Masters Degrees (Urban Mobility)

About

Applicants are eligible for the Master in Urban Studies if they have completed a 180 ECTS academic bachelor degree or its equivalent in geography, planning, architecture, history, criminology, political science, sociology, demography, media and communication studies, cultural studies, or a similar discipline. Additionally, proof of fluency in English is required and should be sought well in advance of the application window.

Programme structure

The 120 ECTS curriculum combines the attractiveness of a flexible, modular and interdisciplinary programme that allows you to focus on your own interests within the domain of urban studies with a common core of compulsory courses to ensure that you develop the necessary urban skills and competences.

Common core

The common core contains a course on Brussels, one on the European dimension of cities and urbanisation, and a number of theoretical courses introducing you to the field of urban studies. By using Brussels as a unique case study in the programme and by organising various site visits in and around Brussels and excursions to cities in Europe, we benefit from our location in the centre of Europe. The common core also contains two modules introducing you to various urban methods and research approaches.

The core consists of the following courses:

Geographies of a Globalizing Europe (VUB, 6 ECTS, Bas van Heur)
Urban Social Geography (VUB, 6 ECTS, David Bassens)
Urban Economic Geography (ULB, 5 ECTS, Mathieu Van Criekingen)
Urban Sociology (ULB, 5 ECTS, Martin Rosenfeld)
Urban Sustainability and Circular Economy (ULB, 5 ECTS, Ahmed Khan)
Global City-Region Brussels (VUB, 6 ECTS, Joost Vaesen)
Urban Analysis I (VUB, 3 ECTS, Eva Swyngedouw)
Urban Analysis II (ULB, 5 ECTS, Corentin Debailleul)
Excursion I (VUB/ULB, 3 ECTS)
Excursion II (VUB/ULB, 3 ECTS)

Elective modules and courses

Before starting with the Master in Urban Studies, you are expected to choose two elective modules. The elective modules have a disciplinary and/or thematic orientation: this will allow you to specialise within subdomains of urban studies, while at the same time ensuring interdisciplinary training on the level of the overall programme.

We currently offer six elective modules, incorporating a large variety of disciplines from across the social sciences and humanities:

Urban History (18 ECTS)
Urban Criminology (15 ECTS)
Urban Geography (12 ECTS)
Urban Architecture (15 ECTS)
Urban Planning and Mobility (14 ECTS)
Urban Design (16/18 ECTS)
Besides the elective modules, we also offer a wide range of individual elective courses.

Internship

You can also choose to replace one elective module with an internship (15 ECTS), allowing you to gain experience in a working environment that is relevant to urban studies, such as an NGO, local government administration, consultancy firm or European network or institution. If you want to pursue a PhD following your Master education, you can also choose to do a research-oriented internship by working in a university department or another research institution.

Semester abroad

In the second year of your studies, it is possible to go abroad for a semester and study at one of our partner universities.

Master thesis

30 ECTS of your 120 ECTS programme is dedicated to the Master thesis. In the first year of your studies, you will choose a topic and develop your research design, whereas in the second year you will conduct most of the empirical research and write the actual thesis. Throughout the two-year process, there will be various moments of collective and individual supervision.

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Mobility deals with increasingly complex flows of people and goods in the networked city and region. The demand side of mobility is changing everyday with differentiated lifestyles, changes in technology and new evolving spatial structures. The supply side is increasingly being focused on flexible services and better utilisation of physical infrastructure for which transport management will be essential. An integrated view and strategy to enable future mobility is a challenging task.

The Ministry for Infrastructure and Environment requires, for instance, integrated agendas to frame future infrastructure development. This Master's specialisation will deal with such issues, looking into different integrated mobility systems or transport modes at different spatial scales. It will also look into innovative new practices and strategies to provide mobility options for various population segments.

Finally, It will address the challenge, how to integrate the mobility and transport aspects into innovative new concepts for strategic spatial planning at the level of integrated city regions.

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Students who graduate from the Master’s programme in geography have strong theoretical and practical skills. The education in geography offers a broad understanding in current social and environmental issues. Our students can work as experts in their field, both independently and as members of multi-professional teams.

The teaching within the programme is connected with the work of the geography research groups. It is often possible to write the final thesis as part of work in a research group or a research institute in a related field.

The Master’s programme in geography is divided into three sub-programmes (described in section 4). Our students have been very successful in the job market after completing our programme.

The strengths of students who have completed our Master’s programme when it comes to research and expertise are:
-Their ability to apply theoretical knowledge.
-A broad understanding of multi-layered regional issues.
-Strong interaction skills within multi-disciplinary groups of specialists.
-Their ability to communicate in writing, orally, and graphically about geographical phenomena and research findings.
-Their ability to utilise and interpret various kinds of research data.
-Their versatile knowledge of methodology in geography.
-Their ability to apply the newest methods in geoinformatics and cartography.
-Their embracing of responsible and ethical scientifc practices.

The University of Helsinki will introduce annual tuition fees to foreign-language Master’s programmes starting on August 1, 2017 or later. The fee ranges from 13 000-18 000 euros. Citizens of non-EU/EEA countries, who do not have a permanent residence status in the area, are liable to these fees. You can check this FAQ at the Studyinfo website whether or not you are required to pay tuition fees: https://studyinfo.fi/wp2/en/higher-education/higher-education-institutions-will-introduce-tuition-fees-in-autumn-2017/am-i-required-to-pay-tuition-fees/

Programme Contents

The first year of the advanced module of the Master’s programme contains the method courses of your chosen sub-programme, elective courses, and advanced literature. During this year you will start planning your Master’s thesis.

In the autumn of the second year, you will join a Master’s seminar and take exams on literature related to the MSc thesis. In the spring, you should be ready to present your finished MSc thesis (Pro gradu). In addition, you can take optional courses in both years that support your sub-programme. If you are studying to be a teacher, you will take courses in pedagogy during your second year.

Studying takes many forms. A large part of the instruction is contact teaching. Method and specialisation courses are usually implemented in groups of 10-20 students, where it is easy to discuss professional issues and gain deeper insights. Independent study is supported through workshops supervised by older students, and reading circles. The Master’s programme also includes extensive exams on literature in the field.

Selection of the Major

The Master’s programme in geography is divided into sub-programmes. The sub-programmes offer students the opportunity to specialise in different areas of geography. The Master’s programme contains both general and sub-programme-specific courses. The teaching within the Master’s programme in geography is seamlessly connected with the Master’s programme in urban studies and planning, which is jointly implemented with Aalto University.

The sub-programmes in the Master’s programme for geography are:
-Physical Geography
-Human Geography and Spatial Planning
-Geoinformatics

Physical Geography
Physical geography is an area of geography that studies natural systems and the regional interaction between nature and humans. The main parts of physical geography are geomorphology, climatology, hydrogeography, biogeography, and research into global change.

The Master’s courses in physical geography work towards deeper regional syntheses, explain the physical surroundings and their changes as a part of the function of regional systems, and analyse and model the relationships between different sectors. Focus areas in the Master’s programme in physical geography are the effect of global change on natural systems, watershed research, and the regional modelling of geomorphological processes and local climates. A considerable part of the Master’s programme in physical geography consists of work in small groups or in the field, where you will learn to implement theories in practice.

