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Learning Environments MSc

London, Bloomsbury

The Learning Environments MSc programme aims to develop and extend students’ knowledge of the complex interrelationships between learning and the physical and digital environments in which it takes place.

The programme is designed to teach you to apply knowledge from a range of related professional and academic subjects to the development, design, and evaluation of effective and sustainable learning environments (from schools, universities, and traditional teaching facilities, to start-up incubators, community hubs and other informal learning spaces). Successful applicants will explore learning environments from many angles, including policy, economics, real estate and building services, and inclusivity and sustainability perspectives.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
£19,300
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
£34,400
Duration
1 calendar year
Programme starts
September 2024
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 05 Apr 2024

Applications closed

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

Applications open

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Entry requirements

Normally a minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate subject, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Candidates who hold a professional or other qualification obtained by written examinations and approved by UCL together with at least three years of appropriate professional experience may be admitted with a lower second-class UK Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate subject, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. As the programme is designed to enhance the knowledge base of practitioners in educational policy, and the design, construction and operation of learning facilities, it is useful for candidates to have some knowledge, demonstrable competence, and a skill set related to these aspects of professional practice, in addition to the academic qualification requirements.

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

You will gain valuable insight and expertise in the many dimensions that come together to create successful learning environments planning, design, delivery and management. You will develop multidisciplinary skillsets, critical thinking and a deeper understanding of how to positively affect different types of learning environments, from pre-school to post-compulsory, and across a variety of local, regional and international contexts.

Who this course is for

Designed for people in employment seeking continuing professional development; for graduates in related subjects (such as architecture, estates management, planning, education, academic development) who want to deepen their knowledge and skills; and for those who are aiming to develop a research and consultancy specialist field.

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

What this course will give you

You will gain an advanced interdisciplinary knowledge of learning environments, through dialogue with key experts in the field, as well as through live projects and case scenarios.

The MSc offers a variety of routes, to match your own personal and career interests and intentions. This includes a full time one-year and a part time two-year programme. Modules are taught as intensive one-week full time blocks, enabling flexibility for those in employment. 

The cross-disciplinary nature of the MSc brings together experts and students from across real estate, facilities, architecture, educational, sustainability and equality, diversity, and inclusivity fields. Collaborative and problem-based learning will prepare you for effectively dealing with complex problems in the real world, as well as both extending your knowledge across disciplines and developing a preferred specialist area.

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

Typical careers after the degree include jobs in architecture, planning, interior design, project management, facility and estate management, educational leadership and educational planning, sustainability, innovation, and equality, diversity, and inclusivity consultancy. 

Employability

 

As the global student population continues to grow and lifelong learning takes new and unexpected forms, international interest in delivering effective, inclusive, and sustainable learning environments does so too. Specialists in this field are increasingly being called on to help define the policies and new technologies that can shift learning space development and typologies; to understand, identify and implement new educational business and delivery models; and to translate changing attitudes to teaching and learning demand into different kinds of environments for learners.


As a result of the interdisciplinary nature of Learning Environments, there are many pathways our graduates can follow, including, for example:

  • Policymaking
  • Real estate consulting
  • The built environment professions
  • Education and educational leadership
  • Education support sectors, including technology businesses and educational charities
  • Education consultancy
  • Innovation, sustainability and equality, diversity, and inclusivity consultancy.

Innovative and authentic learning methods will help you to develop sought after skills such as cross-disciplinary team-working, professional report and academic writing, and independent study; while the research-based curriculum promotes strong research skills, enabling you to evaluate and add to the evidence-base of the learning environments field.


The course aims to increase employment opportunities for:

  • People experienced in some aspect of education who want more expertise in learning estates and in the design of effective and socially and ecologically sustainable learning environments.
  • People from a background in the built environment who are well versed in aspects of real estate, property design and management, and who want to develop an educational specialism.
  • Private, public or third sector managers and practitioners in charge of educational processes and spaces in their respective organisations.
  • Sustainability, innovation and inclusivity practitioners with an interest in broadly meant learning processes and the physical and digital spaces in which learning takes place. 

Networking

The Learning Environments MSc programme and the School actively supports students and alumni in establishing their professional network, recognising the importance of networks in providing graduates with opportunities and support throughout their careers.

Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning strategies to be utilised include:

  • Pre and post session readings and exercises on Moodle, including interaction with colleagues and tutors
  • Lectures and group-work with presentations during immersive block teaching 4-day sessions
  • Peer-based and collaborative learning
  • Problem-based learning, e.g. scenario-building, simulations and live projects
  • Case study analysis and site visits
  • Independent study and essay-writing
  • Independent research during the dissertation

One on one tutorials during the dissertation

This MSc is taught through a block week system. The modules are taught in sequence with each covered through one week of intensive study, supported by online pre-week activities and post-week submissions. This form of learning allows concentrated focus on a key theme. It also enables part-time students to fit learning around existing employment.

