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Learning Environments MSc

This programme aims to develop and extend your knowledge of the complex intersections between learning and the physical environments in which this takes place, so as to improve future educational spaces. Having an integrated and strategic understanding of learning spaces procurement, design, infrastructure, management and pedagogy gives you an important specialism in a crucial emerging field worldwide.

Covid-19 programme updates

Due to COVID-19, there may have been updates to this programme for the 2020 academic year. Where there has been an update, these are indicated with a red alert and a link which will provide further information.

Key information

Programme starts

September 2020

Modes and duration

Full time: 1 year
Part time: 2 years
Flexible: up to 5 years

The full MSc programme consists of 9 modules in total, 8 of which are taught through intensive one-week block study periods. The dissertation module is supported through customised tutorials.

Application dates

Full-time applicants
Open: 1 November 2019
Close: 11 August 2020
Part-time and modular/flexible applicants
Close: 11 August 2020
Notification
Due to the large number of applications received, this programme is no longer accepting applications for 2020/21 entry. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Applications for 2021/22 entry will open later in the year.

Tuition fees (2020/21)

UK/EU:
£14,320 (FT)
£7,090 (PT)
Overseas:
£26,890 (FT)
£13,390 (PT)


Note on fees: The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website. Fees for flexible, modular study are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session.

Optional qualifications: This degree is also available as a PG Diploma and a PG Certificate with fees set accordingly.
Location: London, Hackney Wick (Here East)

Entry requirements

Normally a minimum of a 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 also be admitted. 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.

English language requirements

If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.

The English language level for this programme is: Standard

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

International students

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.

Select your country:

About this degree

You will gain valuable insight and expertise about 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.

For this programme, students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of eight 15-credit compulsory modules plus a 60-credit dissertation.

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.

Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded a 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.

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 is subject to change.

Compulsory modules

  • Development and Capital Projects (15 credits)
  • Building Solutions and Systems (15 credits)
  • Modern Economics and Finance for Real Estate (15 credits)
  • Forms of Value for Real Estate (15 credits)
  • Effective Learning Environments (15 credits)
  • Towards Sustainable Learning Environments: Strategies and Tools (15 credits)
  • Learning Environments in the Digital World (15 credits)
  • Learning Places in the Local Context (15 credits)
  • Dissertation (Learning Environments) (60 credits)

 

Optional modules

There are no optional modules for this programme.

Students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 10,000 words, having developed a topic of their choice in consultation with tutors.

Covid-19 module updates
Due to COVID-19, there may be updates to the modules for your chosen programme of study this year. Some modules may not be available or may need to be moved to a later term or year of study. These updates are relevant for 2020-21 academic year only.  The full list of modules will be available in the module catalogue from late August.  From the first week of September, you will be invited to complete module selection from Portico, our student record system. There may need to be additional updates or changes to modules during the academic year to allow for new guidance from the UK Government and Public Health England. Your department shall keep you updated of these changes as they become available.

Fieldwork

The programme will include some site visits where appropriate, as well as case study analyses (undertaken both face-to-face and remotely via online collaborations).


Teaching and learning

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 immersive block teaching; supported by pre- and post-session readings and exercises on Moodle.

Covid-19 contact hours on campus
In Term One, while campus will be open, all the learning activity for the core content of your modules will take place online – including lectures, tutorials, seminars and assessments. By “core content” we mean everything you need to learn to complete the module successfully. In addition to these online contact hours, we will be offering some face-to-face educational activities for students on campus, and we will provide alternative online activities for those students unable to join us on campus. These activities, which will include contact with academic staff, will be relevant to your programme of study may include seminars, academic and employability skills workshops, small-group or individual tutorials, lab and practice-based teaching. UK Government safety guidelines will limit the amount of ‘in person’ activity we can offer and while it will vary from programme to programme, is likely to be no more than 1-2 hours per week. This will vary across departments, particularly if your programme includes laboratory/practical/studio/workshop sessions. You will be updated with more specific details as they are available and your timetable will indicate which sessions will be on campus and which will be available online.
Covid-19 assessment updates
There may be changes to the format of assessments for modules in this programme due to COVID-19. These will be summarised for each module on the module catalogue from 17 August 2020.   If any changes to assessments need to be made during the academic year due to updates in government guidance, these will be communicated to you as soon as possible from your department.    
Communicating further Covid-19 mitigation plans
We are continuing to follow UK Government guidance, as well as the expertise of our researchers, including specialists in health, education, human behaviour and infection prevention, to make sure UCL is as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. If it becomes necessary to make further changes to your programme as a result of new guidance/regulations, UCL and your department will communicate these as soon as this becomes clear. We will keep you up-to-date with our plans throughout term one, so you have the information you need to be able to take decisions that are right for your circumstances. Please ensure that you keep in touch with your department by regularly checking your UCL emails, Moodle courses, the Coronavirus FAQs for Students page and any UCL online groups or social media you follow.

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.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.

Funding

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

Careers

Interest internationally in learning environments continues to increase, as the global student population develops exponentially; as changing business models and new technologies are shifting learning space development and typologies; and as changing attitudes to teaching and learning demand different kinds of environments for learners.  By exploring these issues in depth, the course increases employment opportunities for:

  • People experienced in some aspect of education who want more expertise in learning estates and design for physical 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.

Employability

The UCL Faculty of the Built Environment has a strong existing track record of its graduates being in employment from their specialist MSc Programmes. 

This is an emerging field, with the MSc Learning Environments at UCL one of the first on offer, giving our graduating students a valuable and scarce expertise in an expanding market.

Why study this degree at UCL?

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 FT one-year and a PT 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 and educational 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.

Department: Bartlett Real Estate Institute

Application and next steps

Applications

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 £80 for online applications and £105 for paper applications. Further information can be found at: www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/taught/application.

Who can apply?

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.

Application deadlines

Full-time applicants
11 August 2020
Part-time and modular/flexible applicants
11 August 2020

For more information see our Applications page.

Apply now

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Page last modified on 13 August 2020