Explore the nature of cities, their conflicts, complexity and diversity and the policy implications of contemporary urbanisation. Options range from applied internships to more theoretical modules. Construct your own framework for understanding cities, the processes of urbanisation and their impact on the environment.
KEY BENEFITS
- Internship opportunities within a range of London-based urban research organisations.
- Opportunities to explore urban issues in comparative perspective.
- Explore the urban in situ – the theoretical is brought to life by our London fieldtrips.
- Enjoy one of the UK’s best urban research seminar series.
- Located in the heart of London.
KEY FACTS
Student destinations
Students on this programme have gone on to: undertake further postgraduate study as research students; work as research analysts for international consultancies; occupy senior management positions.
Programme leader/s
Professor Tim Butler
Awarding Institution
King's College London
Credit value (UK/ECTS equivalent)
UK 180/ECTS 90
Duration
One year FT, two years PT, September to September.
Location
Strand Campus.
Year of entry 2013
Offered by
School of Social Science and Public Policy
Department of Geography
Closing date
None
Intake
Approximately 20 FT/PT.
Fees
PT Home: £3950 (2013)
PT Overseas: £8125 (2013)
FT Home: £7900 (2013)
FT Overseas: £16250 (2013)
CONTACTS
Contact information
Centre for Arts & Sciences Admissions (CASA)
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7848 1977 / 7203
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7848 7200
Email
Website
PURPOSE
For those seeking a critical understanding of contemporary urbanisation in both developed and developing countries. The programme provides an understanding of contemporary urban issues including regeneration, urban design and sustainability.
DESCRIPTION
London, with its immense range of research and policy institutes, and its cultural, social and political resources, provides a perfect context for studying this degree. With an increasing majority of the world's population living in cities, urbanisation is one of the most important social processes today. This programme explores the nature of cities, with all their conflicts, complexity and diversity. With options ranging from an applied, hands-on internship to more theoretical module units on 'the city', students can construct their own framework for understanding cities, the processes of urbanisation and their impact on the environment. A major element of the degree is its focus on the policy implications of contemporary urbanisation.
STRUCTURE OVERVIEW
Core programme content
Core module (MA & MSc pathway: 60 credits):- 7SSG5008 Dissertation in Cities (60 credits) (must Take and Pass)
Compulsory modules (MA & MSc pathway: 60 credits):
- 7SSG5002 Practising Social Research (20 credits)
- 7SSG5051 Social Change in Global Cities (20 credits)
- 7SSG5061 Conceptualising Cities (20 credits)
Compulsory module (MSc pathway: 20 credits):
- 7SSG5150 Advanced Quantitative and Spatial Methods in Human Geography (20 credits)
Indicative non-core content
Optional modules (MA pathway: 60–70 credits; MSc pathway: 40–50 credits):
Students must take 60–70 credits (MA pathway) or 40–50 credits (MSc pathway) of optional modules. For both MA and MSc pathways, at least 40 credits must be from the “list of prescribed optional modules” given below, and the other credits may come from the “other optional modules” list.
List of Prescribed Optional Modules Specific to this Programme:
- 7SSG5064 Urban Studies Internship (20 credits)
- 7SSG5100 Urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa: Livelihoods and Patterns of Growth (20 credits)
- 7SSG5115 Gentrification and Urban Regeneration (20 credits)
- 7SSG5152 Health, Lifestyles and Cities (20 credits)
- 7SSG5179 Understanding the Sustainable City (20 credits)
- 7SSG5180 Governing the Sustainable City (20 credits)
Other Optional Modules Available to Students on this Programme (For availability of modules in 2013/14, please confirm with departments concerned):
- Any Level 7 (Masters) modules offered in the Geography Department, including from the list of prescribed optional modules given above. Please click here for a full list of the modules offered in the 2013/14 academic year.
- 7AAEM604 Representing the 18th Century (40 credits) [English Department]
- 7AAEM605 The 20th Century City: from Modernity to Post-Modernity (40 credits) [English Department]
- 7AAQS535 Cinema and City (20 credits) [Film Studies Department]
- 7AAYCC06 Culture and Commerce (20 credits) [Centre for Cultural, Media and Creative Industries]
- Up to 20 credits of Level 7 modules from any KCL Departments or Institutes outside of Geography.
Please note that the above programme structure is subject to formal approval.
FORMAT AND ASSESSMENT
Specialist taught modules assessed mainly by written coursework, oral presentations, lab work and practical sessions. The three-month written dissertation is compulsory and is based upon work conducted overseas or in the UK.
MODULES
More information on typical programme modules.
NB it cannot be guaranteed that all modules are offered in any particular academic year.
