Career opportunities in urban and regional governance with a Master’s degree

The aim of the Sciences Po Urban School’s Master’s programmes is to prepare students for careers in urban and regional governance in the public, private or nonprofit sectors.

Skills acquired after a Master’s programme in urban and regional governance at Sciences Po

The Master’s programmes offered by the Sciences Po Urban School enable students to develop the following professional skills:

• Analyse and evaluate public policies
• Develop and support complex projects
• Prepare shared diagnostic reports with institutional stakeholders
• Identify and communicate the needs and expectations of local stakeholders
• Identify and engage strategic partners and contact persons in the city or region
• Facilitate technical working groups and professional networks
• Develop and lead information, consultation and participation schemes with the public: residents, users, nonprofit organisations, and businesses
• Capitalise and communicate on the projects undertaken by the local authority

> Find out more about the Urban School’s Masters programmes.

Professional fields in the management of urban environments

On completion of the Master’s programmes, the knowledge and skills acquired open up career opportunities in various fields:

• Ministries
• Major cities
• Municipalities
• Departments for Land and Coastal Management (Directions départementales des territoires et de la mer or DDTM)
• Inter-municipal cooperation agencies (Établissement public de coopération intercommunale or EPCI)
• Consulting firms
• Private companies
• State-owned enterprises
• International institutions
• NGOs
• Non-profit organisations
• Research laboratories or groups

Jobs and professions after a Master in urban policy and strategy

An Urban School Master’s degree allows graduates to work in a wide range of professional environments, in the public, private or nonprofit sectors.

The training opens the door to a variety of professions for a career in areas related to urban strategy and governance:

• Ministerial advisor or advisor in a local authority
• Chief administrative officer of a local authority
• Councillor
• Member of a councillor’s staff
• Chief of staff
• Head of a municipal department
• Town clerk
• Local government officer
• Research and planning officer
• Policy officer, social and solidarity economy
• Policy officer, inclusive city
• Research officer, city and gender
• Policy officer, local democracy and urban policy
• Urban affairs and development officer
• Cultural policy officer
• Staff member of a local government association
• Public policy consultant
• Transport & mobility consultant
• Urban and regional strategy consultant
• Research engineer
• Researcher in public policy
• Digital project manager
• Data officer
• Project manager, energy efficiency
• Head of a devolved government department
• Policy analyst

Testimonials

Examples of institutions and companies in the urban and regional policy sector

Many of our Urban School Master’s graduates go on to senior positions and urban management roles in companies, organisations and institutions in the urban and regional policy sector.

Here are some examples of institutions and companies that may be of interest to urban and regional strategy students:

Public sector

Companies

NGOs & nonprofits

International institutions