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Design and Management for Sustainable Education MSc

London, Bloomsbury

The Design and Management for Sustainable Education MSc course aims to develop and extend students’ knowledge of the complex interrelationships between learning and the physical and digital environments in which it takes place.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£20,500
£10,250
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£36,500
£18,250
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
To be confirmed.
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

Normally a minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate subject, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Candidates who hold a professional or other qualification obtained by written examinations and approved by UCL together with at least three years of appropriate professional experience may be admitted with a lower second-class UK Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate subject, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. As the programme is designed to enhance the knowledge base of practitioners in educational policy, and the design, construction and operation of learning facilities, it is useful for candidates to have some knowledge, demonstrable competence, and a skill set related to these aspects of professional practice, in addition to the academic qualification requirements.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The Design and Management for Sustainable Education MSc is an innovative course that focuses on the creation, renewal and management of sustainable learning environments for positive educational and social outcomes. Educational places from early years, primary and secondary schools, to college, universities, through to learning on the job and lifelong learning, are the focus.

Themes covered include the expanding investment in education worldwide, innovative modes of teaching and learning, the changing impact of digital technologies on learning environments, and the interplay of teachers, pupils/students and physical facilities in improving learning, shaping communities and in advancing the institutional mission.

The programme is based in the heart of London at our Bloomsbury campus. Several modules, shared with students specialising in other facilities such as healthcare and digital asset management enrich the range of learning opportunities. You benefit from The Bartlett faculty’s research in evidence-based design and management of learning facilities, access to expert invited speakers from built environment professions - architecture, planning, interior design, project management, facility and estate management, project and real estate management, and education experts. Your study will also include visits to innovative facilities in London and other locations.

Who this course is for

The course is designed for people in employment seeking continuing professional development; for graduates in related subjects (such as architecture, estates management, planning, education, academic development) who want to deepen their knowledge and skills; and for those who are aiming to develop a research and consultancy specialist field.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

Interdisciplinary knowledge: Students develop an advanced interdisciplinary knowledge of learning environments – bringing together policy, design, estates and pedagogic perspectives and agendas.

Develop skills: The Design and Management for Sustainable Education MSc provides students with the skills you need to deal effectively with complex issues, with a particular emphasis on problem-definition and problem-solving abilities.

Real-world insights: Students will advance their knowledge of learning environments, through dialogue with key experts in the field, as well as through live projects and case scenarios.

Career Support: Studying at UCL provides students with access to a range of career services including networking events, career workshops, and internship opportunities. 

Study in London: Located in London, The Bartlett is at the heart of a large cluster of creative management, architecture and engineering firms, next to the UK's seat of government and finance and has all the resources of a world city to hand. It offers unrivalled networking opportunities, with alumni in many of the major firms in London, who often give lectures to students and appear at networking events.  

Top Ranked: For the second year in a row, The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment was ranked #1 in the world for ‘Architecture and Built Environment’ (QS World University Subject Rankings 2024).  

Find out more about the benefits of studying at The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Typical careers after the degree include jobs in architecture, planning, interior design, project management, facility and estate management, educational leadership and educational planning, sustainability, innovation, and equality, diversity, and inclusivity consultancy. 

96% of Bartlett graduates were in work or further study 15 months after graduation.

Top industry sectors for Bartlett graduates in work are construction, built environment and property (37% of graduates); engineering (17%); finance (8%); academic research and higher education (7%); and other scientific and technical professions (5%).

Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction graduates are working in 45 countries around the world.

Example jobs:

  • Construction project manager
  • Engineering professional
  • Finance and investment analyst / advisor
  • Production manager
  • Construction director
  • Project support officer
  • Chartered surveyor
  • Civil engineer
  • Environment professional
  • Architect

Example employers:

  • ARUP
  • Balfour Beatty
  • British Land
  • Deloitte
  • UK Government
  • Skanska
  • Turner & Townsend
  • AtkinsRéalis
  • TfL  
  • Mace
  • Tetra Tech Europe  
  • Vodafone  

(Data from Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017-2021)

Employability

As the global student population continues to grow and lifelong learning takes new and unexpected forms, international interest in delivering effective, inclusive, and sustainable learning environments does so too. Specialists in this field are increasingly being called on to help define the policies and new technologies that can shift learning space development and typologies; to understand, identify and implement new educational business and delivery models; and to translate changing attitudes to teaching and learning demand into different kinds of environments for learners.