Having completed the Master’s programme in physical geography, you will be able to analyse and model regional systems of nature, as well as the interaction between nature and humans. In addition, the programme teaches you to analyse sustainable use of natural resources, and evaluate environmental impact. You will learn to implement theoretical knowledge and regional methods in planning a scientific thesis, implementing it in practice, and presenting your results orally and in writing. Further, the courses will train you to take specimens independently, analyse them, and interpret them. The teaching at the Master’s stage is closely connected with research on physical geography: theses are done in collaboration with a research group or research institute.

Human Geography and Spatial Planning
Human geography and spatial planning is a sub-programme, where regional structures and related planning is studied. Urban structures, regional social structures, statewide regional structures, the regional development in the European Union, and globalisation are studied. At the core of the sub-programme is the spatial transformation of society. The Master’s programme studies such phenomena as the divergence of regional and urban structures, urban culture, as well as the political-geographical dynamics of regions. In addition, sustainability, multiculturalism, segregation, housing, and migration are at the core of the sub-programme. Relevant themes for the sub-programme are also regional and urban planning, the political ecology of use of natural resources and land, and gobal development issues. These geographical phenomena and themes are studied through both theoretical and empirical questions, which can be analysed with different qualitative and quantitative methods.

The programme goes into how theories on cities and regional systems can be transformed into empirical research questions. After completing their Master’s theses, students can independently gather empirical data on the main dimensions of regional and urban structures and regional development, they can analyse these data with both qualitative and quantitative methods, and they can evaluate the planning practices connected with regional and social structures. After graduating from the Master’s programme, students will be able to communicate about phenomena and research findings in regional and urban structures, both orally and in writing.

Geoinformatics
Geoinformatics is an effective approach to the study and understanding of complex regional issues. Geoinformatics studies and develops computational methods for gaining, processing, analysing, and presenting positioning data. As a part of geography, geoinformatics is a research method on the one hand, to be used in the study of complex regional issues from urban environments to natural ones, from studying local environments to issues of sustainability in developing countries. On the other hand, the methods are the object of research. In urban environments, the methods of geoinformatics can be used to study accessibility and mobility, for example, or to plan a good park network. In the context of developing countries, the research into climate change, land use, or interaction between humans and environment with the help of quantitative, qualitative, and involving methods rises into the front. Students in geography reach a basic understanding of geoinformatics methods in the study of geographical issues, the sources and use of different sets of data (remote sensing, global and national databases, geographical Big Data), analysis methods, and effective visualisation of results.

At the Master’s level, as a student specialising in geoinformatics you will advance your skills both theoretically and technically, developing your methodological expertise from data acquisition to data refinement and visualisation with the help of geoinformatics methods. The instruction is directly connected with the work of research groups and theses are often written as a part of research work. After graduating, you will be able to utilise versatile approaches in geoinformatics in research into geographical questions. You will be able to follow the rapid development of the subject independently, and participate on your own.

Programme Structure

The Master’s programme in geography comprises 120 credits (ECTS) and you should graduate as a Master of Science in two academic years. The following courses are included in the degree:
-60 credits of shared advanced courses or according to sub-programme (including MSc thesis 30 credits).
-60 credits of other courses from your own or other programmes.
-60 credits of courses in pedagogy for teaching students.
-The other studies may include working-life or periods of international work or study.
-Working-life orientation and career planning.
-Personal study plan.

Career Prospects

The Master’s programme in geography provides you with excellent abilities to work in research or as specialists. Our graduates have found good employment in the public and private sectors, in Finland and abroad. Their postings include:
-Evaluation of environmental effects and environment consultation.
-Positioning and remote-sensing work.
-Regional and urban planning.
-Governmental community and regional administration.
-Governmental posts in ministries.
-Organisational posts.
-Development cooperation projects.
-Communication and publishing work.
-Teaching.

Internationalization

The Master’s programme in geography offers many opportunities for international work:
-Student exchange in one of the exchange locations of the faculty or university.
-Traineeship abroad.
-Participation in international projects and expeditions (e.g. to the Taita research station in Kenya).
-Participation in international research groups (writing your thesis).
-Participation in language courses at the University of Helsinki (a wide range of languages, including rare ones).

Research Focus

In physical geography:
-Research into global change, especially the environmental effects of climate change.
-Watershed research, the physical-chemical quality and ecological status of water systems.
-Natural systems, their function and change.
-Regional analytics and modelling in research into natural systems.
-Positioning and remote-sensing methods and their application when studying the status and changes in natural environments.
-‘Big data,’ analysis of regional and temporal data.
-The Arctic areas: status, change and vulnerability.

In human geography and spatial planning:
-Transformation and segregation in the social and physical urban environment.
-The changing rationalities and concepts of regional and urban planning.
-Regional policy and geopolitics.
-Urbanisation and changing relationships between state and cities.
-Internationalisation of cities and states.
-The spatial planning system of the European Union.
-Regional policy of data-intensive economics.
-The political ecology and management of natural resources and land use.
-Globalisation.

In geoinformatics:
-Spatial data analysis, new information sources.
-Development of remote-sensing methods for environmental study, especially hyper-spectral remote-sensing data and drone applications.
-Application of geoinformatics methods to environmental and urban research.

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The breadth of material covered in our MSc in Sustainable Planning gives students the skills they need in order to meet contemporary sustainability challenges in planning. Planning has a key role to play in improving the condition of life in our towns, cities and rural areas. Towns and cities themselves impact on global sustainability and can play a very influential role in tackling global environmental, social and economic problems. Equally, implementing sustainability principles within urban and rural areas is essential for the well-being of the local residents and improvement of the local environment. Creating more sustainable towns and cities will be central to the future of society and the planet. The planning system is so important because it provides one of the most sophisticated mechanisms for regulating environmental change. Recent policy changes have made planning in neighbourhoods and in communities even more important.

About the course

Increasingly planners are being required to facilitate the creation of more sustainable urban environments. This requires expertise and skills in a diverse range of disciplines and nationally there is a shortage of relevant skills. This course offers both personal opportunities for students to gain valuable skills that make them highly employable, and allows them to contribute to a much needed and fast changing professional area.

Why choose this course?

This exciting new course is specifically aimed at people wishing to gain expertise in contemporary sustainability issues. It provides graduates with excellent career opportunities in planning, environmental management, urban design, community development, regeneration, transport management, climate change mitigation and other planning related careers. The course is suitable for:
-Students who have work experience in planning or related discipline and require a postgraduate qualification and subsequent professional accreditation to develop their career further
-New graduates starting their career in planning with a first degree in geography, environmental science, conservation, sociology, architecture and urban studies
-Students from other disciplines who have developed an interest in planning from voluntary work, work experience or project work.

Key Features

-A combination of stimulating academic study and strong career orientation
-Focus on the role of planning in addressing key sustainability concerns: climate change; urban sprawl; social cohesion; and demands for personal mobility
-Using the latest techniques including GIS; urban design tools and community design engagement techniques such as charettes
-Practical problem based approach to learning that uses real planning issues and case studies
-Flexibility of study based on a programme of short courses scheduled over two or three days at weekends
-UK field trips including visits to the start of town planning nearby at Letchworth and the first New Towns
-International study visit to look at European best practice in France and Germany

This course is available both full and part-time. Full time study in Semester A takes 1 year. Full time study beginning in Semester B will take 15 months. Part time study options typically take two years but students are given a maximum of five years to complete.

