Introduction to the Building and Urban Design in Development MSc

The Building and Urban Design in Development MSc is a postgraduate program offered by the University College London (UCL) that focuses on the theory and practice of imagining and building just cities and communities. The program is designed to center the political and social processes of urban design with a political economy view on space and power, and a unique focus on cities located in the Global South.

Program Overview

The program is delivered over three terms when taken full-time in one academic year. In Terms 1 and 2, students study compulsory modules that make up 75% of the taught component (90 credits), providing the theoretical and methodological foundations to become an urban design and development practitioner. The remaining 25% (30 credits) comes from optional modules, allowing students to tailor their studies to their interests.

Key Features of the Program

• The program combines classroom and field-based learning to help students explore methodologies and frameworks for a critical, participatory, community-based approach to urban design.
• Students undertake fieldwork in London and the UK, in partnership with a local stakeholder, as part of the core module 'Critical Urban Theory and Design'.
• An overseas practice engagement is undertaken in Term 3, where students work with communities and partner organizations in a Global South context to explore locally identified issues through collaborative fieldwork.
• Past locations for the overseas practice engagement have included Brazil, Colombia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, India, and Turkey, with themes spanning the decolonization of spatial practices, mapping living heritages of diaspora and queer communities, migration, the co-production of housing, contested urbanisms, and conserving Romani culture.

Entry Requirements

The normal minimum qualifications are a good second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Consideration will also be given if the qualification is a degree of lower than second-class Honours standard, or an equivalent overseas qualification, in a subject appropriate to the program, plus relevant work experience. Applicants who do not hold a first degree may, in exceptional cases, be admitted to the program if they are able to demonstrate considerable senior-level professional experience in planning or a related field.

English Language Requirements

The English language level for this course is Level 2. UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are available for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL.

Tuition Fees

• UK students: ｣21,500 (full-time), ｣10,750 (part-time)
• International students: ｣35,400 (full-time), ｣17,700 (part-time)
• The program is also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

Career Opportunities

The critical thinking, action-research, spatial analysis, design, and creativity skills nurtured in students on the course are in demand in a variety of sectors around the world, including NGOs, aid and development agencies, social movements, community-led organizations, government organizations, urban think tanks, public agencies, and institutions, as well as architectural, planning, and urban design practices.

Employability

Graduates may become planning and design officers, managers, and consultants for international agencies, regional and local councils, and private firms. They may also join or start charities and grassroots initiatives at local and international levels or work for the Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure, and Transport in the UK or global equivalents. The course also inspires graduates to pursue further research at PhD level and to develop their own independent design practices.

Teaching and Learning

The program is delivered both inside and outside of the classroom, using a wide range of teaching techniques, including lectures, seminars, reading discussion forums, individual and group assignments, and design-based studio work. The course is assessed through coursework (essays), design work (individual and group projects), written examinations, and the 10,000-word dissertation report.

Modules

• Compulsory modules: Critical Urban Theory and Design, Engaged Urban Design, Spatial Design Practices, Development and Planning Dissertation
• Optional modules: A wide range of modules are available, including Urban Environmental Planning and Management in Development, Adapting Cities to Climate Change in the Global South, The City and its Relations, Urban Development Policy, Planning and Management, Transport Equity and Urban Mobility, among others.

Accessibility

The department will endeavor to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities. 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.

Location

The program is based at The Bartlett Development Planning Unit, which is part of The Bartlett, UCL's Faculty of the Built Environment. The faculty is ranked #1 in the world for Architecture and the Built Environment.

Funding

The Bartlett Promise Scholarship aims to enable students from backgrounds underrepresented in The Bartlett to pursue master's studies. Other scholarships, such as the Sub-Saharan Africa Master's Scholarship and the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme, are also available.

UCL is a top-ranked university with life-changing research and a_x000D_ progressive approach to academia, making it different from the rest. At UCL,_x000D_ postgraduate students learn by doing—shaping the world around them with a_x000D_ hands-on approach.

Services

Student services