Module code: 7SSG5061
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 20
Semester:
Semester 1 (autumn)
This module explores the development of ideas around the form and function of cities, from modern to post-modern, through perspectives ranging from the social-scientific to the marxist and cultural, and opens up a number of emerging strands of theorisation around what it means to experience the contemporary urban environment, and to exercise the right to the city.
Module code: 7SSG5002
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 20
Semester:
Semester 1 (autumn)
This module enables students to derive a greater understanding of the relationship between methodology and method and the related notions of epistemology and ontology. The module is a mix of lectures and tutorials and enables students to develop skills in the appropriate use and application of quantitative and qualitative methods, which will have been worked through in tutorial sessions. The module lays the conceptual groundwork for the design of the dissertation and enables students to appreciate the connections between epistemology and the students particular programme of study.
Module code: 7SSG5051
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 20
Semester:
Semester 1 (autumn)
This module explores the nature, forms and processes of social change in global cities. It examines the socio-economic changes which are reshaping global cities, linking these to a series of other changes including migration, occupational structure, income, ethnicity, the structure of the housing market and social segregation.
Module code: 7SSG5150
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 20
Semester:
Semester 2 (spring)
This module is designed to cultivate in students an appreciation of, and degree of comfort with, key statistical methods used in human geography research. Moving from basic summary statistics, the course will examine standard aspatial measures and, ultimately, weighted spatial statistics. The course does not require recent mathematical study, but it is expected that enrolled students will have a passing familiarity with mathematical notation and will have some basic level of comfort working with tabular data and numbers. The module is structured as a combination of lectures and practicals in a computer lab; the aim is to introduce a set of related statistical concepts and then apply them to the study of small area data taken from the Census and/or Business Registry & Employment Survey. Ultimately, it is expected that students will be working in Excel, SPSS, and ArcGIS to develop an analysis of fine-scale demographic change between 2001 and 2011 across the Greater London Authority area.
Module code: 7AAQS535
Credit level: 7
This module will examine the relationship between cinema, the most important cultural form, and the city, the most important form of social organization, in the twentieth century and beyond. The course will be inter-disciplinary in its approach, giving attention to the cinema-city relationship not only from the point of view of film studies but through architecture, urban studies, geography, and critical theory.
Module code: 7SSG5115
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 20
Semester:
Semester 1 (autumn)
The module reviews the experience of urban regeneration in the context of post second world war urban policy and developments. This is done mainly from a British perspective but North American and European examples are drawn up and it is hoped that Professor Bob Beauregard who is a leading North American urban scholar and a visiting professor will lead one session. The first part of the module discusses the experience of urban decline and resurgence over the last half century. In the second half we look at a number of specific issues including the conflict between the concepts regeneration and gentrification, the role of culture and in particular focus on the regeneration of East London and the role of the Olympic Games. In the final week, there is an East London fieldtrip which includes a visit to the Olympic site (subject to continuing access being granted).
Module code: 7SSG5180
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 20
Semester:
Semester 2 (spring)
Aims:
- To acquire understanding of conceptual debates relating to the terms 'governance' and 'sustainable urbanism'
- To develop understanding of concepts and ideas relating to the politics of sustainable city building
- To critically assess the implications of policy-making processes for the development of urban environments and the quality of life of urban residents.
Learning outcomes:
- Demonstrate knowledge of conceptual debates relating to the terms 'governance' and 'sustainable urbanism'
- Demonstrate systematic understanding and knowledge of theories and debates relating to urban politics and governance
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the implications of policy-making processes for the development of urban environments and the quality of life of urban residents
- Undertake analysis of complex, incomplete or contradictory areas of knowledge in relation to sustainable cities and urban politics.
Module code: 7SSG5152
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 20
Semester:
Semester 1 (autumn)
This modules examines the theoretical debates concerning the study of health within geography and the inter-relationships between health and the built form of cities. It critically assesses current public health policies and the practices involved in governing unhealthy lifestyles. It evaluates how spatial and social differences between and within cities condition the problematisation of lifestyles. This module enables students to acquire an understanding of the incorporation of health within the remit of an increasing array of governmental and non-governmental actors.
Module code: 7SSG5179
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 20
Semester:
Semester 1 (autumn)
Specific aims of the module- To acquire understanding of conceptual debates relating to the terms 'sustainability' and 'sustainable development', and to evaluate their applicability to urban environments.
- To develop understanding of concepts and ideas relating to sustainable city building, and the development of urban land, property, and infrastructure.
- To critically assess the different meanings of urban sustainability through the context of changing approaches to urban planning and management.
Learning outcomes
- Demonstrate knowledge of conceptual debates relating to the terms 'sustainability' and 'sustainable development'.
