This Sustainable Cities MSc is an interdisciplinary programme providing a critical understanding of how cities are shaped by human and physical processes. It builds deep understanding of the connections between sustainable urban and environmental futures. Our teaching focus extends beyond the technical infrastructure of sustainable urban development to consider the importance of the social infrastructures that help ensure urban resilience in the face of climate change and global environmental shifts. We’ll cover critical social science perspectives on sustainable cities, with a focus on human geography, not engineering. At the same time, we will help you to develop transferable skills in collecting, analysing and presenting different kinds of data as well as effectively communicating your ideas using written, verbal and visual mediums to a diverse range of audiences.

Key benefits

• Use London as an urban laboratory to get an in-depth appreciation of how the future of cities will be shaped by contested understandings of global environmental shift and change.
• Develop a critical understanding of urban responses to the challenges of sustainability, recognising that governance of sustainability requires both social and technical solutions.
• To learn from and compare a range of international examples, and how different contexts address and deliver urban sustainability.
• Specialise in issues of social or environmental sustainability by choosing from a range of optional modules taught by the Geography Department and beyond.
• Learn from guest practitioner and policy speakers.
• Combine academic theory and real-world experience within our environment and society internship module.
• Develop your links with the Urban Futures research group and access ongoing academic research work about the way that urban knowledges can help to produce more socially and environmentally sustainable cities.
• Develop your critical understanding of the interrelationships between urbanisation and human lifestyles, politics, economy, ecology and environment.
• Identify the challenges of managing cities in an integrated and sustainable manner.
• Help you to develop relevant transferable skills which are embedded in our learning and assessment schemes.
• Enhance your practical skills in data handling, interpretation and use.
• An optional Internship module helps students take their first steps towards employment in a relevant vocational field.

Course essentials

This Sustainable Cities Master's links to the Urban Futures research group, focusing on ongoing research about the way that urban knowledge might produce more socially and environmentally sustainable cities.    You'll be able to follow your own interests in social or environmental sustainability by choosing from a range of optional interdisciplinary modules across the Geography Department and beyond. And if you opt to join our environmental internship programme, you'll get the chance to supplement your academic prowess with real-life urban policy experience. You'll take an international view of cities while being taught in London, which acts as the perfect urban laboratory for the world. You'll build your awareness of the historical context and global contemporary ideas and practices relating to sustainable cities, while also studying how London's distinctive post-colonial geographies require particular policy adaptations. You'll get to examine the key challenges of implementing policies that promote sustainable urbanism, and 'learn by doing'. You'll join Sustainable Cities MSc graduates who have gone on to work in sustainability consultancy organisations, local authorities around the world, NGOs focused on urban issues, and private-sector urban development companies. With this Sustainable Cities MSc, you’ll get an advanced understanding of contemporary debates about sustainable cities, with a specific focus on the human and physical processes shaping urban ecologies and environments. You’ll learn from a combination of pure and applied research methods from human and physical geography.

Base campuses

Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

Waterloo Campus

Waterloo campus is home of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and facilities for other faculties

Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.

Regulating bodies

King's is regulated by the Office for Students

Entry requirements

UK applicants

Standard requirements

A minimum 2:1 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree

If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).

Programme-Specific Requirements

Bachelor's degree with 2:1 honours. Candidates who do not achieve a 2:1 but have professional or voluntary experience will also be considered.

In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree or international equivalent. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme.

International applicants

Equivalent International qualifications

Select a countrySelect a country

English language requirements

English language band:

B

To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.

Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.

For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.

Selection process

Applications must be made online using King’s online application portal apply.kcl.ac.uk and a non-refundable application fee of £85 applies.

Please note that as part of the evaluation process of your application you may be required to undertake a Skype interview.

Personal statement and supporting information

You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

Supporting document	Yes	Please provide a writing sample of around 500 words, answering the following questions. Please note this an essential requirement and supporting statements which do not answer the questions below will not be assessed as part of your application. Why you are applying for this specific programme, and how does it fit in with your future plans? (max 250 words) How does your experience and education make you a suitable candidate for this programme? (max 250 words) Please write these questions as separate answers, with a clear title for your answer to each question. Documents where your answers are not clearly titled and separated will not be accepted
Previous Academic Study	Yes	A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents.
References	Yes	One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. In some cases, we may request an additional reference from you.
Other	Optional	Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application

Teaching & structure

Teaching methods - what to expect

Lectures

Seminars

Independent Study

Check out further information about our Geography courses including our teaching team, exclusive videos and more on our hub page.

