Program Overview

MPhil/PhD Regional and Urban Planning Studies

This interdisciplinary programme addresses the opportunities, problems, politics and economics of urban and regional planning in cities around the world.

Key Information

• Study mode: Home full-time students (Three to four years, minimum two years) Open
• Study mode: Overseas full-time students (Three to four years, minimum two years) Open
• Study mode: Home part-time students (See "Your application" for more information) Open
• Academic year: 2026/27
• Start date: 28 September 2026
• Location: Houghton Street, London
• Application deadline: 27 May 2026

Overview

Introduction

This programme offers the chance to undertake a substantial piece of work that is worthy of publication and which makes an original contribution to the social scientific study of urban planning. You'll begin on the MPhil, and will need to meet certain requirements to be upgraded to PhD status.

Entry Requirements

• The minimum entry requirement for this programme is a taught master’s degree (or equivalent), with a minimum of 65 per cent average and at least 70 in the dissertation, in a related subject.
• Most students take four years to complete the PhD.
• 1+3 Route: MSc Regional and Urban Planning Studies (1 year) + MPhil/PhD in Regional Planning
  • The 1+3 route is suitable for those individuals who do not hold a relevant ESRC recognised postgraduate research training degree and is aimed at students graduating with an undergraduate degree in planning, urban geography or closely related subject.
  • The 1+3 scheme provides funding for a one-year research training MSc programme plus three years in a linked PhD programme.
  • Progression from the master’s onto the PhD programme is dependent upon performance in the master’s programme (Students must score 65 per cent overall and at least 70 in their dissertation to comply with the Department’s usual PhD entry criteria).

Programme Content

• In addition to progressing with your research, you are expected to take the courses listed below.
• Year 1:
  • One of these two courses:
    • GY502: Staff / Research Students Seminars
    • GY500: Doctoral Research and Professional Development
  • Courses to the value of one unit from the list of options on the relevant MSc degrees
  • Relevant advanced research method courses to the value of one unit from the following:
    • GY428: Applied Quantitative Methods
    • GY460: Techniques of Spatial Economic Analysis
    • MY500: Fundamentals of Social Science Research Design
    • MY521: Qualitative Research Methods
    • MY526: Doing Ethnography
    • MY528: Qualitative Text and Discourse Analysis
    • MY556: Survey Methodology
    • MY557: Causal Inference for Observational and Experimental Studies
    • MY559: Quantitative Text Analysis
• Year 2:
  • GY502: Staff / Research Students Seminars
  • GY500: Doctoral Research and Professional Development
• Year 3:
  • GY502: Staff / Research Students Seminars
  • GY500: Doctoral Research and Professional Development

Why Study with Us

• Discover more about our students and department.
• Student stories
  • My PhD allowed me to achieve a more comprehensive and critical understanding of the main issues underlying my field of work and to gain strong methodological and analytical skills.
  • Now, I'm undertaking projects at the intersection of urban development and infrastructure planning.
• Meet the department
  • Our department is highly regarded both nationally and internationally – ranked second for Geography in the QS World University Rankings 2025.
  • Many of our academics are internationally renowned in their fields.
• Why LSE
  • University of the Year 2025 and 1st in the UK
  • 1st in London for the 14th year running
  • 6th In the world
  • Carbon Neutral In 2021, LSE became the first Carbon Neutral verified university in the UK

Your Application

• We welcome applications for research programmes that complement the academic interests of our staff at LSE.
• When to apply
  • The application deadline for this programme is 27 May 2026.
  • However, if you’d like to be considered for any funding opportunities, you must submit your application (and all supporting documents) by the funding deadline.

Fees and Funding

• Home
  • £5,131 Home student fee (2026/27)
• Overseas
  • £24,400 Overseas student fee (2026/27)
• Scholarships, bursaries and loans
  • We recognise that the cost of living in London may be higher than in your home town/city or country and we provide generous scholarships to help both home and overseas students.
  • For this programme, students can apply for LSE PhD Studentships, Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funding, Silvretta PhD Scholarship Programme and for Bloomberg Philanthropies PhD Studentships in Cities.

Learning and Assessment

• How you learn
  • Supervision: You'll be assigned two supervisors who are specialists in your chosen research field, though not necessarily in your topic.
• How you're assessed
  • Progression and assessment: Once on the MPhil/PhD programme you'll go through a First Year Progress Review, taking place in the Spring Term of your first year.

Graduate Destinations

• We prepare students for a variety of careers in academia, international organisations (eg the World Bank, OECD, UNEP, European Commission), urban planning, community development, NGOs and national and local governmental institutions.
• Career support
  • From CV workshops through to careers fairs, LSE offers lots of information and support to help you make that all-important step from education into work.