MA Cities, Sustainability, and Wellbeing

Course Type
Postgraduate, Taught

Around 60% of the world’s population live in cities and towns and that number will get higher. Cities face profound public health, equity, and sustainability challenges, as well as dangers including violence and displacement.

The MA in Cities, Sustainability and Wellbeing provides a transformative research-intensive educational approach to address local as well as global sustainability and wellbeing challenges affecting contemporary cities. The programme has strong links to real-world narratives based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Whether you are interested in making our cities more sustainable and healthier, in environmental change, or in how cities respond to conflict and violence, this programme is for you! Through collaborative and interdisciplinary research and engagement, you will develop research skills and expertise across a diversity of urban, sustainability, and wellbeing challenges. 

The programme draws on specialist Human Geography expertise in GEES, to provide conceptual and methodological research training that is integrated with a distinctive component of empirical research practice, from a variety of contextual and research-intensive teaching and learning.  The programme also provides a set of valuable transferable skills to equip you for the employment market and for further academic research, including a route for those undertaking a PhD in Human Geography.  

Why study this course?

  • Birmingham 2030 strategic framework: The programme has a strong strategic fit with both College and School broader strategic priorities, including the Birmingham 2030 aspiration to be established within the world’s top 50 leading universities (including in the Geography subject area). 
  • Becoming global citizens: In line with the Birmingham 2030 framework, and employable graduates and understand, execute and communicate research at a global scale
  • Variety of scales across the Global North and South: The programme modules content spans topics at a variety of scales across the Global North and Global South, both in terms of global dynamics and of local issues. The programme equips students to become global citizens by studying in a multicultural context and engaging in with local and global challenges across different cultural contexts.
  • Outstanding employability opportunities: Graduates are equipped to be knowledgeable practitioners of sustainability and respond to local and global key challenges to sustainability and wellbeing. Graduates will progress into a range of academic and non-academic career pathways, including careers in research, policy, and governance. The programme will invite external speakers from relevant academic and professional sectors, enabling students to build relationships with relevant stakeholders for their studies and careers.

Modules

You will take 180 credits of modules. The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. Unless indicated otherwise, the modules listed for this programme are for students starting in 2024. 

 

You will need to take several compulsory modules:

 

 

 

Research methods for human geortgaphers 

20 credits

 

 

Independent research dissertation 

60 credits

Urbanity and Wellbeing  

20  credits

Sustainable Cities 

20  credits

 

You will also be able to choose from a range of optional modules, such as:

 

Geographies of forced displacement 

20  credits

Governing Environmental Transitions  

20  credits

Geographies of youth agency and urban well-being 

20  credits

Urban Environments in the Global South  

20  credits

Urban geopolitics: cities, conflict and terrorism

20  credits

 

 

 

 

Theoretical Themes for Geography  

20 credits

How To Apply

International students requiring visas

26th July 2024 is the application deadline for international students who require a visa to study in the United Kingdom. We are not able to consider applications for 2024 made after this date; a new application will need to be made for September 2025.

UK students

31 August 2024 is the application deadline for UK students. We are not able to consider applications for 2024 made after this date; a new application will need to be made for September 2025.

Applications for 2024 entry are now open for Home Students only.

Making your application

Our Standard Requirements

International Requirements