Teaching

We will teach you through a combination of lectures and seminars, typically 20 hours per module. We also expect you to undertake 130 hours of independent study for each module.

Module	Lectures, seminars and feedback	Self-study
Per 15-credit taught module	16-30 hours.	120-134 hours (some modules may involve lab work or e-learning which would require less self­ guided learning).
Dissertation module	Usually 5 contact hours of one-to-one or group consultation with supervisors.	595 hours of self-study and project work.

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Location

This programme is primarily taught at the King’s College London Strand Campus, with occasional lectures and practical sessions taking place at the Waterloo Campus. Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the optional modules you select.

Assessment

• Coursework
• Written Examinations
• Practical Examinations
• Oral Presentations
• Examinations
• Dissertation

Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written/practical examinations. Forms of assessment may typically include essays and other written assignments, oral presentations, lab work and occasionally by examination, depending on the modules selected. All students also undertake a research based dissertation between 10,000 to 12,000 words.

The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.

Structure

Programmes are divided into modules. You will take modules totalling 180-190 credits as outlined below.

Required modules

Programmes are divided into modules. You will take modules totalling 180-190 credits as outlined below. You are required to take the following modules:

Dissertation (60 Credits)

Governing the Sustainable City (15 credits)

Practising Social Research (15 Credits) OR Environmental Data Analysis (15 credits)

Liveable Cities – The London Lab (15 credits)

Understanding the Sustainable City (15 credits)

Optional modules

In addition, students are required to take 60-70 credits from a range of optional modules, of which at least 15 credits must be from the prescribed list of options specific to this programme. Prescribed list of options Specific to this programme, which may typically include:

Climate: Science and Society (15 credits)

Environment, Livelihoods and Development in the 'South' (15 credits)

GIS and Spatial Data Science (15 Credits)

Sustainability in Practice (15 credits)

Urban Futures and Social Justice (15 credits)

Tourism and Development (15 credits)

Understanding Human Mobility (15 Credits)

Other Optional Modules, which may typically include:

• Internship (Environment and Society) (15 credits)
• Any Level 7 (Masters) modules offered in the Department of Geography that are not subject to exclusion criteria (e.g. prerequisite modules or restricted to the specific Masters’ programme).
• Any Level 7 (Masters) modules offered in the King’s Programme MSc China and Globalisation, subject to approval.
• Up to 20 credits of Level 7 (Masters) modules from any King’s Departments or Institutes outside of Geography, subject to approval.

Indicative Module Catalogue

Please click here to view our indicative module catalogue guide for 24/25 which includes more information on the modules offered

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Careers

Employability

On completion of the Sustainable Cities MSc programme, you will have attained a range of knowledge and skills, such as effective communication, data analysis, urban planning, that will allow you to excel in a wide range of careers. Graduates from this programme have gone onto careers in international organisations, agencies, consultancies, national and city governments, charities, research organisations, in addition to many earning PhDs to become leading experts in their fields.

Our renowned Internship module offers many students a critical first step into their chosen careers. Many employers have hosted students over the module’s 20-year history, including over 60 different organisations in 2021-22. With work placements available across a wide range of industry and government roles, both within the UK and internationally, students have exceptional opportunity to find a position that aligns with their interests. Employers we have worked with include international agencies; local councils and national government departments; companies in the for-profit and not-for-profit sector, research institutes and charities. As well as UK organisations, partners also included Belgium, Canada, Ethiopia, Germany, and the United States.

Curious to find out more? Access on-demand content including taster lectures and talks, and meet our current staff and students on our subject hub page.

Fees & Funding

Tuition Fees

UK:

Full time: £14,500 per year (2025/26)

International:

Full time: £31,600 per year (2025/26)

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Deposit

If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. Deposit payments are credited towards the total tuition fee payment.

The Home deposit is £500. The International deposit is £2000.

• If you receive an offer before March, payment is due by 20 March.
• If you receive an offer between 1 March and 20 May, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 21 May and 15 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 16 July and 10 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer from 11 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.

