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Spatial Planning MSc

London, Bloomsbury

Spatial Planning MSc at UCL equips students with the skills to address complex planning challenges and develop sustainable, resilient communities. With a focus on strategic, integrated, and inclusive planning, this urban planning degree prepares you for a successful career in city and regional planning, policy development, and related fields.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£18,400
£9,200
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£36,500
£18,250
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

An upper second-class Bachelor's degree (or higher) from a UK university or an overseas qualification of equivalent standing. There is no particular subject requirement as the MSc provides an 'initial' planning education for graduates with cognate and non-cognate degrees. Where candidates fail to meet the standard requirement (i.e. they hold a degree of a lower classification), the department will take into account professional experience in planning or a related field when deciding whether to admit a candidate. Applicants who do not hold a first degree may, in exceptional cases, by admitted to the programme if they are able to demonstrate at least five years of professional experience in planning or a related field. In such situations, a special qualifying essay will be set.

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

Spatial planning manages space and develops places to meet societal, economic, and environmental needs. This master's degree explores the interaction and evolution of people, places, and the environment to influence these dynamics positively.

Throughout your degree you will delve into urban and regional planning complexities in the UK, exploring definitions and solutions. You will gain a deep understanding of UK planning systems, critically comparing them with Europe and worldwide, investigating spatial and comparative perspectives in planning to learn about integrated solutions and sustainable development goals. By understanding social and physical dynamics, combined with ethical considerations, you will be equipped to create planned interventions on urban and regional scales.

During your degree you will: 

  • Learn about the pillars of planning, developing the ability to think critically about space and place as the basis for action or intervention.
  • Gain an understanding of the development of spatial planning within the UK urban and regional planning system, exploring the relationship between planning, economic growth and sustainable development.
  • Build a conceptual understanding of essential theories for spatial planning including from geography, sociology, politics and economics.
  • Put theoretical concepts of strategic spatial planning in practice with a plan-making project, giving you experience for your future career.
  • Explore real-world spatial planning challenges through residential field trips and site visits.
  • Tailor your studies to fit your career ambitions by choosing from a range of optional modules spanning urban design, housing, sustainability, urban regeneration, urban development in historic cities, smart cities and more.
  • Benefit from a research-led education provided by academic experts from the UK's top university for built environment research (REF 2021).
  • Gain a degree professionally accredited by Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Who this course is for

This MSc is ideal for recent graduates and mid-career professionals looking to advance or shift their careers towards urban planning (and related housing, urban regeneration or urban design roles) and more in central and local government, private consultancy, voluntary bodies and more. The degree is suitable for graduates of any subject, and acts as a ‘fast track conversion’ course to become a professional planner.

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

What this course will give you

Build your career in planning
Through hands-on teaching and learning, a field trip and site visits you will gain the skills and knowledge required to excel in your future job. This degree offers the chance to become a chartered town planner working in a variety of public, private and third sector roles related to planning and policy related to the built and natural environment. From enrolment, through to three years after graduating you can also access UCL’s Careers Service to support your career ambitions and help you find the right path.

World-class, research-led education
Our school has been at the forefront of planning research and teaching for over 100 years. You will learn from multidisciplinary experts in spatial planning, urban design, human geography, urban sociology, economics and politics. Our faculty, The Bartlett, has been ranked #1 for built environment studies in the world (QS World University Rankings 2024). The Bartlett is also where the UK’s most ‘World Leading’ and ‘Internationally Excellent’ built environment research is undertaken (REF 2021).

Enrich your spatial planning studies in London
London is a constantly evolving city with a multitude of new developments and regeneration projects. With our campus located in the heart of the city, you are surrounded by opportunities to explore and experience spatial planning firsthand. London has also been ranked the best city for students in the world (QS Best Student Cities 2025).

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

The foundation of your career

96.4% of graduates from Spatial Planning MSc are in employment or further study within 15 months of graduating (HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017-2021).

