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Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable Buildings MSc

London, Bloomsbury

UCL's Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable Buildings MSc is designed to meet the growing demand for specialists to drive the health and wellbeing agenda in the design, assessment, retrofit and operation of sustainable buildings. This Master's equips you with the skills, knowledge and networks needed to advance sustainable innovation for health and wellbeing in the built environment.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
£19,300
£9,650
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
£34,400
£17,200
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2024
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 31 May 2024
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 30 Aug 2024
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

Normally a second-class UK Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. architecture, engineering, physics and other relevant disciplines in built environment and public health) is required, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. If your first degree was not in a relevant discipline, please clearly state in your personal statement how your educational or employment background (including any internships or projects) relates to the programme and what you aim to achieve through your studies.

Please note that a special qualifying examination may be set. Details of this route can be obtained from the department at the email address at the bottom of this page.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable Buildings MSc was launched in response to the demand for a new generation of experts to drive the health and wellbeing agenda in the built environment. The convergence of the sustainability, health and wellbeing agendas has led to the emergence of a more holistic, human-centred approach to design, and made health and wellbeing an increasingly influential research area. 

Students on the Health, Wellbeing and Sustainability MSc are taught by research-active leaders in the field and have opportunities to network with and learn from industry experts, to develop their understanding of commercially applicable, research-oriented tools and approaches, and to benefit from opportunities for hands-on experience and exposure to real-world scenarios. 

The programme aims to:

  • Provide students with the knowledge, critical understanding and skills needed to address health, wellbeing and human performance for the design, assessment and operation of new-build, retrofit and existing buildings (residential and non-domestic) 
  • Develop in-depth understanding of the interactions between human-centred outcomes and other sustainability issues and challenges involved in addressing multiple outcomes 
  • Ensure that graduates have the skills and knowledge to understand the range of social and built environment factors that impact upon health, wellbeing and human performance, covering multiple spatial scales (e.g., buildings to urban environments). 
  • Equip students with the ability to design solutions and establish operational strategies for the remediation or alleviation of health and comfort problems within buildings, and for enhancing wellbeing and human performance. 
  • Introduce and develop methods and tools for evaluating/predicting the impact of building/built environment features on health, wellbeing and human performance
  • Produce confident, articulate professionals who are competent and able to tackle the swiftly changing set of challenges in providing sustainable, safe and healthy built environments.

Who this course is for

The Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable Buildings MSc is suitable for recent graduates from disciplines including architecture, engineering, interior architecture/design, physics, and other related disciplines, including the built environment, geography, public health and environmental psychology who wish to gain further training in the field. We also welcome applications from early or mid-career professionals in the built environment, public health, environmental psychology, or other relevant fields wishing to expand their skills and knowledge.
Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

Spanning both technical disciplines and the humanities, Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable Buildings MSc equips graduates to work in a range of sectors. With its emphasis on critical enquiry, multidisciplinary understanding and effective communication skills, this degree is designed to help students develop into highly employable, multi-skilled professionals. 

Whilst studying Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable Buildings MSc you will:

  • Explore how the convergence of the green agenda and the health and wellbeing agenda has led to a more holistic, human-centred approach to building design
  • Develop critical thinking, quantitative skills and expertise in modelling, monitoring and design approaches, while learning how to conceptualise and sustainably implement health and wellbeing across multiple disciplines and building types 
  • Deepen your understanding of human behaviour and psychology in relation to building use, and understand how a focus on health and wellbeing in the built environment positively affects users’ physical, mental and emotional health, and improves productivity and performance
  • Benefit from an association with the MSc’s industry Advisory Group; experts from industry and policy, including leading architectural, engineering and facility management firms, who collaborate with the Institute and contribute ‘real-world’ input to the programme as invited lecturers, tutors and dissertation advisors
  • Make a daily difference as a champion of the health and wellbeing agenda, driving innovation and sustainability in buildings.

This Master's is delivered by UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering in The Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources, home to specialist institutes in energy, environmental design and engineering, resources and heritage.  

