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Urban Development Planning MSc

London, Bloomsbury

UCL’s Urban Development Planning MSc equips urban practitioners with the clarity and political capacity to tackle multi-dimensional inequalities and promote more just urban futures for all city dwellers.

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

The normal minimum qualifications are a second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. A minimum of six months work experience is also recommended.

Applicants who do not meet the minimum academic requirements may, in exceptional cases, be admitted to the programme if they are able to demonstrate considerable senior-level professional experience in planning or a related field and an ability to engage academically with the subject matter.

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


The Urban Development Planning MSc nurtures urban practitioners with the capacity to catalyse and support collective interventions towards more equitable urban futures. Grounded in longstanding partnerships with civil society networks, academic institutions, local and regional government agencies and global organisations (such as UN Habitat), our programme critically engages a southern planning lens to reclaim the transformative potential of planning.

We operate from the standpoint that reclaiming this potential is crucial for cities and city dwellers to capture the opportunities of urban transformations in ways that meet the multiple and overlapping threats posed by climate breakdown, deepening socio-economic inequalities, democratic disengagement, conflict, and violent displacements.

This degree is designed to equip a new generation of urban development practitioners with analytical and practical tools that will enable them to respond strategically to these overlapping challenges within a framework of socio-spatial-environmental justice.

During the course, you:

  • Engage critically with planning theory, methodologies and practice to explore how urban planning addresses the intersecting inequalities shaping cities in the Global South 
  • Learn to work across scales and sectors, from neighbourhood initiatives to national and regional planning frameworks 
  • Gain hands-on experience through practice-based fieldwork in London and an overseas city, applying your learning to real planning challenges in partnership with local organisations 
  • Co-produce knowledge and action through collaboration with communities, civil society organisations and institutions involved in shaping urban change
  • Build lasting connections with an international network of urban development practitioners committed to social, spatial and environmental justice

Who this course is for

The Urban Development Planning MSc is designed for recent graduates, current professionals and career changers from diverse disciplinary, cultural and geographic backgrounds. It is particularly suited to those interested in rethinking the role of urban planning and the responsibilities of urban planners in addressing today’s development challenges. Blending theory and practice, the course equips students with the analytical and practical tools required to catalyse and support more socially, spatially and environmentally just urban development trajectories.

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

What this course will give you

From reflective learning to collective action
Working between theory and practice is central to the way we think, do and teach urban development planning at the DPU. Through London projects and overseas practice engagements, you work with local partners on real planning challenges—building the confidence, adaptability and collaborative skills needed to create socially, spatially and environmentally just urban change in your future career. Development Workshops also build skills in negotiation, and strategic approaches to tackling real-world planning challenges.

Learn from researchers shaping just urban futures
Our teaching staff work with grassroots movements, public institutions and international partners to transform how planning is practiced in cities worldwide. Students benefit from their field-based research, partnerships and action—gaining insights into how planning can be reimagined through collaboration, critical reflection and collective action. Explore Urban Development Planning MSc staff profiles.

Join a global community committed to just and sustainable urban development
The Bartlett Development Planning Unit delivers world-leading teaching and research focused on socially just and sustainable development. Since 1954, we have worked with practitioners, and institutions, to design and implement innovative, sustainable, and inclusive development strategies. By joining us, you become part of global network of practitioners committed to equitable urban transformation. 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 Subject Rankings 2025).

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

The foundation of your career

Graduates of the Urban Development Planning MSc pursue diverse careers across planning, development and urban transformation. Many work with public, private and third-sector organisations in the UK and internationally, including governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental bodies. Others go on to doctoral research or academic roles.

According to the HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey (2017–23), 93.6% of graduates from The Bartlett Development Planning Unit were in work or further study 15 months after graduation, across 56 countries. Our Urban Development Planning MSc graduates are employed by organisations such as the Bogota Mobility Secretariat, Como Vamos City Network, European Commission, Light for the World, National Centre for World Heritage Sites Chile, New Economics Foundation, The Robin Hood Foundation, UNESCO, United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank.

