Understanding and Governing Cities and Regions, internationally, Training urban change-makers 

The master’s degree in Urban Governance, Policy and Planning trains the urban professionals who will design, manage, strategize, innovate and advocate for the city of the future. 

How can we make the cities of tomorrow more dynamic, vibrant, livable, and sustainable? Cities concentrate global population, economic vitality, challenges (housing, sanitation, transport), and carbon emissions. Change often starts at the local level, in cities, regions, municipalities, neighborhoods, through start-ups, associations, local government, public-private partnerships, councils, firms, and/or multi-level city networks. 

The master’s in Urban Governance, Policy and Planning is multidisciplinary, bringing together cutting-edge urban research from top experts with the latest professional thinking from urban professionals and change agents around the world. This degree is open to students of all backgrounds, including social sciences (such as economics, geography, management, politics, sociology), natural sciences, humanities, architecture, engineering, and more. 

Main Orientations & Specific Features

The master’s degree in Urban Governance, Policy and Planning provides a multidisciplinary and professionalising training that prepares urban professionals to tackle urban challenges. 

Our curriculum provides a solid base in foundational disciplines (economics, history, law, planning, political science, sociology) that bring strong theoretical knowledge and foster critical thinking, taught by international academics and researchers. Professional immersion starts from day 1 of the degree with seminars, study trips, field visits, and a year-long capstone project with external partners from NGOs, local authorities and firms. Practical skills and know-how come from professionals who, as visiting faculty and tutors, share their real-world experience. 

This combination of theoretical, methodological, and practical knowledge equips graduates of the Urban Governance, Policy and Planning Master’s degree with the skills to pursue careers across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. They find opportunities in consulting firms, local governments, infrastructure enterprises (both public and private), community-based organizations, and NGOs — working at municipal, regional, national, or international levels. Graduates typically take on roles such as consultants, project managers, or research fellows. Career paths span the full spectrum of urban life, including housing, mobility, environmental planning, social inclusion, and local economic development.

Students must choose their track at the time of enrollment, and no transfers between tracks will be possible at any stage of the program. Each track is built around a coherent logic, prepares for a distinct professional profile, fosters strong cohort integration, and is led by a dedicated scientific advisor and teaching team.

Objectives and skills

• Identify key actors and dynamics of urban transformation by mapping transition ecosystems, understanding governance processes and political dynamics, conducting territorial diagnoses, and change implementation, in delicate sectors like circular economy, slum upgrading, mobility, water regulation, affordable housing, land regulation, climate change adaptation and mitigation.
• Design sustainable and inclusive urban and regional policies at local, national, or international levels, combining social and environmental justice and proposing innovative strategies for territorial change.
• Lead and manage urban projects in diverse contexts, coordinating multidisciplinary teams and mobilising formal and informal stakeholders, understanding political and economic stakes, while navigating legal, technical, and financial frameworks.
• Analyse urban complexity using multidisciplinary approaches and technical tools (GIS or Geographic Information Systems, statistics, comparative qualitative methods) to understand territorial dynamics and support policy innovation
• Communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders by adapting messages to different audiences, articulating complex territorial issues clearly, and demonstrating leadership and adaptability in multicultural professional environments.

Tracks

Governing the Large Metropolis (GLM)

Big cities around the world are vibrant, dynamic, and full of opportunities. These global metropolises also grapple with significant challenges (housing, transport, new technology, climate change, economic growth, public services). The Governing the Large Metropolis (GLM) track trains urban professionals to create innovative solutions in the public and private sectors of fast-growing cities in emerging countries.

Find out more about the Governing the Large Metropolis (GLM) track.

Governing Ecological Transitions in Cities (GETIC)

Cities are at the forefront of tackling the climate and ecological crisis across sectors, from mobility to housing, energy consumption to land use. The Governing Ecological Transitions in Cities track trains urban professionals to create innovative solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation with a focus on Europe and North America.

Find out more about the Governing Ecological Transitions in Cities (GETIC) track.

Dual Degrees

Dual Degree in Global Urban Development with TISS (India)

The dual Master's degree in Global Urban Development with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, School of Habitat Studies, in Mumbai(India), provides skills in global comparative urbanism and urban governance with training in India and France. Students in their first year will join the GLM track.

Find out more about the dual degree in Global Urban Development with TISS (India).

Dual Degree in Global and Comparative Urban Planning and Governance with UCLA (United States of America)

The dual Master's degree in Global and Comparative Urban Planning and Governance, offered by the Urban School of Sciences Po (Paris) and the Urban Planning Department at the Luskin School of Public Affairs of UCLA (Los Angeles), brings together two of the most highly rated programs in urbanism, governance, and urban planning in the world. Students in their second year will join the GLM track.

Find out more about the dual degree in Global and Comparative Urban Planning and Governance with UCLA (United States of America).

Dual Degree in African and Southern Urban Studies with UCT (South Africa)

The dual Master's degree in African and Southern Urban Studies, launched in January 2027 by Sciences Po and the African Center for Cities (University of Cape Town), will offer the opportunity to study in two highly rated institutions in Urban Studies worldwide. 

The dual master’s draws on synergies between the two universities in cutting-edge interdisciplinary training in urban governance and urban policy with a strong focus on research. Students spend their first semester in Cape Town, the second year in Paris, and return to Cape Town for the final semester of the programme. Students in their second and third semesters will join the GLM track.

Find out more about the dual degree in African and Southern Urban Studies with UCT (South Africa).

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the Master’s in Urban Governance, Policy and Planning are equipped to pursue a wide range of international careers related to the transformation of cities and regions. They go on to become project managers, urban policy advisors, consultants, analysts, decision-makers, and researchers, working at the intersection of governance, infrastructure, planning, and sustainability.

They are recruited by local and regional governments, national public agencies, international organisations (e.g UN-Habitat, World Bank, OECD), NGOs, utilities and infrastructure operators, real estate developers, engineering firms, planning agencies, development banks, and research centres. Many graduates also work in multidisciplinary teams within consulting firms or public-private partnerships, contributing to large-scale urban projects and policies.