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Prosperity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship MSc

London, Stratford (UCL East)

The Prosperity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship MSc prepares you to become one of a new generation of global leaders and entrepreneurs. At the core of our course is the concept of transformative entrepreneurship, which involves the development and implementation of innovations to address the causes and consequences of environmental degradation, economic inequality and social injustice.

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 first or upper second-class UK Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate subject, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard from a recognised higher education institution. Evidence of extensive experience may be considered in lieu of the above, subject to approval.

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


We find ourselves at a formative moment wherein growth-based financial models and increasing economic and social inequality are driving new forms of conflict, dislocation and ecological damage, challenging the veracity of our economic and political systems. These challenges necessitate a bold re-thinking of the relationship between economic activity and global prosperity.

Transformative entrepreneurship is at the heart of this degree. This involves the implementation of innovations that address the causes and consequences of environmental degradation as well as economic and social inequality. Entrepreneurship is widely associated with the promise of technological innovation and the emergence of new markets. Concepts such as social, sustainable, and community enterprise explore the potential of market actors and mechanisms to advance positive social and environmental change. The notion of transformative entrepreneurship takes these a step further by examining the potential for entrepreneurship to provoke fundamental systemic change in the service of inclusive prosperity.

The Prosperity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship MSc will allow you to explore both the research and practice of transformative entrepreneurship. Conceptually, it provides a broad understanding of entrepreneurship as a practice, policy, intervention and institution. It also gives you an opportunity to critically explore both the promise and limits of entrepreneurial activity to provoke societal, economic, environmental and political change. Moreover, because standard notions of entrepreneurship are dominated by Western conceptions of markets and market activity, the course encourages different perspectives and forms of enterprise attuned to a variety of contexts and lived experiences. In this way, the course offers you the chance to embrace a genuinely global notion of transformative entrepreneurship. Practically, the course equips you with skills for evaluating the impact of social entrepreneurship, design thinking, prototyping with enterprise stakeholders, and values-based leadership.

Who this course is for

This transdisciplinary course is not a standard business, economics or development degree. It is designed for individuals with a strong personal vision for social, economic and transformation, and the ambition to realise it through innovation and entrepreneurship. We are especially interested in students with diverse knowledge and abilities with a desire to work as part of a dynamic and inclusive community of entrepreneurs, organisational change makers and social innovators.

We welcome applicants from a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds, including social sciences, humanities, natural sciences and engineering backgrounds with skills in both quantitative and qualitative research. You might be an aspiring entrepreneur, a recent graduate, or a professional with experience in business, government or community organisations. You may want to apply an entrepreneurial mindset to your current work, or are looking to build the skills to change career path.

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

What this course will give you

Gain experience of transformative entrepreneurship in action
You extend your learning beyond the classroom through applied experiences. The ‘Transformative Entrepreneurship: Design’ module offers mentoring of your own entrepreneurial project by real life entrepreneurs. The ‘Connected Innovation Project’ gives you the opportunity to collaborate with one of our research teams, UCL Institute for Global Prosperity’s partners and other organisations on a challenge linked to inclusive and sustainable prosperity. These experiences with live entrepreneurial projects sharpen your ability to design, test and deliver impactful solutions in collaboration with others. We also offer a dedicated, optional placement module that allows you to take your learning beyond the classroom. With a limited number of competitive places, this module gives you the opportunity to apply your knowledge in a real workplace, gain hands-on experience, and build valuable professional networks—giving you a head start in your career.

Be part of a community reimagining prosperity
At the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity, we’re redefining what prosperity means, and how it can be realised through enterprise, innovation and systems change. As a student in the Institute, you will have the opportunity to become part of our transdisciplinary community of academics, innovators, policy-makers, and the Fast Forward 2030 network of impact entrepreneurs. You will learn from and participate in our research and our entrepreneurial projects, you will help shape our debates, and you will go on to deploy the ideas and practices you have learnt in your future career.

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 2025). The Bartlett is a dynamic, interdisciplinary space that brings together built environment disciplines with prosperity, sustainability, innovation, energy and resource management 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.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme
Making an impact
A student working on a laptop in front of a giant globe

Podcast series: The Life of PIE

Listen to our podcast exploring how enterprise can shape inclusive and sustainable futures, and discover the work of Prosperity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship MSc alumni.

The foundation of your career

After completing the Prosperity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship MSc, you are equipped to lead innovation across sectors or launch your own venture. Graduates have gone on to careers in entrepreneurship, strategy and innovation consulting, policy-making, impact investment, corporate responsibility, sustainability, technology, and design—as well as to further PhD research.

