the six other master’s courses at The Bartlett Development Planning Unit, as well as from across The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment and wider UCL.

Benefit from our global network of alumni and partners

Throughout your degree, you will engage with scholars and practitioners working in diverse capacities and fields to address urban challenges. We host skills development and careers networking sessions with UCL Careers services, connect you with partner organisations, alumni, development practitioners and academics through our overseas practice engagements and events at The Bartlett Development Planning Unit. We also offer the opportunity to participate in our dissertation fellowship scheme where you can partner with reputable NGOs and development consultancies to produce a dissertation which have previously led our students to research collaborations, internships, and employment.

By the end of the Health in Urban Development MSc, you will:

  • Have the confidence to analyse the positive and negative effects of urbanisation processes in the Global South on both physical and mental health, and the root causes of intra-urban disparities in health;
  • Experiment with the practice of urban health beyond the classroom environment through practice engagements with international partners;
  • Gain an enhanced knowledge of aspects of city life such as housing, transportation, food, infrastructure, productive processes and their impact on human health from national to international scales;
  • Have an increased capacity to reflect on your role as a development and health practitioner and how this affects the health of urban dwellers;
  • Develop as a reflexive and ethical professional in the field of sustainable development with key skills in critical thinking, teamwork, project management and impactful communication with stakeholders. 

Who this course is for

The Health in Urban Development MSc has a thriving international community of development practitioners and scholars with backgrounds in health studies, development studies, social sciences (including geography and anthropology), urban planning and architecture who are committed to promoting urban health justice. This diversity fosters a cooperative working environment and the opportunity to negotiate creatively with others.

We aim to grow this community by welcoming applications from professionals already working in the growing field of urban health, including those with a special emphasis on contexts in the Global South. We offer grounded training in the theory and practice of health justice, and therefore also welcome new entrants to the field with a strong interest in promoting human-centric responses to challenges such as inequality and marginalisation.

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 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.

Through the core modules of the course, you will be introduced to theories and tools to critically understand the relationships between formal and informal urban planning processes in the Global South that affect health justice in an urbanising world, and integrate theory with practice through workshops that allow you to conduct primary research on urban and public health.

Through optional modules you can take advantage of the expertise within The Bartlett Development Planning Unit and wider Faculty of the Built Environment to explore urbanisation and development, urban water and sanitation, food and the city, informal economies and how housing policies affect urban health. You can also choose to study optional modules from across wider UCL that will equip you with a deeper understanding of concepts and controversies in global health, power and politics, health systems, climate change, and research methods, depending on your personal interests.

Not only will you be studying course content that matters both to your future career and to the health justice of urban contexts in the Global South, but you will also gain access to an active and growing alumni network, exchanging knowledge and skills with like-minded individuals  from across the globe who are experienced in the realms of urban health and development planning. 

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 Health in Urban Development MSc draws strong connections to professional networks through our teaching and research activities, including our overseas practice engagements where we partner with communities and organisations in international contexts to address urban health issues and opportunities, and through involvement in ongoing research projects led by academics of The Bartlett Development Planning Unit.  

The critical thinking and action-research skills nurtured in our students on the course are in demand in a variety of sectors around the world including:

  • NGOs
  • International organisations
  • Local and national government departments.

Graduates of our course go on to find work in interdisciplinary teams in these organisations and institutions as consultants and officers working on urban health and environment-related projects. Our course also inspires graduates of the Health in Urban Development MSc to pursue further research at PhD level. 

Alumni testimonials

“I knew I wanted to join the Health in Urban Development MSc to learn about techniques and strategies I can use to implement effective equitable change in housing, planning, health, law, and other areas. I enjoyed meeting and studying with faculty, staff, and graduate teaching assistants of The Bartlett Development Planning Unit.” - Fui Amevor, Health in Urban Development MSc graduate

Discover more alumni stories on The Bartlett Development Planning Unit website and in our Alumni Careers Stories series on YouTube

Employability

To work within NGOs, international organisations, and government departments on urban health and environment-related projects, we will equip you with critical thinking and action-research skills through core learning on the Health in Urban Development MSc and through department-level workshops that integrate our students with those of the other master’s courses at The Bartlett Development Planning Unit.

