Home

Prosperity, People and Planet MSc

London, Stratford (UCL East)

Prosperity, People and Planet MSc prepares the next generation of change-makers with the knowledge and skills to build sustainable and inclusive prosperity for both humanity and the rest of nature. You explore how to design systems that support thriving ecosystems and just societies within planetary boundaries, equipping you for a career creating a better future for people and planet.

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 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


Today’s ecological and social crises demand a new understanding of how economies are embedded within society and the rest of nature. The Prosperity, People and Planet MSc offers new transdisciplinary ways of understanding, designing and governing societies within planetary boundaries. You will learn about inclusive prosperity as a new vision for how interdependent people and planet can thrive together, and apply that vision in careers across sustainable business, policy, social enterprise and education.

Through critical engagement with ideas such as tipping points, trade-offs, ecosystem services, indigenous ecological knowledge, intergenerational and interspecies fairness, and commons governance, you will develop the skills to help solve complex global challenges. You will learn to design and prototype systemic responses to the interconnected climate, governance, economic, and wellbeing crises. You will do this through an integrative approach that combines natural and social sciences with systems thinking to understand and model change across different scales and stakeholders.

You will gain practical experience through project-based learning—building the applied skills and confidence to take the next step in your career. Optional modules allow you to shape your learning around your interests and ambitions, deepening your understanding of environmental change and ecological systems.

Who this course is for

This course is for prospective students with a strong interest in understanding systems-level change and sustainability for both people and planet. You will be enabled to understand and address the interconnected social and environmental crises facing the world today.

We welcome applicants from backgrounds in the natural sciences, social sciences, engineering or public health. The course is suitable for recent graduates looking to build a career making social and environmental impact, as well as professionals seeking to apply ecological and systems thinking to their work in policy, sustainability, research or public service.

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

What this course will give you

Gain hands-on experience through collaborative projects
In 'Atelier: Prototyping Natural Prosperity', you work with a partner organisation to co-design responses to real-world ecological and social challenges. 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. These experiences help you apply systems thinking in practice, strengthen your problem-solving skills, and build confidence for a career in sustainability, policy and social innovation.

Guided by leading voices redefining prosperity
You are taught by academics at the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity, who shape global debates through research, consultancy, and policy and community engagement. Highlights include research collaborations in the UK, Lebanon and Africa, the Citizen Science Academy, and the entrepreneur network Fast Forward 2030. They also contribute to international policy, including the UK House of Commons inquiry on aligning economic goals with environmental sustainability. As a student, you benefit from this expertise, with live research and partnerships informing your learning.

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 Subject 2025). The Bartlett is a dynamic, interdisciplinary space that brings together core built environment disciplines with development, sustainability, prosperity 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 photo of the Houses of Parliament at sunset.

Podcast: Is GDP fit for purpose?

Professor Bob Costanza and guests explore whether economies should always aim to keep growing on a finite planet, or if a prosperous and sustainable economy can be defined differently.

The foundation of your career

This transdisciplinary MSc equips you with the critical understanding and practical tools to solve the complex interconnected problems facing today’s world. This broad yet practical background is highly valued in today’s rapidly changing world. This enables you to pursue career paths in a range of sectors, including local and national government, social enterprises, NGOs, education, and businesses. You might also pursue PhD research or work within academic and research institutions.

Graduates from the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity have gone on to work with Austrade (Australian Trade and Investment Commission), CAB International, Carbon Craft, Council on Foreign Relations, London Borough of Hackney, London Borough of Waltham Forest, PwC, Sia Partners, WaterAid Pakistan and WeAreWaterloo and more. Graduates have also continued to collaborate with us, working with networks and projects hosted at the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity (HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017-23, alumni testimonials, LinkedIn).

My previous experiences highlighted the need for a broader understanding of global economic systems and sustainable development. The Prosperity, People and Planet MSc presented me with an opportunity to deepen my knowledge in these areas, equipping me with the necessary experience to influence and innovate within any industry.

UCL Portico building with welcome sign between columns.

Eve Thornton

Prosperity, People and Planet MSc graduate

Learn more about Eve's experience

Employability

This degree equips you with the critical, creative and practical skills needed to lead change across sustainability, policy, research and beyond. You learn to think across disciplines, analyse complex systems, and collaborate with diverse stakeholders to design context-specific solutions. You develop strong capabilities in both qualitative and quantitative methods, communication, strategic thinking and participatory research.

Beyond academic training, the course 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. 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

Grounded in the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity’s research-led and engagement-driven teaching, you connect with leading thinkers and practitioners through regular seminars, guest talks and workshops. Events like the Director’s Seminars and Soundbites offer opportunities to explore new ideas, share perspectives and gain exposure to current debates in prosperity, policy and innovation.