The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment brings together the multidisciplinary specialisms required to research, understand, design, construct and operate the built environment of the future. The QS World University Rankings (2023) places The Bartlett as #1 for Architecture and Built Environment studies in the world, and #1 in the UK for the ninth year in a row. The Bartlett's research received the UK's most world-leading ratings for Built Environment research in the most recent Research Excellence Framework.

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

The foundation of your career

"No matter which way you are looking, I do believe the study experience in Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable Buildings MSc is a solid asset, it adds credit to our competitiveness in landing job opportunities.” - Huizhong Luo, Health Wellbeing and Sustainable Buildings graduate, 2019, Healthy Buildings Researcher at Delos

As awareness increases of the impacts that the built environment can have on health, wellbeing and sustainability, so too does the demand for professionals with relevant expertise. Our alumni are working in private and public sector organisations around the world. These alumni testimonials showcase some graduates' employment stories.

Our Industry Advisory Group of industry experts has helped us shape a curriculum with graduate employability in mind. Find out more about our Industry Advisory Group.

Employability

Our graduates have gone on to work in architectural or engineering companies, and specialist consultancies dedicated to the design and/or evaluation of sustainable buildings, with a strong focus on health and wellbeing. Graduates have found employment in leading organisations globally including Arup and Buro Happold in the UK, Delos in China, Samoo Architects & Engineers in South Korea, and the Shenzhen Institute of Building Research. Others have used their Master’s as a foundation for PhD roles at universities including UCL. Several have shared their experiences in alumni profiles.

Additional career paths may be within in-house building design and operational teams, in relevant public sector agencies or government departments, or in specialist product or service innovation companies.

Networking

The programme benefits from the input from an experienced and engaged advisory panel made up of experts in the field. Members of the panel represent major consulting companies such as AECOM and Buro Happold, public agencies (e.g., UK Health Security Agency), other universities, and organisations such as the International WELL Building Institute. They advise on current industry practice and future directions; provide dissertation topics and support; give guest lectures and participate in networking events.

Accreditation

Accredited as further learning for Chartered Engineers (CEng) by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, interactive workshops, tutorials and lab demonstrations. 

At the end of the programme, students should be able to demonstrate key learning outcomes including:

  • An understanding of the notions of health, wellbeing and human performance in the built environment, articulating their varied conceptual origins and relationship with sustainability and critical societal challenges.
  • The use tools for evaluating health and wellbeing in buildings, including tailored questionnaires, monitoring equipment and apps.
  • Quantify the combined effect of a wide range of building design decisions on building energy and environmental performance, human comfort, health and wellbeing, for different population groups and health statuses, under the current and future climate.
  • An awareness of health inequalities and the built environment
  • Understanding of different case studies and perspectives
  • A critical understanding of the connection between epistemological theories and methods of analysis
  • Knowledge of simulation software and appreciate its limitations
  • Understanding of the theory and practice of analytical methods

The majority of modules are assessed through written essays or reports. One module (Integrated Design) includes a team-based design challenge, in addition to an individual short report. 
There are also various activities where you are informally assessed (i.e., does not contribute towards your final marks), so we can help you learn at the right pace. Individual or group tutorials on coursework and hands-on skills are embedded throughout the course.

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


A Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits - full-time 9 months or modular/flexible 2-5 years) is offered. The programme consists of eight modules (15 credits each). A Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits - full-time 4-7 months or modular/flexible 2-5 years) is offered. The programme consists of four modules (15 credits each).

Modules

The MSc consists of six compulsory modules, two optional modules and a research project which culminates in a dissertation.

In Term 1, you will learn about the fundamentals of health and wellbeing in buildings; the different methods of research and analysis of the built environment; basic principles of psychology, sociology and design to illustrate how the perception of and interaction with building factors can impact health, wellbeing and human performance; and, the concepts and fundamentals of integrated building design and operational strategies within the context of enhancing health, wellbeing and comfort in buildings. 

In Term 2, you will gain additional insight into the fundamentals of health and wellbeing in the built environment at a neighbourhood and urban scale, taking into consideration social aspects such as health inequalities and group-level effects. You will also examine the need for assessment of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and the implications for health. Additionally, you will select two of three optional modules that offer you the chance to pursue specialist interests.