Boost your employability through core and optional modules

Our core modules have been designed so that you can move into your future career with a strong understanding of the relationships between formal and informal urban planning processes that affect health justice in an urbanising world. Optional modules will give you a range of perspectives on urban health issues and global challenges that affect urban health (including water and sanitation, food security, informal economies, housing, and climate change) from across the university that they can integrate into their future work, too. Putting theory into practice, we bring together these reflections in an overseas practice engagement where our students work in groups and collaborate with a network of real-world institutional partners to conduct primary research on urban and public health.

Explore current debates and issues in interntional development and planning

The Development Workshops will introduce you to the current debates and issues surrounding international development and planning. Through lectures, short films, and group discussions our students to 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 our 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 explore stakeholders’ intersecting identities and interests whilst fostering empathy with their narratives and acknowledging the complexity of real-world planning processes.

Partner with international development organisations in a dissertation fellowship

The Development Planning Dissertation Fellowship Scheme offers important opportunities for professional development and, in some cases, has led to research collaborations, internships, and employment.

The advantages of participating in this scheme for your employability include:

  • Your dissertation will be relevant to the current work of an international development organisation.  
  • You will have access to a member of staff and relevant data (but NO fieldwork and/or primary data collection is expected).  
  • A summary of your dissertation will be published in an appropriate form (eg policy brief, blog post), subject to agreement over edits to ensure that high standards are maintained with respect to the work itself and any pertinent copyright or other issues. 
  • You will receive a letter stating that you have completed this research with the partner organisation. 

Networking

We will also offer you the opportunity to connect with alumni and academics of the course through our overseas practice engagements, through events open to all students at The Bartlett Development Planning Unit (including our flagship Dialogues in Development lecture series, film screenings, and talks with academics about their research projects), and through seminars and guest lectures with urban health experts, development practitioners and community members.  

As a student of The Bartlett Development Planning Unit, you will be connected with professionals, researchers and academics who have had long-standing careers in the development field and can share valuable and candid insights through events and networking. 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 include global consultancies (e.g. Buro Happold, Hoare Lea, Atkins Réalis), 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

The Health in Urban Development MSc is delivered both inside and outside of the classroom so you can discover methodologies and frameworks for a critical participatory, community-based approach to urban health justice. On campus, the course will be taught through a wide range of teaching techniques including lectures and seminars that are delivered by academics, and health and development experts, and through individual and group project work, workshops and case study analysis.

In partnership with organisations and initiatives, we take learning one step further through site visits, visiting experts, and through our annual overseas practice engagements. 

Health in Urban Development MSc is assessed through coursework, written academic essays 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. Each teaching week, you will have two-hour face-to-face encounters on campus in all core and optional modules. Each teaching week, you will also have one three-hour practice module encounter on campus.

Outside of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials, as a full-time student you will typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using your remaining time for self-directed study and completing assignments. We expect full-time students to commit an average of 40 to 45 hours of study per week reviewing online resources, completing module activities, engaging in wider reading and working on their 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. In term 3 and the summer period, you will complete your own dissertation research, keeping regular contact with your dissertation supervisor.

Modules

The Health in Urban Development MSc is delivered over four terms when taken in one academic year. In terms 1 and 2 you will study compulsory modules which make up 75% of the taught component of the course (equivalent to 90 credits) and provide you with the theoretical and methodological foundations to become an urban health and development practitioner. The remaining 25% of the taught component of the course is dedicated to a range of optional modules on offer, allowing you to combine your learnings with your personal interests in terms 1 and 2. The practice module, where we complete the overseas practice engagement, runs across terms 2 and 3.  

In term 4, ie the summer term, you will focus on your dissertation which is a research project you will conduct independently, complemented by support from a dedicated dissertation tutor. The dissertation gives you the opportunity to focus on an area of the course that most interests you. The research that supports the production of your dissertation should rely on secondary sources of data and/or primary sources of data that can be accessed without field survey work (for example internet or archival data sources). Conducting this independent research builds your skills in planning a research project, reviewing literature, and using the knowledge acquired during the taught component of the course to review evidence, develop an argument and communicate and justify your findings. The dissertation is submitted at the end of term 4.