You may take up roles such as analyst, consultant, policy researcher, service designer, product development manager, tech consultant or conscious marketer. The alumni of the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity have gone on to work with organisations including McKinsey in London, the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, the Bank of England, Meta in Singapore, SadaPay in Karachi, Huawei in Shenzhen, Nedbank in Cape Town, Ignite Impact Fund in Manila, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), The University of Dubai in Dubai, Sia Global Management Consulting Group and the London Borough of Waltham Forest. Others have gone into further MBA and PhD study at UCL, University of Cambridge and others. Many have also founded or grown their own enterprises.

Alumni experiences

“The knowledge and expertise I gained on subjects such as innovation and entrepreneurship, the international exposure at UCL, and the practical experience of working as a business development consultant helped me immensely in making this career switch from military to international business development.” - Bidisha Pandey, Director of Trade and Investments for Austrade and Prosperity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship MSc graduate

“This experience is opening a lot of new doors for me in the UK. First of all, due to the placement, I have been able to keep in touch with some of the social enterprises I met and now I am working with some of them in my dissertation.” - Ignacio Gutierrez Gomez, Prosperity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship MSc graduate

“I loved the people the course attracted, and from whom I learned an immense amount from. The diverse backgrounds (age, professions culture etc) allowed me to learn so much more than I thought. It allowed me to challenge my own ideas and understandings of how I believed the world function.” - Justin van Wyk, Co-Founder of start-up focusing on AI and working within Wealth Management and Prosperity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship MSc graduate

“The course has been tremendously impactful on my career trajectory. It provided me with crucial knowledge and skills in innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability that have informed my current PhD research and future academic career goals. Additionally, the course equipped me with invaluable research methodology toolkits and the experience of working in cross-cultural teams.” - Patricia Naya, PhD student and Prosperity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship MSc graduate

Employability

This MSc equips you with the critical, creative and practical skills needed to lead change. You gain experience in applying mixed-method research to real-world problems, developing transformative enterprise plans and prototypes, and using design thinking to assess feasibility and impact. You also build confidence in communicating across diverse audiences and working collaboratively across cultures, values and professional settings.

You further develop these capabilities through practical experiences the ‘Connected Innovation Project’ module, and if you are successful in securing a place on the on the optional Placement module. These experiences allow you to collaborate with partner organisations or UCL research teams on live projects and innovation challenges.

Beyond academic training, the programme includes specialist career and skills-enhancement sessions delivered by both internal experts and external consultants. These cover areas such as public policy engagement, web design and blogging, writing for academic and public audiences, audio-visual media skills, presentation and leadership development, mindfulness and study skills, and tailored careers advice.

We offer integrated careers training as part of the core curriculum. In partnership with UCL Careers, we offer sessions on building a transnational network, and engaging with our alumni. 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

As a student, you will become part of a dynamic community of innovators, researchers and change-makers shaping the future of prosperity. Through the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity’s engagement-led teaching, you will connect with world-leading academics and practitioners via regular events such as the Director’s Seminars and Soundbites. You will also engage with international entrepreneurs committed to transformational change through guest lectures and live collaborations.

The course will give you opportunities to work alongside members of our research initiatives at UCL Institute for Global Prosperity, including Fast Forward 2030 and the Prosperity Co-Labs (PROCOLs) in East London, Kenya and Lebanon. You benefit from strong links with UCL Careers, UCL Innovation and Enterprise, UCL Volunteering Service and Base KX in King’s Cross, all of which contribute to the course through events, workshops and community-building activities.

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

You learn through a mix of academic and practice-based approaches that emphasise experimentation, critical thinking and collaboration. You engage critically with new approaches to transformative entrepreneurship through seminars, guest lectures, and collaborative discussions. Core concepts are grounded through teaching cases and applied via learning-by-doing methods, including prototyping and design.

You will be assessed through a range of individual and group assignments designed to develop both academic and practical skills. These include case studies, essays, literature reviews, blog posts, and a transformative entrepreneurship design project. You will also work on business model design and pitching, an innovation project with external stakeholders, and you will complete a dissertation that will allow you to pursue your own research interests in depth.

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 Prosperity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship MSc is a one-year taught degree, combining seminar-based learning with practical, research-led activities. The curriculum is equally balanced around two key teaching and learning themes: conceptual and theoretical development, and design and engagement.

The conceptual and theoretical theme involves a critical and comprehensive exploration of transformative entrepreneurship. You take the following core modules:

The design and engagement theme emphasises design thinking, prototyping, and engagement with practitioners, policymakers and innovation networks. You take:

Full-time students take the theory and methods-based modules in Term 1, followed by design and practice-based modules in Term 2. The remainder of the academic year focuses on your dissertation. You also choose up to 45 credits of optional or elective modules in consultation with your course director.

Part-time students complete the degree over two years. In your first year, you take a minimum of 60 credits. In your second year, you complete the remaining taught modules (up to 60 credits) and your dissertation (60 credits), for a total of 120 credits.

