Overview

We see design as a field of research, knowledge and practice that shapes urban environments, responds to urban problems, and integrates social, spatial and physical approaches to the city. This ground-breaking programme was launched in 1998. It supports the development of interdisciplinary professionals who can work across professional divides to have a positive impact on cities as both social and built environments.

This innovative, interdisciplinary City Design and Social Science programme offered by London School of Economics and Political Science sets the complex challenges of city design and development in their social, economic, environmental and political contexts. It is unique as a studio-based master’s with a strong orientation to practice. The programme attracts students from different academic and professional backgrounds, reflecting the range of skills involved in urban policy, design and development today. Each year, around 40 per cent of our student intake comes from architecture, urban design, planning or engineering, with around 60 per cent coming from backgrounds in social, economic and management science, law, humanities and the natural sciences.

You will leave the programme with a well-rounded set of research, analytical and practical skills for the design, development and implementation of urban projects across the public, private and community sectors, and the ability to work creatively and effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

Careers

Graduates from this programme find international career opportunities across the urban design, planning and development fields in the private, public and community sectors – as designers and planners, project managers and consultants, researchers and entrepreneurs. A vibrant alumni network offers guidance and support for current students and recent graduates.

Top 5 sectors our students work in:

Health and Social Care
Government, Public Sector and Policy
Education, Teaching and Research
Information, Digital Technology and Data
Real Estate, Environment and Energy

Programme Structure

Courses include:

City Design: Research Studio

Cities by Design

City-making: the Politics of Urban Form

Urban Social Theory

Urban Inequalities
The Politics of Housing

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 12 months
Part-time
- 24 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-09-29 00:00:00

Apply anytime.

More details

Visit the website for full details.

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

100

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IELTS

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Credits

180 alternative credits

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

London, United Kingdom

Disciplines

Architecture Design Sociology View 271 other Masters in Sociology in United Kingdom

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Academic requirements

GPA

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Upper second class honours (2:1) degree or equivalent professional qualifications or experience in any relevant field of architecture, urban design, planning, engineering, social science, law and humanities, management, mathematics, statistics or natural science.
Competition for places at the School is high. This means that even if you meet the minimum entry requirement, this does not guarantee you an offer of admission.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

30900 GBP / year

≈ 30900 GBP / year
Domestic Applies to you

Applies to you

Citizens or residents

20900 GBP / year

≈ 20900 GBP / year

Additional Details

Every graduate student is charged a fee for their programme. Visit the website for more information about the fees.

Living costs

London

United Kingdom

1137 - 2157 GBP / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

The School recognizes that the cost of living in London may be higher than in your home town or country, and we provide generous scholarships each year to home and overseas students.Find out more about financial support.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for City Design and Social Science.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

On this page

About

Overview

Careers

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic Applies to you

Additional Details

Living costs

London

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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