In addition, student learning is supported via supplementary activities including dedicated tutorials for specialised software, case study visits, an introduction to software/equipment and opportunities to attend selected events with international experts.

The research project is undertaken during Term 3 and throughout the summer, leading to the submission of a dissertation in late August/early September.

Part-time students will take four modules in year one and four taught modules and the dissertation in year two. 

In Term 1 of year one you will learn about the fundamentals of health and wellbeing in buildings and, the concepts and fundamentals of integrated building design and operational strategies within the context of enhancing health, wellbeing and comfort in buildings. In the second term of year one, you will gain insight into the fundamentals of health and wellbeing in the built environment at a neighbourhood and urban scale, taking into consideration social aspects such as health inequalities and group-level effects. You will also examine the need for assessment of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and the implications for health.
 
In year two Term 1, you will continue your studies by exploring the different methods of research and analysis of the built environment and the basic principles of psychology, sociology and design to illustrate how the perception of and interaction with building factors can impact health, wellbeing and human performance. In Term 2 of the second year you will select two optional modules, completing your dissertation in term 3 of year two.

Flexible students complete all six compulsory modules, two optional modules and their dissertation over the course of three to five consecutive academic years.

In addition, flexible students are recommended to:

  • Take the following modules before taking other taught modules: Health, Comfort and Wellbeing in the Built Environment, Integrated Building Design for Health, Comfort and Wellbeing Health and Wellbeing in Cities: Theory and Practice and Indoor Air Quality in Buildings before taking other taught modules.
  • Take at least one module in each academic year they are enrolled on the MSc.
  • Take the dissertation either in the year in which they complete the final taught modules or the year after they have completed all taught modules, as long as this is not more than five consecutive years after they first enrolled.

Flexible students will be encouraged to discuss their plan for completing the MSc with the Programme Lead. It is anticipated that this plan will be reviewed at the beginning of each academic year.

A Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits - full-time 9 months or modular/flexible 2-5 years) is offered. The programme consists of eight modules (15 credits each). A Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits - full-time 4-7 months or modular/flexible 2-5 years) is offered. The programme consists of four modules (15 credits each).

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 Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable Buildings. Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable Buildings. Upon successful completion of 60 credits, you will be awarded a PG Cert in Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable Buildings.

Fieldwork

The programme includes case study visits. Fieldwork activity may also be required for selected coursework, and if so this is likely to take place within the Greater London area. 

Students gain hands-on experience of monitoring environmental conditions, gathering and evaluating human responses to the environment, applying industry standards, and simulation tools similar to those used by commercial companies for building performance evaluation.

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 and Wellbeing team.

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Graduate Open Events: Environmental Design and Engineering

Whether your ambition is to design better buildings, plan better cities, build sustainable communities or help meet the challenge of climate change, The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment could be a big step towards it. Find out more about our courses within the Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering: Health Wellbeing and Sustainable Buildings MSc, Light and Lighting MSc, Environmental Design and Engineering MSc, Smart Buildings and Digital Engineering MSc.

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Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2024/25) £19,300 £9,650
Tuition fees (2024/25) £34,400 £17,200

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

Travel, accommodation and activities planned for the field trip are covered by the programme. Travel costs for site visits or fieldwork within the Greater London area (Transport for London zones 1-6) which are accessible by public transport are covered by students. The actual cost of travel in London for site visits varies, but based on prior experience, it is estimated that three to five trips may be required with daily ‘Pay as you go’ caps on London travel of £14.90 (in 2023), students can expect to pay between £45 and £75.

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.

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

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: 3 April 2024
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 2024
Value: Tuition fees plus £15,364 maintenance/yr (Duration of programme)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

Brown Family Bursary

Deadline: 20 June 2024
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 Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable Buildings at graduate level
  • why you want to study Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable Buildings 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.

The programme should appeal to students with a deep interest in the health aspects of sustainability, as well as the ability to span across technical and humanities disciplines.

Please note: submission of a portfolio or of GRE results is not required.

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: 2024-2025

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources
Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources

bseer-studentqueries@ucl.ac.uk

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