The Health in Urban Development MSc is delivered over two years when taken part-time.  

In year 1, the taught modules are delivered in terms 1 and 2 and you will study:

  • Health, Social Justice and the City 1
  • Urban Health and Development Planning Strategies 1
  • Urban Health and Development Planning Strategies 2
  • Health, Social Justice and the City 2.

In year 2, the taught modules are delivered in terms 1, 2 and 3 and you will study:

  • Urban Health: Practice and Reflections
  • Dissertation Report.

In year 2, you will also have a choice of optional modules which can either be:

  • 1 x 30 credit optional module, or
  • 2 x 15 credit optional modules.

In term 4 of year 2, you will focus on your dissertation which is a research project you will conduct independently, complemented by support from a dedicated dissertation tutor. The dissertation gives you the opportunity to focus on an area of the course that most interests you. The research that supports the production of your dissertation should rely on secondary sources of data and/or primary sources of data that can be accessed without field survey work (for example internet or archival data sources). Conducting this independent research builds your skills in planning a research project, reviewing literature, and using the knowledge acquired during the taught component of the course to review evidence, develop an argument and communicate and justify your findings. The dissertation is submitted at the end of term 4.

The Health in Urban Development MSc is delivered over a period of two to five years when taken on a flexible basis. You may structure your core and optional modules in any format you wish, noting that the practice module and dissertation must be taken in your final years of study.

The dissertation is a research project which you will conduct independently, complemented by support from a dedicated dissertation tutor. The dissertation gives you the opportunity to focus on an area of the course that most interests you. The research that supports the production of your dissertation should rely on secondary sources of data and/or primary sources of data that can be accessed without field survey work (for example internet or archival data sources). Conducting this independent research builds your skills in planning a research project, reviewing literature, and using the knowledge acquired during the taught component of the course to review evidence, develop an argument and communicate and justify your findings. The dissertation is submitted at the end of term 4.

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 Health in Urban Development.

Fieldwork

In Term 3 of the Health in Urban Development MSc, you will carry out an overseas practice engagement as part of the practice module which is an immersive research experience our students investigate the planning of development interventions to advance urban health to become better development practitioners.

Each year, our Health in Urban Development MSc students engage with issues raised by partner organisations and initiatives in a local context. To date, we have engaged with partners and communities in Marrakech, Belfast and Nicosia on themes spanning green urban spaces, access and quality of maternal healthcare services, health concerns of youth studying in universities, water shortage, agriculture, and urban health in contest cities.

The fieldwork component takes place in Term 3 and will provide you with a unique opportunity to conduct fieldwork including interviews, surveys, mapping and urban health risk analysis. Throughout the fieldwork we also meet with health experts working with communities.

Ultimately, our previous students have encapsulated their research findings and recommendations moving forward in written reports and shared with communities and local partners with whom we work. These research outputs that operate beyond academia and can serve partner organisations at the same time as building a portfolio for your future career.

Discover more about our overseas practice engagements ▶ 

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) £20,500 £10,250
Tuition fees (2025/26) £33,000 £16,500

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

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.

For flexible/modular offer holders a £500 fee deposit will be charged.

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

Core costs related to compulsory practice engagement projects will be covered from within tuition fees. This includes partner and facilitation expenses, travel-related costs where travel is possible (e.g. transportation, visas, travel insurance) and accommodation costs where required. Personal expenses (e.g. food, mobile data, non-essential leisure activities) must, as normal, be covered by the student regardless of whether practice engagements take place in person or remotely. 

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 and The Bartlett faculty scholarships and funding webpages.

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.

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

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme (CSSS)

Deadline: 12 December 2024
Value: Full fees, flights, stipend, and other allowances (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

GREAT Scholarship

Deadline:8 May 2025
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 programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

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

  • Your understanding of what urban health constitutes
  • Any experience you have of working in the development and/or health related sector
  • Why you want to study health in urban development at graduate level
  • Why you want to study Health in Urban Development MSc at The Bartlett Development Planning Unit and at UCL
  • What you think you will bring to the course
  • How your academic and professional background prepares you for this challenging course
  • Where you 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 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

Got questions? Get in touch

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