Urban Analytics and AI for Planners MSc
About This Programme
The MSc Urban Analytics and AI for Planners at the University of Birmingham Dubai trains planners to use big data, AI and digital analytical tools to design smarter, more sustainable and evidence-based cities, from walkability and transport modelling to the metaverse and virtual cities. Developed jointly by urban planning, computer science and civil engineering, it tackles current urban challenges such as transport systems, environmental justice, connectivity and accessibility, and needs no prior knowledge of mathematics or computer science. It runs for 12 months full-time or 24 months part-time. Dubai, which aims to be the world's most data-driven, AI-ready cognitive city and has a minister of state for artificial intelligence, serves as a living laboratory. Students learn from leading academics and consultancies such as AECOM, WSP, Jacobs and Buro Happold through an Urban Lab run like a consultancy, masterclasses and fieldwork, take a fully funded one-week international field trip (to Kathmandu this year), and finish with a dissertation that applies AI, big data and spatial analysis to an urban question.
Course Highlights
- Dubai as a live urban lab, in a city aiming to be the world's most data-driven, AI-prepared cognitive city.
- Skills in AI, big data and advanced spatial analysis tools for designing smarter, data-driven cities.
- Academics who work with other universities and research institutions, and links with consultancies including AECOM, WSP, Jacobs and Buro Happold.
- A fully funded one-week international field trip (Kathmandu, Nepal, this year) and research supported by government and industry grants.
- Birmingham is ranked 68th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, as stated on the course page.
What You'll Study
The course combines interactive workshops, theory and hands-on learning focused on real applications of data-driven urban solutions, with interdisciplinary projects, advanced spatial analysis and tools including AI applications, metaverse technologies and modelling software. Teaching includes lectures, seminars, site visits, lab classes and an urban analytics lab; an Urban Lab in which students work consultancy-style on real projects; masterclasses and workshops with government agencies, local authorities and international consultants; and fieldwork, site analysis and practical research. Assessment includes essays, presentations, case studies, government-style reports, urban modelling projects, poster presentations and an extended research dissertation, all based on real-world challenges, with no exams. The international field trip explores urban analytics and sustainable design in a very different setting: this year's Kathmandu trip covers community engagement, informal settlements, cultural heritage and post-disaster reconstruction after the 2015 earthquake, with visits in Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur and meetings with local universities, planners, architects and community organisations. Teaching staff listed on the course page include Dr Mohammad Radfar, Associate Professor of Sustainable Urban Design and Planning.
Semester 1
Foundations in the theory, practice and research skills of urban analytics, and in using data, AI and digital tools to analyse and address the challenges of modern cities.
- Big Data in Urban Analytics – Theory and Practice20 credits
- Designing Urban Systems: Sustainable, Smart and Healthy Placemaking20 credits
- Research Skills for Urban Scientists: Research with AI, Data Handling, and Statistical Modelling20 credits
- Shaping Urban Spaces: The Politics, Theory, and Practice of Spatial Planning20 credits
- Urban Lab: Data Modelling and Transport Systems20 credits
Semester 2
Specialised themes and advanced tools and methods for evaluating urban systems, with practical projects and interdisciplinary collaboration that prepare the dissertation topic and proposal.
- Spatial Analysis and Urban Living: Evaluating the Qualities and Quantities of Urban Spaces20 credits
Semester 3
The dissertation or major independent research project, with a dedicated supervisor: in-depth research on a question in urban analytics and AI for planners, analysis with AI, big data and spatial methods, and a structured dissertation.
- Dissertation60 credits
Entry Requirements
The course welcomes graduates from many backgrounds, including urban and transport planning, civil engineering, transport and railway engineering, road and transport specialists, architects, landscape architects and urban designers. No prior knowledge of mathematics or computer science is required.
Careers
Graduates address sustainability, mobility and urban development with data-driven solutions, and the University says many secure impactful roles within six months, with alumni working in the UAE, the UK, Asia and beyond. Destinations include local urban planning and transport consultancies, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), government ministries and other public sector roles, urban development firms and real estate consultancies, global consultancies such as AECOM, WSP and Jacobs, and international organisations such as the United Nations, the World Bank and the OECD. The Careers Network Dubai offers information, advice and guidance.
Accreditation & Professional Recognition
Accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and listed as Active on the Commission for Academic Accreditation register as the Master of Science in Urban Analytics and Artificial Intelligence for Planners; the register also lists a Postgraduate Diploma and a Postgraduate Certificate in the same subject as Active.
Programme Details
Award
Master of Science (MSc)
Start Date
September 2026 (applications closed; September 2027 details to follow)
Typical Offer
2:1 Honours degree or equivalent in a related subject (2:2 with sufficient professional experience considered)
Duration
12 months full-time; 24 months part-time
Qualification
Masters
Subject Area
Urban Planning
Campus
Dubai
Study Pattern
Full time, Part time
Delivery Format
In person
Tuition Fee
AED 139,173/yr
AED 139,173 a year full-time or AED 69,587 a year part-time, for September 2026 entry. The fee covers tuition, examinations and graduation and is charged for each year of study, so part-time students pay it in both years; it can be paid in full or in instalments, and it does not include visa or living costs. Applications for September 2026 entry to this programme are closed, and details for September 2027 entry will be published later. Applications are made online through the University of Birmingham Dubai Admissions portal, with no application fee; postgraduate applicants upload transcripts for study completed so far, their degree certificate if available, and a CV. Decisions are usually made within 10 working days of all documents arriving. A non-returnable AED 5,000 deposit, deducted from tuition, is paid on accepting an offer. Scholarships of up to 30% are assessed from the application itself, with no separate form, and full-time students can apply for a student visa sponsored by the University.