Careers

When you graduate from this course you will have excellent career opportunities in planning, environmental management, urban design and urbanism, community development and regeneration, transport management, climate change mitigation and adaptation and other planning related careers - all with a special focus on maximizing your sustainability expertise. Prospective employers include: local government; private sector planning consultancies; specialist consultancies in environmental management, urban design, transport planning; public involvement bodies; national government agencies; third sector employers including charities with an urban and rural focus; and professional bodies.

Teaching methods

The MSc Sustainable Planning course structure is based on a series of two to three day short courses and tutorials that usually run Friday and Saturday, though some modules may require a Thursday as well.

For full time students the modules run approximately twice a month which means that you will be attending classes on four weekdays and two Saturdays.

Part-time students attend the MSc Sustainable Planning short courses over two years. This makes the course easy to attend and fit around a busy workload schedule.

Structure

Core Modules
-Development Viability
-Place-making and Spatial Mediation
-Planning law, policy & practice
-Research Methods
-Spatial Planning: Theories and Strategies
-Sustainable Communities & Environment
-Sustainable Energy
-Sustainable Planning Dissertation
-Urban Design and Conservation

Optional
-Community Engagement and the Planning Process
-Planning for Rural Communities
-Research Methods
-Spatial Analysis for Planning
-Urban Regeneration
-Water Resources

Read less

The breadth of material covered in our MSc in Sustainable Planning gives students the skills they need in order to meet contemporary sustainability challenges in planning. Planning has a key role to play in improving the condition of life in our towns, cities and rural areas. Towns and cities themselves impact on global sustainability and can play a very influential role in tackling global environmental, social and economic problems. Equally, implementing sustainability principles within urban and rural areas is essential for the well-being of the local residents and improvement of the local environment. Creating more sustainable towns and cities will be central to the future of society and the planet. The planning system is so important because it provides one of the most sophisticated mechanisms for regulating environmental change. Recent policy changes have made planning in neighbourhoods and in communities even more important.

About the course

Increasingly planners are being required to facilitate the creation of more sustainable urban environments. This requires expertise and skills in a diverse range of disciplines and nationally there is a shortage of relevant skills. This course offers both personal opportunities for students to gain valuable skills that make them highly employable, and allows them to contribute to a much needed and fast changing professional area.

Why choose this course?

This exciting new course is specifically aimed at people wishing to gain expertise in contemporary sustainability issues. It provides graduates with excellent career opportunities in planning, environmental management, urban design, community development, regeneration, transport management, climate change mitigation and other planning related careers. The course is suitable for:
-Students who have work experience in planning or related discipline and require a postgraduate qualification and subsequent professional accreditation to develop their career further
-New graduates starting their career in planning with a first degree in geography, environmental science, conservation, sociology, architecture and urban studies
-Students from other disciplines who have developed an interest in planning from voluntary work, work experience or project work

Key features

-A combination of stimulating academic study and strong career orientation
-Focus on the role of planning in addressing key sustainability concerns: climate change; urban sprawl; social cohesion; and demands for personal mobility
-Using the latest techniques including GIS; urban design tools and community design engagement techniques such as charettes
-Practical problem based approach to learning that uses real planning issues and case studies
-Flexibility of study based on a programme of short courses scheduled over two or three days at weekends
-UK field trips including visits to the start of town planning nearby at Letchworth and the first New Towns
-International study visit to look at European best practice in France and Germany
-It is structured around a modular short course structure to enable flexibility whilst working. This allows part-time student to not have to take more than 12 days off a year (if studying over 2/3 years)
-Networking opportunities per module with lunch and refreshments provided within your fees

This course is available both full and part-time. Full time study in Semester A takes 1 year. Full time study beginning in Semester B will take 15 months. Part time study options typically take two years but students are given a maximum of five years to complete.

Careers

When you graduate from this course you will have excellent career opportunities in planning, environmental management, urban design and urbanism, community development and regeneration, transport management, climate change mitigation and adaptation and other planning related careers - all with a special focus on maximizing your sustainability expertise. Prospective employers include: local government; private sector planning consultancies; specialist consultancies in environmental management, urban design, transport planning; public involvement bodies; national government agencies; third sector employers including charities with an urban and rural focus; and professional bodies.

Teaching methods

The MSc Sustainable Planning course structure is based on a series of two to three day short courses and tutorials that usually run Friday and Saturday, though some modules may require a Thursday as well.

For full time students the modules run approximately twice a month which means that you will be attending classes on four weekdays and two Saturdays.

Part-time students attend the MSc Sustainable Planning short courses over two years. This makes the course easy to attend and fit around a busy workload schedule. Most part time students complete this course within two years but you are given a maximum of five to complete.

Structure

Core Modules
-Development Viability
-Environmental Policy and Governance
-Place-making and Spatial Mediation
-Planning law, policy & practice
-Research Methods
-Spatial Planning: Theories and Strategies
-Sustainable Communities & Environment
-Sustainable Energy
-Sustainable Planning Dissertation
-Urban Design and Conservation

Optional
-Sustainability and Environmental Systems

Read less

The breadth of material covered in our MSc in Sustainable Planning gives students the skills they need in order to meet contemporary sustainability challenges in planning. Planning has a key role to play in improving the condition of life in our towns, cities and rural areas. Towns and cities themselves impact on global sustainability and can play a very influential role in tackling global environmental, social and economic problems. Equally, implementing sustainability principles within urban and rural areas is essential for the well-being of the local residents and improvement of the local environment. Creating more sustainable towns and cities will be central to the future of society and the planet. The planning system is so important because it provides one of the most sophisticated mechanisms for regulating environmental change. Recent policy changes have made planning in neighbourhoods and in communities even more important.

About the course

Increasingly planners are being required to facilitate the creation of more sustainable urban environments. This requires expertise and skills in a diverse range of disciplines and nationally there is a shortage of relevant skills. This course offers both personal opportunities for students to gain valuable skills that make them highly employable, and allows them to contribute to a much needed and fast changing professional area.

Why choose this course?

This exciting new course is specifically aimed at people wishing to gain expertise in contemporary sustainability issues. It provides graduates with excellent career opportunities in planning, environmental management, urban design, community development, regeneration, transport management, climate change mitigation and other planning related careers. The course is suitable for:
-Students who have work experience in planning or related discipline and require a postgraduate qualification and subsequent professional accreditation to develop their career further
-New graduates starting their career in planning with a first degree in geography, environmental science, conservation, sociology, architecture and urban studies
-Students from other disciplines who have developed an interest in planning from voluntary work, work experience or project work.

Key Features

-A combination of stimulating academic study and strong career orientation
-Focus on the role of planning in addressing key sustainability concerns: climate change; urban sprawl; social cohesion; and demands for personal mobility
-Using the latest techniques including GIS; urban design tools and community design engagement techniques such as charettes
-Practical problem based approach to learning that uses real planning issues and case studies
-Flexibility of study based on a programme of short courses scheduled over two or three days at weekends
-UK field trips including visits to the start of town planning nearby at Letchworth and the first New Towns
-International study visit to look at European best practice in France and Germany

This course is available both full and part-time. Full time study in Semester A takes 1 year. Full time study beginning in Semester B will take 15 months. Part time study options typically take two years but students are given a maximum of five years to complete.