In most modules students work together on a given problem and have to collaborate to find a possible solution by the end of the week.

Class activities include:

  • Lectures and group-work with presentations 
  • Peer-based and collaborative learning
  • Problem-based learning, e.g. scenario-building, simulations and live projects
  • Case study analysis and site visits
  • Independent study and essay-writing

The Dissertation is undertaken over a longer period, through independent research, supported by one-to-one tutorials with an allocated dissertation supervisor, underpinned by group seminar discussions.

Each module is delivered through one-week intensive block teaching; supported by pre- and post-session readings and exercises online, through the university virtual learning environment. Typically each module provides 40 contact hours, supplemented by 110 hours student self-directed study.

A Postgraduate Diploma, eight compulsory modules (120 credits) full-time (between four and seven months) or flexible study (up to five years), is offered. A Postgraduate Certificate, four compulsory modules (60 credits) full-time (between four and seven months) or flexible study (up to five years), is offered.

Modules

The full-time one year MSc programme consists of 9 modules in total, 8 of which are taught through intensive one-week block study periods. The remaining module, the dissertation, runs in parallel throughout the year and is supported through customised tutorials.

The core 8 modules combine 4 more general property development modules with 4 that specialise in learning environments across pedagogy, policy, procurement, building, management and use.

  • Development and Capital Projects
  • Forms of Value for Real Estate
  • Effective Learning Environments
  • Towards Sustainable Learning Environments: Strategies and Tools
  • Learning Environments in the Digital World
  • Learning Places in the Local Context
  • Dissertation (Learning Environments)
  • Real Estate Solutions and Systems
  • Modern Economics and Finance 

The part-time two year MSc programme consists of 9 modules in total, 8 of which are taught through intensive one-week block study periods. PT students undertake 4 modules a year.

The remaining module - the dissertation - runs in parallel throughout the second year and is supported through customised tutorials.

The core 8 modules combine 4 more general property development modules with 4 that specialise in learning environments across pedagogy, policy, procurement, building, management and use.

  • Development and Capital Projects
  • Forms of Value for Real Estate
  • Effective Learning Environments
  • Towards Sustainable Learning Environments: Strategies and Tools
  • Learning Environments in the Digital World
  • Learning Places in the Local Context
  • Dissertation (Learning Environments)
  • Real Estate Solutions and Systems
  • Modern Economics and Finance 

The part-time flexible MSc programme consists of 9 modules in total, 8 of which are taught through intensive one-week block study periods. Students on this route have up to 5 years to complete all modules, with the order and amount per year negotiated with the MSc progamme director.

The remaining module - the dissertation - runs in parallel throughout their final year and is supported through customised tutorials.

The core 8 modules combine 4 more general property development modules with 4 that specialise in learning environments across pedagogy, policy, procurement, building, management and use.

  • Development and Capital Projects
  • Forms of Value for Real Estate
  • Effective Learning Environments
  • Towards Sustainable Learning Environments: Strategies and Tools
  • Learning Environments in the Digital World
  • Learning Places in the Local Context
  • Dissertation (Learning Environments)
  • Real Estate Solutions and Systems
  • Modern Economics and Finance

Compulsory modules











Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Learning Environments. Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in Learning Environments. Upon successful completion of 60 credits, you will be awarded a PG Cert in Learning Environments.

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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All open days and events

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Learning Environments MSc

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 through a range of taster lectures, Q&As and info sessions.

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Fees and funding

Fees for this course

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

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

There may be additional costs for occasional short local and national site visits (travel and overnight stay), and also an option for an international study visit. Students who wish to investigate a non-UK based subject for their dissertation should also take into account any associated travel, accommodation and expenses this is likely to involve.

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

Funding your studies

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

Any additional funding available from The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction and the Built Environment Faculty Office are advertised on the respective websites.

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

UCL East London Scholarship

Deadline: 20 June 2024
Value: Tuition fees plus £15,700 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 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 Learning Environments MSc at graduate level
  • why you want to study Learning Environments MSc at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to this programme
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Tell us why you want to study the MSc in Learning Environments. Tell us about an experience that has influenced your intellectual and professional development, and how it has made you interested in this subject. What do you consider to be one of your key strengths, relevant to the MSc in Learning Environments? How do you hope your studies will help your future individual and career development? If there is a particular area you plan to research for your MSc dissertation please include this in your statement.

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

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Got questions? Get in touch

Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction
Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction

kell.jones@ucl.ac.uk

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