King's College London

Urban Informatics uses computational methods to collect and analyse rich behavioural data from cities and citizens. The goal with this is informing and improving decision-making amongst public and private sector organisations to enhance urban environments and residents’ well-being. This includes everything from optimising emergency services and A&E departments, improving community policing, managing air quality, and supporting public transport.

Our MSc course combines a grounding in advanced data science techniques with in-depth knowledge of public services and urban environments. An interdisciplinary degree, modules are taught in the Department of Informatics but also in Mathematics and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience which covers mental health data. The first term provides a foundation in data science and theories underlying the study of cities, alongside data visualisation and communication techniques, enabling you to present findings to influence policymaking.

In the second term, you will focus on advanced skills for conducting projects, including data analysis for cities, spatial and network analysis and data mining techniques. You will then take a specialised module exploring an aspect of city life of your choice, such as human mobility or mental health, providing you with a testbed to sharpen your analysis techniques and build your confidence and experience in handling urban data.

The majority of taught modules involve you using real life data and detailed case study topics in project work, with data sources provided by our private and public sector partners. This culminates in the summer term with a substantial individual project - tackling one of a range of urban informatics problems provided by our partners in policing, health, big data companies, and transport. Projects could include advanced modelling of London crime hot streets, exploring the outcome of the Ultra Low Emissions Zone on air quality, and analysing trends in traffic data, amongst others. Some students go on to publish their findings in journals or share them in public presentations, even influencing policy-making.

Through this degree, you also have the opportunity to take a 10-week professional placement with one of our 30 public sector and business partners. Following a competitive application and interview process, if selected, you will work one day a week applying your learning to tackle challenges for organisations including Westminster Council, HMRC, the NHS, the UK Health Security Agency, Transport for London or WSP. Many participants in the placement scheme have gone on to secure jobs with their host partner, with WSP even having a special graduate scheme for King’s Urban Informatics graduates.

The majority of learning for this degree takes place at the King’s College London Strand Campus, with occasional sessions taking place at Waterloo Campus and Denmark Hill Campus.

Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught, and the campus may vary depending on the optional modules you select. The Department of Informatics is based in Bush House on the Strand Campus.