Careers

When you graduate from this course you will have excellent career opportunities in planning, environmental management, urban design and urbanism, community development and regeneration, transport management, climate change mitigation and adaptation and other planning related careers - all with a special focus on maximizing your sustainability expertise. Prospective employers include: local government; private sector planning consultancies; specialist consultancies in environmental management, urban design, transport planning; public involvement bodies; national government agencies; third sector employers including charities with an urban and rural focus; and professional bodies.

Teaching methods

The MSc Sustainable Planning course structure is based on a series of two to three day short courses and tutorials that usually run Friday and Saturday, though some modules may require a Thursday as well.

For full time students the modules run approximately twice a month which means that you will be attending classes on four weekdays and two Saturdays.

Part-time students attend the MSc Sustainable Planning short courses over two years. This makes the course easy to attend and fit around a busy workload schedule.

Structure

Core Modules
-Development Viability
-Place-making and Spatial Mediation
-Planning law, policy & practice
-Spatial Planning: Theories and Strategies
-Sustainable Communities & Environment
-Sustainable Energy
-Sustainable Planning Dissertation
-Transport Data Collection and Analysis
-Transport Policy & Travel Planning
-Urban Design and Conservation

Optional
-Research Methods

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This MSc offers a critical approach to 'people-centred' development, addressing the challenges for equitable citizenship in the context of social diversity and globalisation, particularly in urban contexts. Participants engage in a critical analysis of the theory and practice of social development alongside gaining the skills required to be a reflective social development practitioner.

Degree information

The programme objectives are to give participants a solid grounding in social analysis skills and perspectives, rooted in social theory around identity, inequality, and social change processes. Students learn how development interventions can best support the citizenship claims of diverse groups of women and men, and girls and boys living in the Global South, and consider the role of the social development practitioner in this endeavour.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of three core modules (90 credits), either one or two optional modules (totalling 30 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits). A Postgraduate Diploma (full-time nine months) is offered, comprising three core modules (90 credits) and one or two optional modules (30 credits).

Core modules - all three of the following:
-Social Policy and Citizenship
-Social Diversity, Inequality, and Poverty
-Social Development in Practice

Optional modules - one or two optional modules, totalling 30 credits, usually including the following, among others:
-NGOs and Social Transformation
-Communication, Technologies and Social Power
-Gender in Policy and Planning
-Participatory Processes: Building for Development
-Disaster Risk Reduction in Cities
-Post Disaster Recovery: Policies, Practices and Alternatives
-Critical Urbanism Studio I and II
-Housing as Urbanism: Housing Policy and the Search for Scale
-Housing Policies: Practical Dimensions and Alternative Options
-Neo-Structuralism and the Developmental State
-Political Economy of Development: Land, Food and Agriculture
-Political Economy of Development: Industrialisation and Infrastructure
-Adapting Cities to Climate Change in the Global South
-Sustainable Infrastructure and Services in Development
-Urban Water and Sanitation, Planning and Politics
-Transport Equity and Urban Mobility
-Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture: Knowledge Systems in the Global South
-The City and Its Relations: Context, Institutions and Actors in Urban Development Planning
-Managing the City Economy

Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project related to the main themes of the programme, culminating in a dissertation report of 10,000 words (60 credits). Topics may be chosen to enhance career development or for their inherent interest.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical classroom exercises, and fieldwork within the UK and abroad. Student performance is assessed through coursework, examinations, and a dissertation report as well as an assessment of practical work, including the international fieldwork group report.

Fieldwork
The programme incorporates group fieldwork in London and in a selected country of the Global South. The cost of flights, visas, necessary vaccinations, accommodation, and fieldwork-related travel and facilitations costs, are incorporated within the programme fees. Meals and other expenditure must be covered by the student.

Careers

Graduates of this Master's programme are likely to find employment as officers for local and international NGOs, as officers for international organisations, as officers in local or national government departments and as consultants. Some graduates pursue an academic career, either through doctoral studies or through teaching and research in a number of prestigious universities.

Top career destinations for this degree:
-Head of Strategy Funding, Global Witness
-Researcher, Chinese Federation of Trade Unions
-Development Consultant, World Bank Group
-Corporate Responsibility Manager, Odebrecht
-Project Co-Ordinator, Thamani Youth of Kenya

Employability
Graduates of this programme are able to link theory to practice, critically reflect, and negotiate complex social relations as well as facilitate social processes in a context of diversity - all key transferable skills in the job market. Graduates have secured jobs in a variety of sectors and countries and built fulfilling careers in social development.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The programme introduces students to critical, analytical and practical skills that will be of use in their future careers, whether as academics, social development practitioners or advocates for the need to place the 'social' at the centre of development. Students have an opportunity to critically examine relevant bodies of knowledge, current debates and field experience in primarily urban contexts, and to consider the challenges of making development policy, planning and practice more socially responsive.

Students on this MSc benefit from the strong practical component, which includes fieldwork assignments in London and an international field trip to a city in the Global South. This trip provides the opportunity to develop practical skills, use tools for participatory action research, and reflect on the roles and responsibilities of social development practitioners.

The practice-based components of the programme also provide students with the opportunity to network with organisations and professionals working in the social development sector. In a complementary series of careers sessions, students can network with Development Planning Unit alumni and partners who are working in relevant fields.

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The production, reproduction and transformation of urban space via socially, economically, and environmentally just methods presents a complex challenge for professionals. This MSc combines cultural, social, economic, political and spatial analysis to recalibrate the urban design project, presenting a holistic response in which informality and marginality are central features.

Degree information

The programme will equip students with a political economy understanding of space; a comprehension of the needs, abilities, aspirations and forms of resistance of urban dwellers; the ability to respond with strategically co-ordinated proposals to leverage local abilities to meet local needs; and an ability to critically engage with the practice of urban design and architecture in developmental processes – particularly in the Global South.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of three core modules (90 credits), two optional modules (30 credits) and a development and planning report (60 credits).

Core modules
-Transforming Local Areas: Urban Design for Development
-Participatory Process: Building for Development
-The BUDD Studio: Building and Urban Design Practice

Optional modules
-Critical Urbanism Studio I. Learning from Informality: Case studies and alternatives
-Critical Urbanism Studio II: Investigative Design Strategies for Contested Spaces
-Disaster Risk Reduction in Cities
-Post Disaster Recovery: Policies, Practices and Alternatives
-Housing Policy, Programme and Project Alternatives
-Housing as Urbanism: Housing Policy and the Search for Scale
-Adapting Cities to Climate Change in the Global South
-The Political Ecology of Environmental Change
-Sustainable Infrastructure and Services in Development
-Urban Water and Sanitation, Planning and Politics
-Social Policy and Citizenship
-Gender in Policy and Planning
-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
-Transport Equity and Urban Mobility
-Industrialisation and Infrastructure
-Food and the City
-Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture: Knowledge Systems in the Global South
-NGOs and Social Transformation

Please note, the availability of some modules may be dependent on student numbers.