- Demonstrate systematic understanding and knowledge of theories and debates relating to sustainable cities.
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the different meanings of urban sustainability through the context of changing approaches to urban planning and management.
- Conduct independent and detailed research into cities and sustainable development, drawing on specialist data sources and field observation.
- Undertake analysis of complex, incomplete or contradictory areas of knowledge in relation to sustainable cities.
- Synthesize information about concepts and theories of sustainable cities, in a manner that may be innovative, utilizing knowledge or processes from the forefront of the discipline.
Module code: 7SSG5064
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 20
Semester:
Semester 1 (autumn); Semester 2 (spring);
This practical module will provide masters students with hands on experience working with selected urban research organisations (e.g. national and local government departments, museums, urban think tanks) involved in urban-based research, policy formulation and implementation in a major city (normally expected to be London). The module will enable students to ground theoretical and conceptual issues relating to urban research in a practical setting.
Module code: 7SSG5100
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 20
Semester:
Semester 1 (autumn)
This module enables students to evaluate the way in which globalization (in the form mainly of structural adjustment programmes) has influenced African cities and contemporary livelihoods and economic strategies (employment, incomes, food and shelter) for the majority of Africa's urban population, the urban poor. Assessing urban growth patterns in this region and its periodization and the changing nature of rural-urban migration and linkages over time. The constraints on planning and servicing imposed by extreme resource constraints and the privatization encouraged by structural adjustment are evaluated. The module also explores the specificities of the urban experience in southern African countries with their legacies of institutionalised and racially-based influx control.
ACADEMIC ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
General entry advice
Minimum standard is a 2:1 degree or international equivalent, e.g. GPA of 3.3 from a US University. Candidates who do not achieve a 2:1 but have professional or voluntary experience will also be considered. Mature candidates will be considered favourably.
APPLYING TO KING'S
To apply for graduate study at King's you will need to complete our graduate online application form. Applying online makes applying easier and quicker for you, and means we can receive your application faster and more securely.
King's does not normally accept paper copies of the graduate application form as applications must be made online. However, if you are unable to access the online graduate application form, please contact the relevant admissions/School Office at King's for advice.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
We run a rolling admissions system. We aim to process all complete applications within four weeks; during February and March and over holiday periods, applications may take longer to process. There is no set deadline.
PERSONAL STATEMENT & SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Please provide a personal statement that shows how your own interests are linked to the programme. In this statement please describe your academic background, your reasons for applying for this programme and what you hope to gain from it, including any relevant experience, strengths, ambitions or research interests.
FUNDING
Varied including Research Councils, University of London Scholarships, departmental bursaries and career development loans. For overseas students Chevening Scholarships are available from the British Council. For further information on funding, including conditions of eligibility, please consult the Postgraduate Funding Page on the Masters section of the Geography Department's website -
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/geography/study/masters/funding.aspx
Related programme student profile
Environmental Monitoring, Modelling & Management MSc
I wanted to study in London because of its vibrant atmosphere, numerous attractions and multitude of work opportunities. What made King’s stand out was that everyone - from the staff in my department and the International Student Support team, to the Admissions team and Accommodation Services - made me feel special from the outset.
My course is very stimulating and presents incredible opportunities. Within a year, I have been able to pursue my interests in conservation and climate change, and completed internships at institutions such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the BBC World Service Trust. I am currently working on a dissertation project offered by my department in partnership with the University of Cambridge, the United Nations Environmental Programme and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre.
Alongside my studies, I have thoroughly enjoyed my role as a Student Ambassador and editor of the monthly newsletter. I have also written for the Students’ Union publication ROAR, and participated in events organised by the French Society and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
I am based at the Strand Campus. The facilities available here coupled with the fact that it is very close to the Maughan library, all contribute towards making this campus a dynamic learning hub. Its central location ensures that there is no dearth of things one can do around campus: having a pint in the Waterfront bar, taking in the wonderful view of London from Waterloo Bridge, talking a stroll around Trafalgar Square or even shopping in Covent Garden!
King’s offers a very well-structured accommodation system. Living in a graduate residence with a very international feel allowed me to make friends from all over the world. I also saved a lot on commuting expenses as my residence was minutes away from my campus. Plus, being able to see the London Eye and the Big Ben from my room was simply out of this world!
Living in London can be very expensive, but a number of schemes exist to help students. The student Oyster photocard can save you money on tube or bus travel within London; a 16-25 railcard provides discount on train fares; and an NUS Extra card gives you discounts at a number of stores. Student deals are rife in London, and making the most of discounts means that you will not have to part with more money than is necessary.