The Executive MSc in Cities comprises five modules followed by an urban consultancy project. Each teaching module includes collaborative work, online learning activities completed in your own time and live teaching weeks. Modules also include assessment for each specific course. You will attend LSE for five one-week live teaching weeks, over a 12-month period, either in-person or remotely. The compulsory six-month urban consultancy project will be undertaken in your own organisation or for an external organisation.
Live teaching week dates
Week 1: 30 September - 4 October 2024
Week 2: 25-29 November 2024
Week 3: 24-28 February 2025
Week 4: 28 April - 2 May 2025
Week 5: 16-20 June 2025
First year
(* denotes a half unit)
Cities in an Urban Age: Challenges and Opportunities*
Provides an intensive exploration of the global urbanisation and the state of cities. The course introduces different stages of urban development in cities and regions across the world. It provides an understanding of the key challenges facing both mature and rapidly developing metropolitan areas.
Cities and Society: Design and Social Cohesion*
Focuses on some of the major drivers of urban inequality and poverty and the key actions that cities are taking to reduce urban inequalities through urban design, infrastructure and policy. This is a heavily applied course providing you with tools to analyse the socio-demographic profile of households and neighbourhoods and their relation to spatial distribution and clustering in cities of the developing and developed world.
Cities and the Economy: Urban Economic Development and Finance*
An applied course looking at how cities position themselves in a competitive global economy and at the roles of city, government and firms in driving local economic development. The course introduces key methodologies to measure and analyse the city economy as well as policies and tools available to attract investment and finance and improve growth and competitiveness. The course uses case-based challenges, futures and foresight techniques to put economic strategies to the test.
Cities and the Environment: Urban Environmental Transitions*
Explores critical aspects of environmental sustainability in relation to both urbanisation globally and urban change in individual cities. The applied components of the course provide relevant tools to measure, analyse and assess environmental impact and develop environmental strategies. The course introduces debates on different green-city paradigms and focuses specifically on approaches to urban climate change mitigation and adaptation. The course further examines implications for urban planning, governance and management.
Either
Urban Infrastructure and Strategic Planning
A workshop-based course providing practical insights on infrastructure development and strategic planning for cities. The course combines a series of lectures with studio-based group work on a case study city. Students are introduced to all key components of urban infrastructure, cutting across transport, energy, water, waste and digital network systems.
Or
Urban Development and Master Planning
Urban Development and Master Planning is an applied group project based on a major regeneration site. Groups will be introduced to one of the regeneration sites' project teams which will include: local planning officers, developers, planners, designers and financing teams.
Second year
Urban Consultancy Project
A six-month individual consultation undertaken in your own organisation or for an external organisation. Through the consultancy project, you will apply the knowledge and skills acquired in the first six courses of the programme to craft policy or programme improvements for public or private agencies and non-profit organisations. Through in-depth interviews with the organisation’s leaders as well as the relevant stakeholders, you need to focus on a specific project and offer advice on one or more of its design and implementation phases.
For the most up-to-date list of optional courses please visit the relevant School Calendar page.
You must note, however, that while care has been taken to ensure that this information is up to date and correct, a change of circumstances since publication may cause the School to change, suspend or withdraw a course or programme of study, or change the fees that apply to it. The School will always notify the affected parties as early as practicably possible and propose any viable and relevant alternative options. Note that the School will neither be liable for information that after publication becomes inaccurate or irrelevant, nor for changing, suspending or withdrawing a course or programme of study due to events outside of its control, which includes but is not limited to a lack of demand for a course or programme of study, industrial action, fire, flood or other environmental or physical damage to premises.
You must also note that places are limited on some courses and/or subject to specific entry requirements. The School cannot therefore guarantee you a place. Please note that changes to programmes and courses can sometimes occur after you have accepted your offer of a place. These changes are normally made in light of developments in the discipline or path-breaking research, or on the basis of student feedback. Changes can take the form of altered course content, teaching formats or assessment modes. Any such changes are intended to enhance the student learning experience. You should visit the School’s Calendar, or contact the relevant academic department, for information on the availability and/or content of courses and programmes of study. Certain substantive changes will be listed on the updated graduate course and programme information page.