Urban Building Energy Models (UBEMs) are increasingly important tools for national and local authorities seeking to understand and manage their carbon emissions. As such tools move from the preserve of research into the more general application, interest in learning about their application is increasing. The quantity of data inherent in a UBEM and its complexity, means that educating students in the underpinning principles and their application requires teaching a wide body of knowledge. This presents significant challenges for educators required to fit within predefined limits for teaching courses. The authors have now taught urban-scale building energy modelling to 3 cohorts of students in India, Peru and the UK using two different approaches. This paper summarises the contents of the courses and the approach taken to delivering the required learning in the limited time available. It details student feedback, outcomes and lessons learned for the different approaches and the challenges which remain. Highlights • The first publication on efforts to deliver education on urban building energy modelling • Results of teaching initiatives on three continents are presented • Three key challenges for UBEM education are identified • The importance of using real examples with personal relevance for students is highlighted