They are now working in around the world in careers across:

  • Local and national government 
  • Consultancy
  • Planning, urban regeneration and environmental agencies
  • Housing and transport sectors 
  • Public and private utility companies
  • Think tanks and public policy organisations 
  • Environmental campaign groups
  • Teaching and research

Employers of our Spatial Planning MSc alumni include Iceni projects; London Borough of Newham; the UK government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; Savills, Quod Planning and Development consultancy; Aecom; Buro Happold; Building Design Partnership; Lend Lease; The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy.

Learn more about careers in planning and our alumni careers ►

Employability

The degree will equip you with a wide range of planning skills ready for your future career including:

  • Policymaking and implementation 
  • Spatial analysis 
  • Urban design 
  • Social research and plan-making 
  • Decision-making processes

You will also gain transferable skills, such as group work, independent research, communication skills including presentation and writing, and problem solving.

Networking

The Bartlett School of Planning, in collaboration with UCL’s dedicated Careers Network, is here to help you explore career options, gain valuable skills and experience, and guide you through the job application process. You will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of events and training tailored to your industry, including alumni and industry insight panels, career taster sessions, masterclasses, careers fairs, peer and alumni networking, and more.

Accreditation

The programme is fully accredited by both Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Students successfully completing the MSc in Spatial Planning are eligible for licentiate membership of either or both bodies, regardless of the subject focus of their undergraduate degree.

This programme is a ‘fast-track conversion course’ meaning graduates from the Spatial Planning MSc at The Bartlett School of Planning are eligible for entry routes to both professional bodies after completing our programme, regardless of undergraduate degree subject background.

Learn more about urban planning degree accreditation ►

Teaching and learning

The course offers a multidisciplinary education that encompasses the social sciences and elements of urban design. The degree is delivered through various teaching and learning methods including lectures, seminars, tutorials, project work, and field study visits—concluding with your own dissertation research project. Group work is designed to develop a comprehensive set of planning and design-relevant skills and knowledge. This principle- and theory-driven course provides students with both a conceptual understanding and the practical skills needed to address urban and regional planning challenges.

The programme is delivered through individual and group project work, skills-based practical and IT work, lectures, field trips, tutorials and seminars. Assessment is through individual and group work, essays, examination, skills-based practical work, and the dissertation.

For full-time students, typical contact hours are around 12 hours per week. Outside of lectures full-time students typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments.

Modules

Full-time study takes place over 1 year.Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme consists of six core modules (90 credits), two linked optional specialist modules (30 credits) and a research dissertation (60 credits).

The core modules are:

  • Spatial Planning: Concepts and Contexts
  • Spatial Planning: Critical Practice
  • Urban Design: Placemaking
  • From Strategic Vision to Urban Plan
  • Pillars of Planning: Economics
  • Pillars of Planning: Politics and Sociology

The linked optional modules (which are taken as pairs) are:

  • Governance for Sustainability and Inclusion and Participatory Urban Planning Project or Governance for Urban Sustainability: Project
  • Sustainable Urban Development Key Themes and Sustainable Development Goals & Spatial Planning
  • Urban Problems and Problematics and Case Studies in Preparing Regeneration Projects
  • Urban Design: Layout, Density and Typology and Urban Design: Guidance, Incentive and Control
  • Planning for Housing: Process and Planning for Housing: Project
  • Infrastructures as Agents of Change and Critical Issues in Infrastructure Funding, Finance and Investment
  • Planning Discourses for Urban Development in Historic Cities and Neighbourhoods and Planning Practices for Urban Development in Historic Cities and Neighbourhoods
  • Smart Systems Theory and Smart Cities: Context, Policy and Government

Please see the links to our module catalogue below for further details about each module.