If you are a current undergraduate King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary this academic year, you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.

Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.

Additional Costs

In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:

• Books if you choose to buy your own copies. 
• Clothing for optional course related events and competitions. 
• Library fees and fines.
• Personal photocopies.
• Printing course handouts.
• Society membership fees.
• Stationery.
• Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses.
• Graduation costs.
• Some modules include the option to undertake other short day-trip fieldwork. These fieldwork options will enhance the modules, but they are not assessed as part of the module. The additional costs for short day-trip fieldwork would typically not exceed £50 per year.
• Costs may be incurred for dissertation work if fieldwork and/or laboratory materials are needed for the chosen study topic, but such work is not mandatory and would not impact academic success if an alternative approach to dissertation research is taken.

Funding

To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.

• Course essentials
• Entry requirements
• Teaching & structure
• Careers
• Fees & Funding

This Sustainable Cities Master's links to the Urban Futures research group, focusing on ongoing research about the way that urban knowledge might produce more socially and environmentally sustainable cities.    You'll be able to follow your own interests in social or environmental sustainability by choosing from a range of optional interdisciplinary modules across the Geography Department and beyond. And if you opt to join our environmental internship programme, you'll get the chance to supplement your academic prowess with real-life urban policy experience. You'll take an international view of cities while being taught in London, which acts as the perfect urban laboratory for the world. You'll build your awareness of the historical context and global contemporary ideas and practices relating to sustainable cities, while also studying how London's distinctive post-colonial geographies require particular policy adaptations. You'll get to examine the key challenges of implementing policies that promote sustainable urbanism, and 'learn by doing'. You'll join Sustainable Cities MSc graduates who have gone on to work in sustainability consultancy organisations, local authorities around the world, NGOs focused on urban issues, and private-sector urban development companies. With this Sustainable Cities MSc, you’ll get an advanced understanding of contemporary debates about sustainable cities, with a specific focus on the human and physical processes shaping urban ecologies and environments. You’ll learn from a combination of pure and applied research methods from human and physical geography.

Base campuses

Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

Waterloo Campus

Waterloo campus is home of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and facilities for other faculties

Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.

Regulating bodies

King's is regulated by the Office for Students

UK applicants

Standard requirements

A minimum 2:1 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree

If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).

Programme-Specific Requirements

Bachelor's degree with 2:1 honours. Candidates who do not achieve a 2:1 but have professional or voluntary experience will also be considered.

In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree or international equivalent. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme.

International applicants

Equivalent International qualifications

Select a countrySelect a country

English language requirements

English language band:

B

To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.

Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.

For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.

Selection process

Applications must be made online using King’s online application portal apply.kcl.ac.uk and a non-refundable application fee of £85 applies.

Please note that as part of the evaluation process of your application you may be required to undertake a Skype interview.

Personal statement and supporting information

You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

Supporting document	Yes	Please provide a writing sample of around 500 words, answering the following questions. Please note this an essential requirement and supporting statements which do not answer the questions below will not be assessed as part of your application. Why you are applying for this specific programme, and how does it fit in with your future plans? (max 250 words) How does your experience and education make you a suitable candidate for this programme? (max 250 words) Please write these questions as separate answers, with a clear title for your answer to each question. Documents where your answers are not clearly titled and separated will not be accepted
Previous Academic Study	Yes	A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents.
References	Yes	One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. In some cases, we may request an additional reference from you.
Other	Optional	Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application

Teaching methods - what to expect

Lectures

Seminars

Independent Study

Check out further information about our Geography courses including our teaching team, exclusive videos and more on our hub page.

Teaching

We will teach you through a combination of lectures and seminars, typically 20 hours per module. We also expect you to undertake 130 hours of independent study for each module.

Module	Lectures, seminars and feedback	Self-study
Per 15-credit taught module	16-30 hours.	120-134 hours (some modules may involve lab work or e-learning which would require less self­ guided learning).
Dissertation module	Usually 5 contact hours of one-to-one or group consultation with supervisors.	595 hours of self-study and project work.

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Location

This programme is primarily taught at the King’s College London Strand Campus, with occasional lectures and practical sessions taking place at the Waterloo Campus. Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the optional modules you select.

