Gain the technical knowledge and business skills to create more resilient and sustainable cities.  

With our cities facing enormous pressure from population growth, aging infrastructure, extreme weather events and the effects of climate change, there’s never been a more pressing need for thoughtful and innovative approaches to urban planning. Municipal governments and consultants are looking for leaders who understand complex technical issues in civil engineering and urban planning – and who also have the holistic perspectives and skills to work with a wide range of stakeholders to guide the development of more inclusive, equitable, sustainable and smart cities.  

The Master of Engineering Leadership (MEL) in Urban Systems is a master’s degree for professionals working in urban planning who want to be leaders in their field. 

This interdisciplinary program will expand your understanding of current global best practices in sustainable cities, enabling you to develop viable strategies to develop and implement transformative solutions. 

You’ll graduate with the technical and business skills to move into leadership positions in a range of private and public sector settings.  

Urban Systems: Program Details

Program details

The MEL in Urban Systems provides early- and mid-career engineers and city planners with the knowledge to excel in the urban planning sector.  

DISCOVER MORE

MEL in Urban Systems Courses

Courses

A strategic blend of technical engineering and business courses sets you up for success.  

Faculty and Leadership

Faculty and leadership team

You’ll learn from highly experienced educators who have built strong connections and partnerships with industry and government.  

EXPLORE INSTRUCTORS

Urban Systems: How to apply

How to apply

Confirm you are eligible for the MEL in Urban Planning and start your application – the first step in accelerating your career trajectory

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

Find out if you're eligible

Answer a few quick questions to understand if you’re eligible to apply.

UBC MEL MHLP Eligibility Tool

Application deadline

Get ready to apply! Admissions for the 2026 intake will open on January 1, 2025.  The application deadline for Round 1 is March 25, 2025.

Attend an information session

Attend an upcoming online information session to discover what our programs have to offer you and your career.

UBC MEL MHLP Eligibility Tool
UBC Crest The official logo of the University of British Columbia. Arrow An arrow indicating direction. Arrow in Circle An arrow indicating direction. Caret An arrowhead indicating direction. E-commerce Cart A shopping cart. Time A clock. Chats Two speech clouds. Facebook The logo for the Facebook social media service. Social Media The globe is the default icon for a social media platform. TikTok The logo for the TikTok social media platform. Calendar Location Home A house in silhouette. Information The letter 'i' in a circle. Instagram The logo for the Instagram social media service. Linkedin The logo for the LinkedIn social media service. Location Pin A map location pin. Mail An envelope. Telephone An antique telephone. Play A media play button. Search A magnifying glass. Arrow indicating share action A directional arrow. Speech Bubble A speech bubble. Star An outline of a star. Twitter The logo for the Twitter social media service. Urgent Message An exclamation mark in a speech bubble. User A silhouette of a person. Vimeo The logo for the Vimeo video sharing service. Youtube The logo for the YouTube video sharing service. Future of work A logo for the Future of Work category. Inclusive leadership A logo for the Inclusive leadership category. Planetary health A logo for the Planetary health category. Solutions for people A logo for the Solutions for people category. Thriving cities A logo for the Thriving cities category. University for future A logo for the University for future category.