You also connect with emerging leaders in business and social enterprise and have the chance to collaborate on live projects focused on institutional and systemic change. 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

Teaching on this MSc emphasises active, research-led learning and collaborative exploration. You engage critically with literature and competing ideas through lectures, seminars, guest speakers, and in-depth discussion. Core concepts and theories are grounded in real-world cases, while learning-by-doing methods—such as design and prototyping—help you connect theory and practice.

You are assessed through a range of individual and group assignments designed to develop your critical, creative and practical skills. These include project reports, live or recorded presentations, essays, case studies and blog posts, giving you opportunities to communicate complex ideas in accessible ways. Some modules include an exhibition project and prototyping designs for planetary prosperity. Your learning culminates in a dissertation, where you pursue an extended, independent research project.

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 course is structured around four core modules, spread across Terms 1 and 2. ‘Prosperity, People and Planet: Conceptual Frameworks’ and ‘Prosperous and Inclusive Planetary Futures’ provide the conceptual foundations of the degree by examining the relationship between human prosperity and planetary wellbeing. The modules ‘Research Methods for Natural and Planetary Prosperity’ and ‘Atelier: Prototyping Natural Prosperity’ introduce novel methodological techniques and applying knowledge through design thinking, prototyping and solutions-focused workshops with practitioners and policymakers.

Apart from the compulsory modules, 45 credits of optional/elective modules will be distributed across the two terms. You should discuss the distribution of compulsory and elective/optional modules with the course director ahead of initial enrolment.

In Term 3, you will focus a research dissertation of your own choosing on a topic related to Prosperity, People and Planet. Dissertations can be both desktop/literature based or involve practical empirical research.

Part time students can take 60 to 120 credits each year of their studies.

We recommend that in their first year, part-time students take a minimum of 90 credits. In the second year, we recommend part time students take a maximum of 90 credits, which must include the dissertation module (60 credits).

The compulsory modules are the same as full-time study.

Apart from the compulsory modules, a minimum of 30 credits of optional modules and up to 15 credits of elective modules will be undertaken across the first and second year. The distribution of compulsory and elective/optional modules should be discussed with the course director ahead of initial enrolment.

Students undertaking modular/flexible study may choose to organise the distribution of their modules flexibly across the five years provided they complete 180 credits by the end of year five.

The compulsory modules are the same as full-time study.

Apart from the compulsory modules, students should choose 30 credits of optional modules and 15 credits of elective modules. The distribution of compulsory and elective/optional modules should be discussed with the course director and/or personal tutor ahead of each year's enrolment process.

Modular/flexible students are expected to have completed the majority of their taught modules before undertaking their dissertation.

Compulsory modules







Optional modules










Prosperity from Below: The Informal, the Illicit and the Popular



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, People and Planet.

Fieldwork

Some of our modules include short, one-day mandatory field trips which take place locally. Following approval from the course director, you can also undertake fieldwork, both in the UK or elsewhere in the world, as part of your dissertation.

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.

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

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Discover Global Prosperity MSc and Prosperity, People and Planet MSc

Join the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity (IGP) for an online taster session exploring two of our Master’s programmes: Global Prosperity MSc and Prosperity, People and Planet MSc.

Watch on demand event

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Bartlett Promise UK Scholarship

Join our virtual event to explore our postgraduate courses, hear from academic staff and current students, and learn about the application process, scholarships, and career support. A live Q&A will give you the chance to get your questions answered. Take the next step toward shaping a more sustainable built environment with us.

Watch on demand event

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.

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 (ie £20) on local transport for short field visits in London.

Students are an integral part of our research and community 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 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 UCL 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 2025-26 academic year.

The UCL East London Scholarship works to support the ambitions of east Londoners by funding the fees and living costs of eligible master's courses including the Prosperity, People and Planet MSc at UCL. Find more details about the opportunity on the UCL East Scholarship webpage.

As a student affiliated with The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, you will also be able to apply for The Bartlett Promise Scholarship, if eligible. This scholarship 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.

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: 29 March 2026
Value: Fees, stipend and other allowances (Duration of programme)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: Overseas

Bartlett Promise UK Master's Scholarship

Deadline: 31 May 2026
Value: Full tuition fees and an annual stipend of £17,096 for a 12 month master's or £15,864 for a 9 month (Duration of programme)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme (CSSS)

Deadline: 9 December 2025
Value: Full fees, flights, stipend, and other allowances (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

UCL East London Scholarship

Deadline: 25 June 2026
Value: Tuition fees plus £17,096 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.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • Why you want to study Prosperity, People and Planet at graduate level.
  • Why you want to study Prosperity, People and Planet at UCL Institute for Global Prosperity and UCL.
  • What particularly attracts you to this course.
  • How your academic and professional background meets the demands of this course.
  • 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

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.