Read more about our alumni’s experiences and career stories

After graduating, I came back to Colombia and joined the Como Vamos Cities Network as National Coordinator, where I have led a nation-wide advocacy effort to promote SDG Localization across Colombian Cities.

Photo of Luis standing on a street

Luis Hernán Sáenz García

Urban Development Planning MSc graduate

Learn more about Luis' experience

Employability

The Urban Development Planning MSc is widely recognised by global organisations for its expertise in action planning and urban development. We maintain strong links with UN agencies, the World Bank, and bilateral aid programmes including the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

The course builds your capacity to work in complex urban settings through a blend of critical thinking, action-research, teamwork, creativity and project management. These skills are highly valued across a wide range of sectors. Through research-led teaching and live projects you will also connect with active professional networks and gain experience tackling real planning challenges.

We also offer a Dissertation Fellowship Scheme that gives students, selected through a competitive process, the opportunity to work on real-world topics proposed by partner organisations. These fellowships align your dissertation with current development and planning practice, offering opportunities for professional development and, in some cases, leading to research collaborations, internships or employment.

Networking

We host skills development and career networking sessions with UCL Careers and connect you with partner organisations, alumni, development practitioners and academics. In addition, The Bartlett Development Planning Unit (DPU) offers a range of extracurricular activities to enrich the student experience. 

These include:

  • DPU Dialogues in Development, public events where a diverse range of speakers working in the field of development and planning are invited to share and discuss their work;
  • DPU Breakfasts, a series of informal conversations, over breakfast, which provide the opportunity to get insights into the research work undertaken by DPU academic staff;
  • DPU Career Events, a series of events and workshops involving staff, students, alumni and practitioner and industry partners to provide support and inspiration for post study career development.

Teaching and learning

The programme consists of lectures, seminars, workshops, case study analysis and practice engagements in London and abroad. Students are expected to play an active part in their learning journey through independent reading and active participation in class activities and group work. Across the programme, an important emphasis is placed on group work as a key aspect of interdisciplinary and relational planning practice. 

The course is assessed through individual essays and coursework, group project reports and presentations, written examinations, active participation in two practice engagement projects, and a 10,000-word dissertation.

In Terms 1 and 2, as a full-time student you can typically expect between 9-12 contact hours per teaching week through a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials. Outside of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials, as a full-time student you typically study approximately 25-30 hours, undertaking self-directed study and completing assignments.

In Term 3, you will complete the overseas practice engagement. The duration of this engagement will depend upon travel arrangements with partner organisations but is typically around two weeks overseas. During Term 3 and the summer period, you will complete your own dissertation research, keeping regular contact with your dissertation supervisor.

Modules

In Terms 1 and 2, you take compulsory modules that make up 75% of the taught part of the course (90 credits), providing the theoretical and methodological foundations for becoming an urban development practitioner. The remaining 25% (30 credits) comes from optional modules, allowing you to tailor your studies to your interests. The practice module—which includes both the London-based and overseas practice engagements—runs throughout Terms 1, 2 and 3.

In Term 3 and over the summer, you focus on your dissertation—an independent research project supported by a dedicated dissertation supervisor. The dissertation gives you the opportunity to explore a topic that interests you most. Except from in exceptional circumstances, your research should be based on secondary data and/or primary data that can be accessed without fieldwork, such as online or archival sources. You may choose to focus on a specific case study or a broader theme, but your argument must be supported by logical reasoning and empirical evidence. This process develops your skills in research design, literature review, critical analysis and academic writing. The final submission is a 10,000-word dissertation, due at the end of the summer.

The Urban Development Planning MSc is delivered over two years when taken part-time.  

In Year 1, the taught modules are delivered in Terms 1 and 2 and you will study:

  • The City and Its Relations: Context, Institutions and Actors in Urban Development Planning
  • Urban Development Policy, Planning and Management: Strategic Action in Theory and Practice.