The curriculum is equally balanced around two key teaching and learning themes: conceptual and theoretical development, and design and engagement.

The conceptual and theoretical theme involves a critical and comprehensive exploration of transformative entrepreneurship. You take the following core modules:

The design and engagement theme focuses on design thinking, prototyping and practitioner collaboration. You take:

Students must take ‘Transformative Entrepreneurship and Prosperity: Core Concepts’ before ‘Transformative Entrepreneurship and Prosperity: Design’ and ‘Researching Transformative Entrepreneurship’ before the ’Connected Innovation Project'. We also strongly encourage completing both conceptual modules before beginning the design and practice-based ones.

You will choose 45 credits of optional or elective modules, distributed across both years. Your module selection should be discussed with the course director before enrolment.

The MSc can be taken flexibly over two to five years. You will structure your core and optional modules across this period, completing 180 credits by the end of year five.

The curriculum is equally balanced around two key teaching and learning themes: conceptual and theoretical development, and design and engagement.

The conceptual and theoretical theme involves a critical and comprehensive exploration of transformative entrepreneurship. You take the following core modules:

The design and engagement theme focuses on design thinking, prototyping and practitioner collaboration. You take:

As a flexible student, you must begin with the two transformative entrepreneurship modules in order ('Core Concepts' followed by ‘Design’), and then proceed to the research methods modules ('Researching Transformative Entrepreneurship' followed by ‘Connected Innovation Project’). You are expected to complete most of your taught modules before undertaking the dissertation.

You will also choose 45 credits of optional or elective modules to deepen your knowledge in areas such as conceptualising prosperity, financing prosperity, transformative entrepreneurship and urban futures. For a full list, refer to the ‘Optional modules’ section and the UCL Module Catalogue. Module choices and timings should be discussed with the course director before initial enrolment.

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 Prosperity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Fieldwork

Short, half-day field trips are a mandatory component of some of our optional modules. Fieldwork related to your dissertation, both in the UK or elsewhere in the world, will need to be assessed in discussion with the Programme Leader and according to the circumstances at the time.

Placement

You can apply for the optional placement module, which is shared with the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity’s other postgraduate degrees and has a limited number of places available. The module is designed to enhance your employability. Through work-related learning you will be able to strengthen the link between theory and practice by putting theories, concepts and frameworks taught in the classroom into use in a live project offered by one of our London placement partners. You will expand your network through building relationships within the workplace.

“I chose to collaborate with the London Borough of Hackney… The placement allowed me to put into practice some of the methods we learnt. As an example, I engaged in in-depth discussions with Council members and developed a well-defined strategy to conduct interviews and gather valuable insights from social enterprises in Hackney. Additionally, I used different theoretical frameworks to analyse what the Council is implementing so far and how it can be reshaped towards a more social approach." - Ignacio Gutierrez Gomez, Prosperity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship MSc graduate

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

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 (approximately £20 to £30) on local transport for short field visits in London.

Prosperity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship MSc students are integral part of our research and enterprise ecosystem that spans across UCL East and UCL Bloomsbury campuses. During term time, there are weekly events that will require you to travel between both campuses. While almost all core teaching activities are delivered at UCL East, some complimentary research- and practice-led activities are delivered in Bloomsbury. Students are also 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.

The UCL East London Scholarship is also available for this degree, supporting the ambitions of east Londoners by funding the fees and living costs of eligible master's programmes including this MSc at UCL.

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.

Additional funding is advertised on the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity and the Built Environment Faculty Office websites.

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: 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

IGP Global Scholarship for Prosperity

Deadline: 27 June 2025
Value: £10,000 towards tuition fees (1 year)
Criteria Based on academic merit
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

Institute for Global Prosperity (IGP) Equity Fund

Deadline: 27 June 2025
Value: £5,000 towards fees (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: UK

UCL East London Scholarship

CLOSED FOR 25/26 ENTRY
Value: Tuition fees plus £16,000 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 must consist of both a personal statement and a CV. This is not a standard business, economics or development studies degree. The course aims to address major challenges in our current social, economic and environmental conditions, and students are encouraged to consider how they would work to contribute to addressing such challenges. We place considerable emphasis on your personal statement and how you have tailored this for your application to the Prosperity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship MSc. We particularly value personal statements that outline a clear vision for transformative change and directly explain how the degree programme will help you realise the changes you would like to see happen. We also encourage students to explain how their past experiences have directly led them to this degree programme and to outline how the skills and knowledge they have acquired will help them to realise their goals for transformation.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • Why you want to study Prosperity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at graduate level
  • Why you want to study Prosperity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UCL Institute for Global Prosperity
  • What particularly attracts you to this course
  • How your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging course
  • How you can make a unique contribution to our innovative academic community.
  • How you see this degree leading to a future transformative career.

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.

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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