Urban Studies

Entry requirements

Applicants for MSc by Research must normally hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University).

Months of entry

January, April, October

Course content

The MSc by Research in Urban Studies allows you to undertake a year-long (full time) or two-year-long (part-time) individual programme of personally and professionally enriching research, supervised by our Human Geography academic staff.

Your urban studies research project will be shaped by participation in research activities such as seminars and reading groups, as well as your involvement in one of our established Human Geography research groups.

The range of our current human geographical research in urban studies includes:

• Global cities
• World cities
• Global urban networks
• Poststructuralism, actor-network theory, assemblage theory and the city
• Psychoanalytic urban geographies
• The political economy and cultural political economy of cities
• Urban geographies of violence
• Modernity, Postmodernity and the city
• Alternative Urban theories

We are ranked:

• Top 100 in the World - Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai Ranking Subject Rankings 2025)
• 90% of our research outputs have been recognised as world leading and internationally excellent - Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021
• 100% of the environment was rated as world leading and internationally excellent - Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021
• Top 201-250 in the World (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026)

Fees and funding