Assessment

• Coursework
• Written Examinations
• Practical Examinations
• Oral Presentations
• Examinations
• Dissertation

Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written/practical examinations. Forms of assessment may typically include essays and other written assignments, oral presentations, lab work and occasionally by examination, depending on the modules selected. All students also undertake a research based dissertation between 10,000 to 12,000 words.

The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.

Structure

Programmes are divided into modules. You will take modules totalling 180-190 credits as outlined below.

Required modules

Programmes are divided into modules. You will take modules totalling 180-190 credits as outlined below. You are required to take the following modules:

Dissertation (60 Credits)

Governing the Sustainable City (15 credits)

Practising Social Research (15 Credits) OR Environmental Data Analysis (15 credits)

Liveable Cities – The London Lab (15 credits)

Understanding the Sustainable City (15 credits)

Optional modules

In addition, students are required to take 60-70 credits from a range of optional modules, of which at least 15 credits must be from the prescribed list of options specific to this programme. Prescribed list of options Specific to this programme, which may typically include:

Climate: Science and Society (15 credits)

Environment, Livelihoods and Development in the 'South' (15 credits)

GIS and Spatial Data Science (15 Credits)

Sustainability in Practice (15 credits)

Urban Futures and Social Justice (15 credits)

Tourism and Development (15 credits)

Understanding Human Mobility (15 Credits)

Other Optional Modules, which may typically include:

• Internship (Environment and Society) (15 credits)
• Any Level 7 (Masters) modules offered in the Department of Geography that are not subject to exclusion criteria (e.g. prerequisite modules or restricted to the specific Masters’ programme).
• Any Level 7 (Masters) modules offered in the King’s Programme MSc China and Globalisation, subject to approval.
• Up to 20 credits of Level 7 (Masters) modules from any King’s Departments or Institutes outside of Geography, subject to approval.

Indicative Module Catalogue

Please click here to view our indicative module catalogue guide for 24/25 which includes more information on the modules offered

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Employability

On completion of the Sustainable Cities MSc programme, you will have attained a range of knowledge and skills, such as effective communication, data analysis, urban planning, that will allow you to excel in a wide range of careers. Graduates from this programme have gone onto careers in international organisations, agencies, consultancies, national and city governments, charities, research organisations, in addition to many earning PhDs to become leading experts in their fields.

Our renowned Internship module offers many students a critical first step into their chosen careers. Many employers have hosted students over the module’s 20-year history, including over 60 different organisations in 2021-22. With work placements available across a wide range of industry and government roles, both within the UK and internationally, students have exceptional opportunity to find a position that aligns with their interests. Employers we have worked with include international agencies; local councils and national government departments; companies in the for-profit and not-for-profit sector, research institutes and charities. As well as UK organisations, partners also included Belgium, Canada, Ethiopia, Germany, and the United States.

Curious to find out more? Access on-demand content including taster lectures and talks, and meet our current staff and students on our subject hub page.

Tuition Fees

UK:

Full time: £14,500 per year (2025/26)

International:

Full time: £31,600 per year (2025/26)

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Deposit

If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. Deposit payments are credited towards the total tuition fee payment.

The Home deposit is £500. The International deposit is £2000.

• If you receive an offer before March, payment is due by 20 March.
• If you receive an offer between 1 March and 20 May, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 21 May and 15 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 16 July and 10 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer from 11 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.

If you are a current undergraduate King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary this academic year, you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.

Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.

Additional Costs

In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:

• Books if you choose to buy your own copies. 
• Clothing for optional course related events and competitions. 
• Library fees and fines.
• Personal photocopies.
• Printing course handouts.
• Society membership fees.
• Stationery.
• Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses.
• Graduation costs.
• Some modules include the option to undertake other short day-trip fieldwork. These fieldwork options will enhance the modules, but they are not assessed as part of the module. The additional costs for short day-trip fieldwork would typically not exceed £50 per year.
• Costs may be incurred for dissertation work if fieldwork and/or laboratory materials are needed for the chosen study topic, but such work is not mandatory and would not impact academic success if an alternative approach to dissertation research is taken.

Funding

To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.

Application closing date guidance

Related courses in this study area

Climate Change: Environment, Science and Policy MScEnvironment, Politics and Development MScEnvironmental Science for Sustainability MScGeopolitics, Resources and Territory MA