Dissertation/report
All MSc students submit a 10,000-word report on a topic related to the main themes of the programme. The topic can be chosen to enhance career development or for its inherent interest.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of weekly lectures, seminar presentations, group exercises and workshops. The BUDD studio includes a fieldwork project in an urban reality of the global south, developed in partnership with local organisations, networks of communities, slum dweller federations, universities and governments alike. Students are encouraged to explore different tools, concepts and ideas throughout the programme and test these during the field project. Assessment is through coursework, design work, written examinations and the 10,000-word report.

Careers

The programme enables graduates to work in NGOs and local government – facilitating community organisations and households to improve their living conditions. Graduate destinations range from UK-based organisations in the public, private and community sectors, to governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations, which operate in a development capacity in the South. Recent graduates have also been employed by international NGOs and aid and development agencies and architectural and design practices. Some graduates return to their home countries and engage in urban design and architecture practice, teaching, or research of urban development there; others have successfully sought employment away from their own countries.

Top career destinations for this degree:
-Architectural Assistant, Foster + Partners
-Architectural Designer, Thinking Development
-Research Assistant/PhD in Development Planning, UCL
-Urban Designer/Visual Designer, Nanjing Yangtze River Urban Architectural Design Co. Ltd
-Project Manager, Home Office

Why study this degree at UCL?

The UCL Bartlett is the UK's largest multidisciplinary faculty of the built environment, bringing together dozens of scientific and professional specialisms required to research, understand, design, construct and operate the buildings and urban environments of the future.

The Development Planning Unit is an international centre concerned with promoting sustainable forms of development, understanding rapid urbanisation and encouraging innovation in the policy, planning and management responses to the economic, social and environmental development of cities and regions, especially in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Its programmes are supported by international agencies as well as by national and provincial governments.

The Building and Urban Design in Development (BUDD) programme in particular reflects on the necessity of design practices to contribute to changing the mainstream paradigm of working with the urban poor, with communities and the city itself.

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This MSc equips students with the analytical, methodological and practical expertise needed to positively contribute to development in countries where they are actively involved. Students acquire the tools necessary to respond to a diverse range of problems including productive capacity, intersectoral integration, economic and social diversification, and self-sufficiency.

Degree information

Students develop the ability to analyse the development process and to formulate appropriate policies for meeting development goals. The field trip, conducted in a developing country, provides the opportunity to study the problems encountered in development, and the cultural, administrative and institutional context in which decisions are made.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme consists of four core modules (90 credits), optional modules (30 credits) and dissertation (60). A Postgraduate Diploma, four core modules (90 credits), optional modules (30 credits), full-time nine months, is offered. A Postgraduate Certificate, four optional modules (60 credits), full-time 15 weeks or flexible study over a period of up to two years, is offered.

Core modules - four core modules
-Contemporary Approaches to Development Management
-Development in Practice
-Critical Ideas of Development Conceptions and Realities
-Society and Market: Private Agency for Development

Recommended optional modules include:
-Adapting Cities to Climate Change in the Global South
-Cost Benefit Analysis: Theory and Practice
-Critical Urbanism Studio I - Learning from Informality: Case Studies and Alternatives
-Critical Urbanism Studio II - Investigative Design Strategies for Contested Spaces
-Disaster Risk Reduction in Cities
-Food and the City
-Gender in Policy and Planning
-Housing as urbanism: housing policy and the search for scale
-Housing policies: practical dimensions and alternative options
-Industrialisation and Infrastructure
-Land, Food and Agriculture
-Neo-Structuralism and the Developmental State
-Social Diversity, Inequality and Poverty
-Social Policy and Citizenship
-The City and Its Relations: Context, Institutions and Actors in Urban Development Planning
-The Political Ecology of Environmental Change
-Transport Equity and Urban Mobility
-Transforming Local Areas: Urban Design for Development
-Urbanisation and Development
-Or any other open MSc module in The Bartlett School of Planning.

Please note: not all optional modules listed above may be available.

Dissertation/report
All MSc students submit a 10,000-word paper on a topic related to the main themes of the programme. The topic is chosen by the student in dialogue with the Programme Director.

Teaching and learning
The programme consists of reading, essay writing and individual and group project work, in the context of lectures, seminars, workshops, case study analysis, and a field trip abroad. In recent years field trip destinations have included Uganda and Ethiopia. Student performance is assessed through coursework, unseen examinations and a final dissertation report.

Fieldwork
The overseas fieldwork trip is a practical research-based residential that helps draw the various elements of the degree together.
The DPU will cover the following costs of the field trip: return flights, visas, travel insurance, accommodation and fees, and costs of local experts and inputs. However, food, local travel and incidental expenses of a personal nature will not be covered by the DPU.

Careers

Graduates are engaged in a diversity of professional activities including local, regional and national government, consultancy firms, national and international NGOs, United Nations programmes and international aid agencies. A small proportion of graduates pursue advanced research degrees while several work as academics in leading universities or as independent consultants.

Top career destinations for this degree:
-Project Manager, London Borough of Camden
-Administration Officer, Pakistani Government
-Coordinator, Department of Development Administration and Planning
-Campaigning Researcher, Gaia Foundation
-Consultant, United Nations Development Program (UNDP)

Employability
The central objective of this programme is to equip participants with the analytical, methodological and practical expertise necessary to make a positive contribution to the development effort in countries with which they are engaged.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The Development Planning Unit (DPU) at UCL is an international centre concerned with promoting sustainable forms of development, understanding rapid urbanisation and encouraging innovation in the policy, planning and management of cities and regions, especially in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Its programmes are supported by international agencies and by national and provincial governments.

This MSc examines and analyses the theory and practice of development administration at international, national and regional levels to provide participants with an understanding of the processes generating social change and with the skills and abilities to respond.

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What do Facebook, the financial system, Internet or the brain have in common?

All are connected in a network. From the underlying skeleton of social relations, the interdependent evolution of our financial system, to the emergent collective computation in the brain, most of the complex systems that appear in society, technology, and nature are ultimately characterised by a nontrivial pattern of inter-relations. This underlying architecture is in turn shaping how information diffuses and spreads, how resilient the system is against attacks or perturbations, or how complex patterns emerge at the systemic level from the aggregation of seemingly simple individuals.

Our MSc in Network Science will provide a thorough grounding in the core principles of modelling and analysis of complex and networked systems, along with the principal analytical and numerical methodologies. This will open to students a host of career opportunities in systems and networks modelling industries, spanning the IT, financial, and biomedical sectors, that are now requiring such specialist knowledge and skills.

Network Science is a very active and rapidly evolving research field with high societal impact, which stands at the crossroads of graph theory, complexity and data analysis. Addressing the description and modelling of the architecture and dynamics of complex systems -systems composed by many interacting units that show collective behaviour- it stands as a new kind of science to cope with some of the most challenging endeavours we face today, in an ever increasingly more connected society.
Its impact and applications outside academia pervades technological sectors such as communications and infrastructures (Internet, transportation networks, energy networks, urban mobility), biostatistics and network biology (brain modelling, protein interaction networks, postgenomic era), public health (epidemic spreading models), marketing and IT (social media, data analytics) to cite a few. This specialist masters programme aims at providing graduate students and professionals with a rigorous training in the underlying mathematical concepts, the analysis and modelling of complex networks and networked systems, complemented with training in computing, numerical simulations and massive data analysis. It is aimed towards students whose undergraduate degree is in mathematics or a cognate discipline who wish to enter a career involving analysis and optimisation of diverse kinds of networks, networked dynamics and models.