Part-time study takes place over 2 years. Students undertake a total of 60 credits in their first year, consisting of four 15 credit taught modules (Spatial Planning: Concepts and Contexts, Spatial Planning: Critical Practice, Urban Design: Placemaking, From Strategic Vision to Urban Plan). Students take the remaining 120 credits in their second year, consisting of the two 15 credit Pillars of Planning modules, as well as their two linked 15 credit specialism modules and the dissertation. Please see links to our module catalogue below for further details about all our modules.

The linked optional modules (which are taken as pairs) are:

  • Governance for Sustainability and Inclusion and Participatory Urban Planning Project or Governance for Urban Sustainability: Project
  • Urban Problems and Problematics and Case Studies in Preparing Regeneration Projects
  • Urban Design: Layout, Density and Typology and Urban Design: Guidance, Incentive and Control
  • Planning for Housing: Process and Planning for Housing: Project
  • Infrastructures as Agents of Change and Critical Issues in Infrastructure Funding, Finance and Investment
  • Planning Discourses for Urban Development in Historic Cities and Neighbourhoods and Planning Practices for Urban Development in Historic Cities and Neighbourhoods
  • Smart Systems Theory and Smart Cities: Context, Policy and Government

Please see the links to our module catalogue below for further details about each module.

Modular/flexible study takes place over no more than 5 years.
The modules taken and module content is as for full-time students but the delivery structure will be discussed between the student and the programme director dependent how long they wish to study for, but would usually start with module Spatial Planning: Concepts and Contexts in the first year and finish with the dissertation in the last year.

The core modules are:

  • Spatial Planning: Concepts and Contexts
  • Spatial Planning: Critical Practice
  • Urban Design: Placemaking
  • From Strategic Vision to Urban Plan
  • Pillars of Planning: Economics
  • Pillars of Planning: Politics and Sociology

The linked optional modules (which are taken as pairs) are:

  • Governance for Sustainability and Inclusion and Participatory Urban Planning Project or Governance for Urban Sustainability: Project
  • Urban Problems and Problematics and Case Studies in Preparing Regeneration Projects
  • Urban Design: Layout, Density and Typology and Urban Design: Guidance, Incentive and Control
  • Planning for Housing: Process and Planning for Housing: Project
  • Infrastructures as Agents of Change and Critical Issues in Infrastructure Funding, Finance and Investment
  • Planning Discourses for Urban Development in Historic Cities and Neighbourhoods and Planning Practices for Urban Development in Historic Cities and Neighbourhoods
  • Smart Systems Theory and Smart Cities: Context, Policy and Government

Please see the links to our module catalogue below for further details about each module.

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 Spatial Planning.

Fieldwork

The course features a week-long European residential field trip where you will explore spatial planning themes in various real-world contexts. This trip provides an opportunity to examine built environment issues first hand and to network with fellow students and faculty as a course community.

Accessibility

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

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £18,400 £9,200
Tuition fees (2025/26) £36,500 £18,250

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

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

For flexible/modular offer holders a £500 fee deposit will be charged.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

This course includes one field trip. Travel and accommodation (including breakfast) for the trip will be covered by UCL, however students will need to cover the costs for visas, other daily meals and any other personal expenses. The exact costs will depend on the location and prevailing exchange rates; however, it is estimated that students would need to budget between £200 and £300.

During the course we will also attend site visits across London. Students will need to pay for their own transport to sites. Based on visits last year you should expect to budget up to £60 across the year to access sites by public transport. Sites are always within the TFL travel zones, and full-time students should be able to benefit from a student Oyster card for slightly discounted travel rates.

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 £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. 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

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.

We have given an overview of other funding options you may be eligible for on The Bartlett School of Planning and The Bartlett 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

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. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Spatial Planning at graduate level
  • why you want to study Spatial Planning 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.

To support you in the application process we’ve written a guide on writing a personal statement for an urban planning degree. 

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: 2025-2026

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Bartlett School of Planning
Bartlett School of Planning

bsp.pgt@ucl.ac.uk

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