In Year 2, you will also have a choice of optional modules which can either be:

  • 1 x 30 credit optional module, or
    2 x 15 credit optional modules.

In Year 2, the taught modules are delivered in Terms 1, 2 and 3 and you will study:

  • Practice in Urban Development Planning
  • Dissertation.

In Term 3 and over the summer, you focus on your dissertation—an independent research project supported by a dedicated dissertation tutor. The dissertation gives you the opportunity to explore a topic that interests you most. Except from in exceptional circumstances, your research should be based on secondary data and/or primary data that can be accessed without fieldwork, such as online or archival sources. You may choose to focus on a specific case study or a broader theme, but your argument must be supported by logical reasoning and empirical evidence. This process develops your skills in research design, literature review, critical analysis and academic writing. The final submission is a 10,000-word dissertation, due at the end of the summer.

The Urban Development Planning MSc is delivered over a period of two to five years when taken on a flexible basis. You may structure your core and optional modules in any format you wish, noting that the practice module and dissertation must be taken after all other taught modules have been completed.  

The dissertation is an independent research project supported by a dedicated dissertation tutor. It gives you the opportunity to explore a topic that interests you most. Your research should be based on secondary data and/or primary data that can be accessed without fieldwork, such as online or archival sources. You may choose to focus on a specific case study or a broader theme, but your argument must be supported by logical reasoning and empirical evidence. This process develops your skills in research design, literature review, critical analysis and academic writing. The final submission is a 10,000-word dissertation, due at the end of the summer.

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 Urban Development Planning.

Fieldwork

As part of the course, you take part in two practice engagement projects, developed in collaboration with partners working towards just urban transformation.

From October to December, you participate in a London-based group project, co-designed with embedded city actors. These projects seek to amplify the voices of under-represented and / or marginalised city actors in urban planning and policy-making, whilst also laying the foundation for the overseas practice engagement.

In April/May, you travel to a city in the Global South to work with community groups, universities, local authorities or NGOs to co-develop strategic pathways towards urban equality. This overseas practice engagement offers direct experience of action-research in complex, fast-changing environments. Recent overseas practice engagements have taken place in cities such as Cebu, Yogyakarta, Dar es Salaam, Bangkok, Istanbul, Mumbai, Accra and Cairo.

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

Students gathered having a discussion in a colourful graffitied site during their fieldwork.

At The Bartlett Development Planning Unit, you will join an international community of practitioners working towards socially just and sustainable development through collaborative learning, research, partnerships and practice. You will be supported to challenge assumptions, test ideas, and explore inclusive, participatory approaches to development.

Find out more

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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.

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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.

Core costs related to mandatory overseas practice engagement are covered by tuition fees. This includes partner and facilitation expenses, travel-related costs where travel is possible (eg transportation, visas, travel insurance) and accommodation costs where required. Students should anticipate to budget approximately £200-300 to cover their personal expenses whilst on the overseas practice engagement, for example food, mobile data and additional leisure activities, however costs will depend on the location and exchange rate at the time.

For the Development Workshop and London project, which are mandatory parts of the course, students cover the cost of their travel within London and subsistence. You should expect to budget up to £60-80 for these activities.

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

Any additional funding available will be advertised on The Bartlett Development Planning Unit scholarships and funding webpage and The Bartlett faculty webpage.

The Bartlett Promise Scholarship aims to enable students from backgrounds underrepresented in The Bartlett to pursue master's studies. Please see the UK Master's scholarship and Sub-Saharan Africa Master's scholarship webpages 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

GREAT Scholarship

Deadline: 7th May 2026
Value: £10,000 towards tuition fees (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

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.

When we assess your application, we would like to learn:

  • Why you want to study Urban Development Planning at graduate level
  • Why you want to study Urban Development Planning at The Bartlett Development Planning Unit
  • How your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging course
  • 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 course match what the course will deliver. 

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

Development Planning Unit
Development Planning Unit

bartlett.pg-dpu@ucl.ac.uk

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