Why study your MSc Network Science at Queen Mary?
This is a pioneering MSc in the UK, a joint programme, taught by our Schools of Mathematical Sciences, and Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, drawing on their strengths in research and teaching in the area of complex networks, mathematical modelling of complex systems, and data mining.

We teach what we know and what we do best. Within the School of Mathematics, the Complex Systems & Networks group is one of the biggest hubs in Network Science within the UK, where we address both fundamental and applied challenges in the mathematical modelling of complex systems with clear societal impact, in collaboration with several industrial stakeholders. Within the School of Electronic Engineering, the Networks group was founded in 1987, and has hugely expanded ever since, bringing their expertise in online social networks, data mining and cloud computing. The coalescence of both groups expertises has fostered the creation of this unique MSc.

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What do Facebook, the financial system, Internet or the brain have in common?

"Everything is connected, all is network"
From the underlying skeleton of social relations, the interdependent evolution of our financial system, to the emergent collective computation in the brain, most of the complex systems that appear in society, technology, and nature are ultimately characterised by a nontrivial pattern of inter-relations. This underlying architecture is in turn shaping how information diffuses and spreads, how resilient the system is against attacks or perturbations, or how complex patterns emerge at the systemic level from the aggregation of seemingly simple individuals.

Our MSc Network Science will provide a thorough grounding in the core principles of modelling and analysis of complex and networked systems, along with the principal analytical and numerical methodologies. This will open to students a host of career opportunities in systems and networks modelling industries, spanning the IT, financial, and biomedical sectors, that are now requiring such specialist knowledge and skills.

Network Science is a very active and rapidly evolving research field with high societal impact, which stands at the crossroads of graph theory, complexity and data analysis. Addressing the description and modelling of the architecture and dynamics of complex systems -systems composed by many interacting units that show collective behaviour- it stands as a new kind of science to cope with some of the most challenging endeavours we face today, in an ever increasingly more connected society.
Its impact and applications outside academia pervades technological sectors such as communications and infrastructures (Internet, transportation networks, energy networks, urban mobility), finance (financial risk and systemic instability, financial networks, interbank cross-correlations), marketing and IT (social media, data analytics), public health (epidemic spreading models), or biostatistics and network biology (brain modelling, protein interaction networks, postgenomic era), to cite a few. This specialist masters programme aims at providing graduate students and professionals with a rigorous training in the underlying mathematical concepts, the analysis and modelling of complex networks and networked systems, complemented with training in computing, numerical simulations and massive data analysis. It is aimed towards students with a mathematical background who wish to enter a career involving analysis and optimisation of diverse kinds of networks, networked dynamics and models.

Why study your MSc Network Science at Queen Mary?
This is a pioneering MSc in the UK, a joint programme, taught by our Schools of Mathematical Sciences, and Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, drawing on their strengths in research and teaching in the area of complex networks, mathematical modelling of complex systems, and data mining.

We teach what we know and what we do best. Within the School of Mathematics, the Complex Systems & Networks group is one of the biggest hubs in Network Science within the UK, where we address both fundamental and applied challenges in the mathematical modelling of complex systems with clear societal impact, in collaboration with several industrial stakeholders. Within the School of Electronic Engineering, the Networks group was founded in 1987, and has hugely expanded ever since, bringing their expertise in online social networks, data mining and cloud computing. The coalescence of both groups expertises has fostered the creation of this unique MSc.

More about our two schools

Queen Mary is a member of the prestigious Russell Group of leading UK universities, combining world-class research, teaching excellence and unrivalled links with business and the public sector. The School of Mathematical Sciences has a distinguished history on itself. We have been conducting pioneering mathematical research since the 1950s, and as one of the largest mathematical departments in the UK, with over 50 members of staff, the school can offer diverse postgraduate study opportunities across the field, from pure and applied mathematics, to finance and statistics. Along with the MSc in Network Science, our cohort of postgraduate students specialise in Mathematics and Statistics, Mathematical Finance and Financial Computing. We are one of the UK’s leading universities in the most recent national assessment of research quality, we were placed ninth in the UK (REF 2014) amongst multi-faculty universities. This means that the teaching on our postgraduate programmes is directly inspired by the world-leading research of our academics. Our staff includes international leaders in many areas of mathematical research, and the School is a hive of activity, providing a vibrant intellectual space for postgraduate study.

The School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science is internationally recognised for their pioneering and ground-breaking research in several areas including machine learning and applied network analysis. This expertise uniquely complements the more theoretical knowledge offered by the School of Mathematical Sciences, providing a well balanced mix of theory and applications and offering a deep and robust programme that combines the foundations of the mathematics of networks with the latest cutting edge applications in real world problems.

Additionally, Queen Mary holds a university-level Bronze Award for the Athena SWAN Charter, which recognises and celebrates good employment practice for women working in mathematics, science, engineering and technology in higher education and research.

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Master of Transportation Systems, SEU-Monash Joint degree

Transportation professionals require a range of advanced skills with a global perspective to develop more sustainable transport systems. To gain this technical and planning expertise in transportation systems, Southeast University and Monash University have established a joint Master’s program in Transportation Systems. This joint Master’s program is undertaken over two years and students graduate with two Master’s degrees; one from Southeast University and one from Monash University.

This first year of the program comprises two semesters of coursework units delivered in English. Units are taught at the Southeast University and Monash University Joint Graduate School in Suzhou, China. The Joint Graduate School in Suzhou is located in the newly developed Suzhou Dushu Lake Higher Education Town that is a part of the Science and Education Innovation District of Suzhou. This area has a number of Universities and Research Institutes as well as recreation and cultural facilities.

In Semester 1, students are required to take six units taught by Southeast University consisting of three core units and three elective units:

Core Units, Semester 1 (by SEU):

- Research Seminar
- Highway Design Theory and Methods
- Road Traffic Safety

Elective Units, Semester 1 (by SEU):

- Highway Operation and Management
- Urban Transport Network Analysis
- Theory and Method for Pavement Design
- Advanced Soil Mechanics
- Advanced Pavement Materials

In Semester 2, students are required to take another six core units delivered by Monash University:

- Intelligent Transportation Systems: Engineering & Management*
- Quantitative Methods for Transportation Systems Analysis*
- Modelling Transportation Systems*
- Urban Public Transportation Systems
- Sustainable Transportation Systems Planning
- Case Studies in Transportation Systems

For the above three units marked by “*”, the students can elect to take these course at the Monash University Clayton Campus in Melbourne, Australia.

The second year of the program consists of students undertaking a research project supervised by academics from Southeast University as well as a mentor from industrial institutes in the Suzhou area. A research thesis is required for each student.

Visit the website http://eng.monash.edu.au/civil/research/centres/its/education-programs/seu-monash-program/

About ITS (Monash)

On behalf of our entire staff and students, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the Institute of Transport Studies (ITS Monash) at Monash University.

ITS (Monash) has a long and proud history in Monash University and Australia. The transport group at Monash was established in 1969. The Institute of Transport Studies was established in 1995 as the Key National Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Research in Transport Management, recognised by the Australian Government (a joint venture between The University of Sydney and Monash University). For more than four decades the transport group has played a crucial role in the transport field through fundamental, applied and industry-relevant research and education. Through our excellent education programs we continue to educate transportation leaders for industry, government and academia.

