Programme Specification: MSc Contemporary Urbanism *
1. Awarding Body
2. Details of accreditation by a
professional/statutory body, eg ESRC; BPS
etc
3. Name of final award
4. Programme title
5. Duration of the course
6. Based in the Department/Institute:
7. Relevant QAA subject benchmark
statements
8. Application code
9. First written/last amended
LSE
Recognised by ESRC
MSc
Contemporary Urbanism
Full-time 12 months; part-time 24 months
Geography and Environment
N/A
L8UC
May 2003 / Oct 2007
10. The programme aims to:
 Provide an innovative, unique and world-leading, programme of study in the field contemporary
urbanisation from a geographical point of view
 To elaborate, and substantiate, a post-colonial perspective on world urbanisation
 To explore the processes and effects of colonialism, translocalism, globalisation and
cosmopolitanism on contemporary urbanisation
 To provide a framework to understand urbanisation in the developed as well as the developing
world
 To prepare students for either further academic study in the field, or with a knowledge base
appropriate for activity as an urban manager or policy maker.
11. Programme outcomes: knowledge and understanding; skills and other attributes
At the end of the programme students will have a thorough understanding of:
 contemporary urbanism from a geographical perspective
 the nature and implications of euro- and western-centric knowledge of urbanisation for the
understanding of urbanisation generally
 post-colonial theoretical perspectives on urbanisation and the value that they place on
translocalism and cosmopolitanism under contemporary conditions of globalisation
 the legacy of colonialism and globalisation in a cultural and economic sense for both the cities of
the colonised and colonisers
 methods and approaches for the critical study of contemporary cities
At the end of the programme, students will be able to:
 frame, plan, manage and execute an independent piece of academic research
 critically engage with contemporary urban theory and to apply it to research
 critically appraise current urban processes and practices in the light of the diverse strands of
globalisation and post-colonialism
 elaborate processes of translocalism in relation to particular cities
 write well structured and clearly argued research review papers
 progress to PhD level research activity
Information relating to careers can be accessed here
12. Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and
demonstrated
Students acquire their detailed knowledge and understanding of the course through lectures, seminars
and guided independent study.
Many of those involved in programme delivery are international experts at the forefront of research in
the field – and as such, students have direct insight into current thinking in the field. This aspect of
provision is further enhanced through specialist Departmental visiting lecturers that discuss on-going
research, as well as the array of LSE public lectures, which include senior national and international
policy makers, politicians and researchers in this and related fields.
Students are strongly encouraged to make extensive use of electronic information sources available
through the BLPES; in particular the extensive resources for international bibliographical research and
on-line publications.
All course reading lists include references to current research, and other primary sources including
official documents and web references, as well as original academic works.
Assessment
Most courses are assessed by 3 hour unseen written examinations (2 hours in the case of half units),
together with a course work component in the form of an essay.
Teaching and learning strategies
Skills are developed through guidance and feedback from tutors in the context of:
One-to-one tutorials, regular lectures, seminars and the preparation of course essays and the
dissertation.
Contemporary Urbanism is the key integrative course sets out a robust core and articulates the threads
developed in options. This course also includes fieldwork in which students seek to reconcile
theoretical understanding and practical realities of urban life.
The fieldwork is developed in individual projects that along with Research Methods provide a
grounding in the research element of this programme
Assessment
Formative assessment takes the form of feedback from tutors on course work and within classes and
is central to student development.
Contemporary Urbanism facilitates group formative assessment and consolidation of local knowledge
through project presentations.
Students are required to write a dissertation that draws together a number of their intellectual skills as
well as their understanding of fundamental issues. This piece of work may be based on one or all of
the following: original data collection analysis, original fieldwork, or novel conceptual and theoretical
critique. It is also an opportunity for students to practically demonstrate their research skills as applied
to a specific topic (see course regulations for details).
13. Programmes structures and requirements, levels, modules, credits and awards.
See the can be viewed MSc Contemporary Urbanism programme regulations.
14. Criteria for admission to the programme
 The current requirements for those not previously taught in English before are 6.5 in IELTS or
603/250 in TOEFL. There are no requirements with regard to GMAT or GRE.
 At least an Upper second class degree, or its international equivalent; in urban geography or
cognate studies candidates will be preferred from the upper portion of this range, and those
who have excelled in research components of their first degree.
15. Indicators of quality
RAE Rating 2001: 5.
ESRC Specialist Course Approval 2000, eligible for Quota awards, but ESRC did not allocate any as
the system was reviewed pending the new structure in 2001/2.
The LSE Careers Centre website provides data on career destinations of LSE graduates.
16. Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standard of teaching
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The Teaching and Learning Centre is available to monitor and observe teaching and offers
constructive advice on how to improve the standard of teaching and quality.
Departmental TLAC review once every five years.
The Teaching Learning and Assessment Committee which regulates all aspects of teaching
quality;
The Graduate Studies Sub-Committee which oversees all graduate programmes and ensures
that significant changes to programmes and courses pass through a sequence of formal
stages, so that curricular changes are appropriate and compatible with other developments.
Course teaching surveys conducted by TQARO.
SSLC meetings for the programme.
The Department reviews the programme according to its own system of periodic review.
* programme withdrawn from the end of the 2009/10 session.