As a result of the interdisciplinary nature of Learning Environments, there are many pathways our graduates can follow, including, for example:

  • Policymaking
  • Real estate consulting
  • The built environment professions
  • Education and educational leadership
  • Education support sectors, including technology businesses and educational charities
  • Education consultancy
  • Innovation, sustainability and equality, diversity, and inclusivity consultancy.

Innovative and authentic learning methods will help you to develop sought after skills such as cross-disciplinary team-working, professional report and academic writing, and independent study; while the research-based curriculum promotes strong research skills, enabling you to evaluate and add to the evidence-base of the learning environments field.

The course aims to increase employment opportunities for:

  • People experienced in some aspect of education who want more expertise in learning estates and in the design of effective and socially and ecologically sustainable learning environments.
  • People from a background in the built environment who are well versed in aspects of real estate, property design and management, and who want to develop an educational specialism.
  • Private, public or third sector managers and practitioners in charge of educational processes and spaces in their respective organisations.
  • Sustainability, innovation and inclusivity practitioners with an interest in broadly meant learning processes and the physical and digital spaces in which learning takes place. 

Networking

The Design and Management for Sustainable Education MSc programme and the School actively supports students and alumni in establishing their professional network, recognising the importance of networks in providing graduates with opportunities and support throughout their careers.

Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning strategies to be utilised include:

  • Pre and post session readings and exercises on Moodle, including interaction with colleagues and tutors
  • Lectures and group-work with presentations during immersive block teaching 4-day sessions
  • Peer-based and collaborative learning
  • Problem-based learning, e.g. scenario-building, simulations and live projects
  • Case study analysis and site visits
  • Independent study and essay-writing
  • Independent research during the dissertation
  • One on one tutorials during the dissertation

Assessment is through coursework, essays, group projects, presentations and the dissertation.
 

Each module is delivered over 10 weeks; supported by pre- and post-session readings and exercises online, through the university virtual learning environment.

In Terms 1 and 2, full time students can typically expect between 8 and 15 contact hours per teaching week through lectures, workshops and tutorials, split across four modules per term. In Term 3, students will be completing their own dissertation research, keeping regular contact with their dissertation supervisors. Outside of lectures full-time students can typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments.

Modules

The full-time one-year MSc course consists of 9 modules in total, 8 of which are taught through 10 weekly sessions. The remaining module, the dissertation, runs in parallel throughout the year and is supported through customised tutorials.

The core modules include four that will develop students’ specialist knowledge of learning environments across pedagogy, policy, procurement, building, management and use, and four that will help to locate the specialist knowledge in more general management contexts.

  • Effective Learning Environments
  • Towards Sustainable Learning Environments
  • Digital Innovation for Inclusive Learning
  • Organising Locally for Sustainable Education
  • Real Estate Solutions and Systems
  • Digital Innovation: Collaborative Practice
  • Space and Workplace management
  • Strategic Quality and Project management
  • MSc Dissertation

As a part-time student you will study 4 taught modules per year over 2 years ending with the dissertation in the final term of your second year. The modules studied will be the same as those for full-time students and you will study alongside them at each stage.

As a modular flexible student you have a maximum of 5 years to complete all of the 8 taught modules and the research dissertation. You will study each module alongside full and part-time students.

Compulsory modules











Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £20,500 £10,250
Tuition fees (2025/26) £36,500 £18,250

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

Additional costs

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

For flexible/modular offer holders a £500 fee deposit will be charged.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

There may be additional costs for occasional short local and national site visits (travel and overnight stay), and also an option for an international study visit. Students who wish to investigate a non-UK based subject for their dissertation should also take into account any associated travel, accommodation and expenses this is likely to involve.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

UCL offers a range of financial awards aimed at assisting both prospective and current students with their studies.

Any additional funding available from The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction and the Built Environment Faculty Office are advertised on the respective websites.

In our faculty, The Bartlett Promise Scholarship aims to enable students from backgrounds underrepresented in the built environment to pursue master's studies. Please see the UK Master's scholarship and Sub-Saharan Africa Master's scholarship pages for more information on eligibility criteria, selection process and FAQs.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Design and Management for Sustainable Education MSc at graduate level
  • why you want to study Design and Management for Sustainable Education MSc at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to this programme
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Tell us why you want to study the MSc in Design and Management for Sustainable Education. Tell us about an experience that has influenced your intellectual and professional development, and how it has made you interested in this subject. What do you consider to be one of your key strengths, relevant to the MSc in Design and Management for Sustainable Education? How do you hope your studies will help your future individual and career development? If there is a particular area you plan to research for your MSc dissertation please include this in your statement.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction
Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction

bssc.enquiries@ucl.ac.uk

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