At ITS (Monash), we recognise that the next important challenge and opportunity will present itself through availability of live data and low-priced technology to travellers. There will be soon over 3 billion people with connected devices and more than 210 billion sensors out there that will provide a once-in-generation opportunity to tackle issues of complex transport and urban mobility for modern cities. At ITS (Monash) we have aligned our research focus and efforts to take advantage of this new leap in mobility, opportunity to change the way we travel, create sustainable transport, and work toward more liveable cities.

Find out how to apply here - http://eng.monash.edu.au/civil/research/centres/its/education-programs/seu-monash-program/

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About the programme

The Master of Geography programme is a two-year advanced study organised by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the K.U.Leuven. This interuniversity master’s programme provides the students with comprehensive training in spatial approaches to social and/or natural phenomena.

The programme provides a deeper understanding of geographical problems and methods, knowledge to augment the theoretical debate within the discipline, and training in the use of geographical research techniques.

The global aim of the master’s programme is to generate geographers that can play an active role in contemporary society.

3 specializations to choose from

The programme has been recently redefined. From 2014-2015 the following specializations will be offered:

- Earth and Climate
The Earth and Climate track focuses on terrestrial ecosystems and environmental changes, emphasising timely and relevant research topics in the geosciences like global warming, ice climate interaction, soil and water conservation, natural hazards
and risk assessment. In this specialisation you will gain a deep understanding of land surface and atmospheric processes shaping the physical environment and acquire quantitative skills for analysing and modelling the dynamics of these processes. You will also learn to independently define and carry out research projects in geosciences and develop a synthetic vision on environmental issues, at local, regional and global scales.

- City, Society and Space
In a strongly urbanised world there is a growing need to better understand social, economic, cultural, and political dynamics of urban areas. The City, Society and Space track focuses on the multifaceted issues that cities are experiencing in the current era of globalisation. During your study, you will be introduced to key urban social and economic theories and become familiar with critical views on urban development. In the interdisciplinary spirit of urban studies, you will have the chance to engage with and integrate insights from key debates in urban planning and design, housing and real estate markets, tourism and regional development, and many more. Moreover, you will be trained in qualitative and quantitative research methods that will allow you to analyse contemporary urban dynamics in a synthetic and rigorous way.

- GIS and Spatial Modelling
In the GIS and Spatial Modelling track you will become acquainted with new approaches and techniques for acquiring, managing, analysing and mapping spatial data. Based on your skills in spatial data handling and your background in both natural and human
sciences, you will be trained in analysing complex interactions between man and environment and in the application of spatial decision-making mechanisms. As an expert in geodata processing and spatial modelling you will get the opportunity to improve your knowledge in important application fields of geo-information science, including natural resource management, spatial planning, mobility and transportation. Alternatively, you can also opt to include a 2-month GIS internship in your study programme.

The programme offers

• Comprehensive coverage of spatially explicit approaches for analysing social and natural phenomena and how these interact
• Hands-on training in the use of qualitative and quantitative geographical research techniques
• The opportunity to study in Brussels, the capital of Europe
• The option to include a one-semester stay in another European country in your study programme

Curriculum

Details available on http://www.vub.ac.be/DGGF/PDF/Geography_2014_2015.pdf

Student profile

You are interested in:
• Developing analytical skills to unravel complex interactions between man and environment
• Contributing to the debate on major societal challenges linked to environmental change, globalisation, urban growth, social
inequality
• Working towards feasible solutions for sustainable planning and development

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Be part of the Future. Cities around the world are facing acute challenges and with this course, could you be the person who finds the solutions?

The MSc in Future Cities is the first course of its kind in the UK that is looking into the future of cities and provides you with the skills and knowledge to establish long term solutions using data and social science.

The World Health Organisation estimates that by 2050, seven out of ten people will be living in cities; yet as the UN-Habitat programme explains, cities are already using 78% of the earth’s resources and produce 60% of its CO2.

While the future of cities has become the main topic of discussion for local governments around the globe, it is becoming more apparent that the issues need a more holistic approach. This course will equip you with an in-depth understanding of the geography, space, location and built and natural environment and their growing connection and dependencies on data in order for you to develop holistic solutions.

This course can also be taken part time - for more information, please view this web-page: https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/future-cities-msc-pt-dtpfci6/

Learn From The Best

You will be taught by a range of academic staff who bring a wealth of professional experience from the Architecture, Built Environment and Geography fields. Coupled with their research experience, whereby the staff have published work in prestigious authored journals and conferences, you will be taught the essential and up-to-date skills and knowledge you need to succeed in your future career.

In a dynamic learning environment with an expert team of staff, you will be also taught theoretical and practical research skills such as information literacy, as well as problem solving skills within the subject related task, self-directed learning and communication skills. You will develop an understanding of important research methods and various data communication techniques which will directly support your future career demands.

Teaching And Assessment

This course encourages you to develop independent learning skills as well as the ability to work efficiently and efficiently in a group. You will be taught discipline specific knowledge and will learn transferable intellectual and professional skills which will be directly relatable to your future career.

You will be provided with a wide range of learning opportunities, including lectures and seminars, practical use of tools and equipment, professional practice speakers, guided study and self-directed independent learning.

You will be supported in your learning, where appropriate, via an electronic learning portal (Blackboard) that provides remote access to course materials, by electronic submission and feedback on your assessments, and online reading lists.

Module Overview
KA7000 - Smart Cities (Core, 20 Credits)
KA7001 - Mobility in Future Cities (Core, 20 Credits)
KA7002 - City Information Modelling (Core, 20 Credits)
KA7003 - City Theories (Core, 20 Credits)
KA7004 - Data Concepts and Research Methods (Core, 20 Credits)
KA7005 - Dissertation (Core, 60 Credits)
KE7000 - Sustainability for Future Cities (Core, 20 Credits)

Learning Environment

You will have the opportunity to access state of the art facilities and equipment which will encourage your individual intellectual freedom and allow your creative vision to become a reality.

You will benefit from Northumbria’s longstanding expertise in numerous digital technologies for built and natural environment including Building Information Modelling (BIM), Geographic Information Systems, and Virtual City Modelling.

Experimenting with data from different sources and completing tasks during workshops and hands-on sessions in Northumbria’s fantastic computer labs and VRV Studio, you will develop your technical and practical skills in an encouraging and supportive environment.

As part of our student focussed approach, you will also use smartphones, tablets and wireless networks and social media tools to retrieve and exchange information in various workshops, allowing for you to experience manifold of tools and techniques.

Research-Rich Learning

This course lies within the Architecture and Built Environment department, ranked within the top 30 research departments in the UK, with 50% of our outputs ranked world-leading or internationally excellent according to REF 2014, UoA16. Colleagues from Department of Geography also contribute towards this course. They also boast excellent research, with 55% ranked as world leading or internationally excellent, which makes the department top-30 based on research power.

You will be immersed in a research-rich environment, taught by staff with a strong academic background in leading-edge research areas such as big data, data mining, disaster management, energy systems, transport planning, urban analysis, city information modelling and visualisation.

With access to diverse research work carried out by our expert academic staff, we seek to promote innovative and excellent learning and teaching practice, which will improve your student experience here at Northumbria.

Give Your Career An Edge

By exploring the challenges and opportunities of integrating smart city solutions and smart urbanism that shapes and manages complex and multidimensional places, you will be able to provide solutions with innovative approaches to the multifaceted problems cities are facing.

You will be given the opportunity experience different built environments, cultures and working practises on a European field trip in semester two which will provide you with a wealth of practical knowledge at a European level.

Our connections with the Singapore-ETH Centre’s Future Cities Lab will also provide an international approach towards future city solutions. Connections with potential employers, combined with a close working relationship with the UK Government Office for Science and its Future of Cities Project and strong links with various local authorities across the North East will help you to enhance your employability prospects.

Your Future

Urban planning and the future of cities are changing and this course will equip you with the skills needed for a career in this exciting and innovative industry.

We place a real emphasis on developing the transferable skills that will open doors to a range of urban planning, urban management, urban design careers and advanced study opportunities. These include communication, analytical and problem solving skills, analytical research skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

You will develop practical applications to complex urban problems which also will support your case for employability with your future employers. Local and international field trips will put you in touch with government officials in this field across the world and extend your network of opportunities.

Read less

Be part of the Future. Cities around the world are facing acute challenges and with this course, could you be the person who finds the solutions?

The MSc in Future Cities is the first course of its kind in the UK that is looking into the future of cities and provides you with the skills and knowledge to establish long term solutions using data and social science.

The World Health Organisation estimates that by 2050, seven out of ten people will be living in cities; yet as the UN-Habitat programme explains, cities are already using 78% of the earth’s resources and produce 60% of its CO2.

While the future of cities has become the main topic of discussion for local governments around the globe, it is becoming more apparent that the issues need a more holistic approach. This course will equip you with an in-depth understanding of the geography, space, location and built and natural environment and their growing connection and dependencies on data in order for you to develop holistic solutions.

In the second year, for one semester, you’ll undertake an internship, study in another country or join a research group. This valuable experience will enhance your employability and further develop your theoretical and practical skills.

Internship

This option offers the opportunity to spend three months working full-time in one of the many companies/industries with which we have close links. You may be able to extend this over more than one semester in cases where it is adjacent to a vacation period. We will endeavour to help those who prefer this option to find and secure a suitable position but ultimately we are in the hands of the employers who are free to decide who they take into their organisation.

Research

If you take this option, you will be assigned to our Architecture and Built Environment Research Group. There is every possibility that you may contribute to published research and therefore you may be named as part of the research team, which would be a great start to a research career.

Study Abroad

We have exchange agreements with universities all over the world, including partners in Europe, Asia, the Americas and Oceania. If you take the Study Abroad option you will spend a semester at one of these partners, continuing your studies in English but in a new cultural and learning environment. Please note that this option may require you to obtain a visa for study in the other country.

Learn From The Best

ou will be taught by a range of academic staff who bring a wealth of professional experience from the Architecture, Built Environment and Geography fields. Coupled with their research experience, whereby the staff have published work in prestigious authored journals and conferences, you will be taught the essential and up-to-date skills and knowledge you need to succeed in your future career.

In a dynamic learning environment with an expert team of staff, you will be also taught theoretical and practical research skills such as information literacy, as well as problem solving skills within the subject related task, self-directed learning and communication skills. You will develop an understanding of important research methods and various data communication techniques which will directly support your future career demands.

The Advanced Practice semester will be assessed via a report and presentation about your internship, study abroad or research group activities.

Teaching And Assessment

This course encourages you to develop independent learning skills as well as the ability to work efficiently and efficiently in a group. You will be taught discipline specific knowledge and will learn transferable intellectual and professional skills which will be directly relatable to your future career.

You will be provided with a wide range of learning opportunities, including lectures and seminars, practical use of tools and equipment, professional practice speakers, guided study and self-directed independent learning.

You will be supported in your learning, where appropriate, via an electronic learning portal (Blackboard) that provides remote access to course materials, by electronic submission and feedback on your assessments, and online reading lists.

Module Overview
Year One
KA7000 - Smart Cities (Core, 20 Credits)
KA7001 - Mobility in Future Cities (Core, 20 Credits)
KA7002 - City Information Modelling (Core, 20 Credits)
KA7003 - City Theories (Core, 20 Credits)
KA7004 - Data Concepts and Research Methods (Core, 20 Credits)
KE7000 - Sustainability for Future Cities (Core, 20 Credits)

Year Two
KA7005 - Dissertation (Core, 60 Credits)
KF7005 - Engineering and Environment Advanced Practice (Core, 60 Credits)

Learning Environment

You will have the opportunity to access state of the art facilities and equipment which will encourage your individual intellectual freedom and allow your creative vision to become a reality.

You will benefit from Northumbria’s longstanding expertise in numerous digital technologies for built and natural environment including Building Information Modelling (BIM), Geographic Information Systems, and Virtual City Modelling.

Experimenting with data from different sources and completing tasks during workshops and hands-on sessions in Northumbria’s fantastic computer labs and VRV Studio, you will develop your technical and practical skills in an encouraging and supportive environment.

As part of our student focussed approach, you will also use smartphones, tablets and wireless networks and social media tools to retrieve and exchange information in various workshops, allowing for you to experience manifold of tools and techniques.

Research-Rich Learning

This course lies within the Architecture and Built Environment department, ranked within the top 30 research departments in the UK, with 50% of our outputs ranked world-leading or internationally excellent according to REF 2014, UoA16. Colleagues from Department of Geography also contribute towards this course. They also boast excellent research, with 55% ranked as world leading or internationally excellent, which makes the department top-30 based on research power.

You will be immersed in a research-rich environment, taught by staff with a strong academic background in leading-edge research areas such as big data, data mining, disaster management, energy systems, transport planning, urban analysis, city information modelling and visualisation.

With access to diverse research work carried out by our expert academic staff, we seek to promote innovative and excellent learning and teaching practice, which will improve your student experience here at Northumbria.

Give Your Career An Edge

By exploring the challenges and opportunities of integrating smart city solutions and smart urbanism that shapes and manages complex and multidimensional places, you will be able to provide solutions with innovative approaches to the multifaceted problems cities are facing.

You will be given the opportunity experience different built environments, cultures and working practises on a European field trip in semester two which will provide you with a wealth of practical knowledge at a European level.

Our connections with the Singapore-ETH Centre’s Future Cities Lab will also provide an international approach towards future city solutions. Connections with potential employers, combined with a close working relationship with the UK Government Office for Science and its Future of Cities Project and strong links with various local authorities across the North East will help you to enhance your employability prospects.

The Advanced Practice semester will help you develop a track record of achievement that will help you stand out from other job applicants.

A two-year master’s course, like this one, will carry particular weight with employers. They’ll understand that you’ll have a deeper understanding of topics as well as more hands-on practical experience.

Your Future

Urban planning and the future of cities are changing and this course will equip you with the skills needed for a career in this exciting and innovative industry.

We place a real emphasis on developing the transferable skills that will open doors to a range of urban planning, urban management, urban design careers and advanced study opportunities. These include communication, analytical and problem solving skills, analytical research skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

You will develop practical applications to complex urban problems which also will support your case for employability with your future employers. Local and international field trips will put you in touch with government officials in this field across the world and extend your network of opportunities.

Read less