Masters Degrees (Urban Planning)

This programme provides you with an international grounding in urban planning that is centred on the theme of urban regeneration.

China is experiencing unprecedented urbanisation in terms of the speed and nature of growth. One of the key issues for future practitioners will be how to deal with the challenge of reusing, transforming, and regenerating the existing urban fabrics of China’s megacities in order to achieve a more sustainable model of urbanisation.

You will graduate with a comprehensive understanding of contemporary urban problems and possible planning responses. You will be introduced to theories and techniques that will allow you to approach urban planning in a critical, communicative, and people-oriented way. You will graduate with a mastery of the techniques and procedural skills necessary for effective work in the planning profession.

The programme is suited to students from a range of different backgrounds and is not limited to those who have undertaken an urban planning undergraduate degree. One of the aims of the programme is to offer a multidisciplinary perspective on the issue of urban regeneration. Staff teaching on the programme offer varying expertise from a range of disciplines including urban planning and design, project management, policy design, and geography. In addition, staff offer a variety of international perspectives including those anchored in Western European, East Asian, and North American theoretical debates.

On completing this programme you will have:
• a comprehensive understanding of relevant inner city problems and possible planning responses
• the ability to approach urban planning in a critical, communicative, and people-
• oriented way
• mastered techniques and procedural skills necessary for effective work in the planning profession

Modules

• Theory and Practice of Urban Regeneration
• Governance anf Finance of Urban Regeneration
• Politics, Society and Participation
• Place-making and Urban Design
• Heritage, Historic Districts and Conservation
• Spatial Analysis and Evaluation
• Sustainable Urban Planning Strategies
• Project Management
• Dissertation

What are my career prospects?

This programme provides a solid basis for a range of careers across the world. These include, but are not limited to, urban planning, policy development, building design and planning, advocacy positions working with community groups to give them a voice in built environment decision-making processes, working with local and central government, and working with non-government organisations (NGOs).

Part-time study option also available.

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The MSc Urban Planning programme offers a unique combination of specialist study in urban planning, complemented by a range of optional modules in property development and design, drawing upon a range of expertise across the University of Liverpool in Urban Planning and Architecture. We can offer you a unique degree of flexibility. You can focus on the topic(s) of most interest to you, specialising in property development and/or urban design, and on graduation, you will have completed modules that cover urban planning in theory and in practice, and a choice of urban design, architecture or property development.

This flexible approach, drawing on expertise across multiple disciplines will stand you well in your planning career.

Internationally recognised as a centre for industries related to property development and architecture, London provides an ideal test bed for your studies; it is arguably the ideal city within which to study the production of the built environment from both an aesthetic and a commercial perspective.

Programme Structure

Semester 1
•Urban and Planning Theory (15 credits)
•Presenting Research Design (15 credits)
•Design Project 1* (30 credits)
•Design Appreciation 1* (15 credits)
•Property Development 1: Valuation Methods and Investment Appraisal* (15 credits)

Semester 2
•Urban Planning Practice (15 credits)
•Research Methodology (15 credits)
•Design Project 2* (30 credits)
•Design Appreciation 2* (15 credits)
•Property Development 2: From Design to Delivery* (15 credits)


Semester 3

1 module from:
•Thesis: Dissertation (60 credits)
•Thesis: Research by Design (60 credits)
•Thesis: Design (60 credits)

*Optional Module


Careers

Students who successfully complete are expected to go on to interesting and rewarding careers in property development, urban planning, the wider construction industry, conservation and many other specialisms to be found in the built environment and the arts.

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The MSc in Urban Planning: Developing and Transitional Regions is concerned with the theory and practice of urban planning in societies undergoing rapid economic, social, technological, environmental and spatial change.

The emphasis of the course is on institutional aspects of planning and management interventions in the urban sector and the scope of various policy instruments and planning modes to manage the emerging spatial patterns, impacts and processes of urban growth.

The MSc is RICS- and RTPI-accredited.

See the website http://www.brookes.ac.uk/studying-at-brookes/courses/postgraduate/2015/urban-planning-developing-and-transitional-regions/

Why choose this course?

In choosing to study the MSc Urban Planning: Developing and Transitional Regions at Oxford Brookes, you will:
- Be on a fully accredited RTPI and RICS course which is viewed as the first choice for urban and development planning training by a range of employers throughout the world - especially governments, local authorities, development and planning consultancies.

- Join and engage with scholars and tutors from diverse intellectual and global backgrounds.

- As well as being one of the world's most famous centres for learning, Oxford is a city with a great urban heritage and is within easy reach of London and other urban centres. Its excellent transport links make it a convenient place to take up a day release part- time course.

- Engage with and benefit from teaching staff who are active in research and practice; drawn primarily from the Department of Planning but with some contributions from the wider university community. Visiting speakers from business and industry, local government, and consultancies and research bodies also provide a major contribution to the teaching programme.

- Benefit from the success of our courses in delivering highly skilled professionals. Our graduates get employment in the private and public sector, international development institutions, NGOs, research institutions and consultancy.

- Study in our brand new £132 million redevelopment of Headington campus, ultra modern spaces and facilities in Abercrombie building and John Henry Brookes building; access to top of the range studios, IT suites and computer programs, library and 24/7 online databases.

Professional accreditation

The MSc Urban Planning: Developing and Transitional Regions is fully accredited by:
- the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).
- the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). This means that on successful completion of the MSc, graduates can register for - the Assessment of Professional Competence procedures of RICS and RTPI and work towards becoming full members.

Teaching and learning

Learning methods include lectures, directed reading, workshops, seminars, and practical and project work. Some modules include site visits and fieldwork, which provide you with direct experience of practical and current issues.

Teaching is organised on a module-credit basis, each module involving approximately 200 hours of student input and approximately 36 hours of staff contact, normally delivered through three-hour teaching blocks over a 12-week period.

Each course module is assessed individually, generally on the quality of written or design work, and to some extent on verbal presentations. Assessment methods may include essays, seminar papers, formal written examinations, in-class tests, project work, design and verbal presentations, workshops, simulations and practical exercises.

Field trips

Field trips include an international field trip to Europe in the Autumn plus a range of national and local site and institutional visits especially to London throughout the academic year.

Careers

Not only is the MSc Urban Planning: Developing and Transitional Regions a RICS and RTPI professionally recognised qualification, it is also widely regarded as providing the transferable skills, critical knowledge and understanding necessary in many fields of work in the built and natural environment. Today our alumni can be found in senior positions in some of the largest international planning and environmental consultancies, in government agencies, in large NGOs and campaigning organisations across the globe.

The long-standing reputation of the Department of Planning in producing highly skilled, enthusiastic and very capable professional planners aids the employability of our graduates. We are the first port of call for many employers when they are seeking new graduate planners.

Free language courses for students - the Open Module

Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

Please note that the free language courses are not available if you are:
- studying at a Brookes partner college
- studying on any of our teacher education courses or postgraduate education courses.

Research highlights

With more than 600 students engaging a wide range of research topics in our undergraduate, postgraduate and research degree programmes, including master's by research, the department is widely recognised as a leading educator in environment, design and development subjects. With a complement of over 60 teaching, administrative, technical and research staff, the department performs a leading role in research and consultancy, with clients and projects covering subjects from local concerns to multinational organisations, government and industry.

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Mission and Goals

In the urban planning spectrum, on the one hand, consolidation of a series of urban management activities that require advanced interpretation and application can be identified: the development of general urban planning tools; infrastructural, housing, transport, services and environmental policies; management of complex programmes and projects. On the other hand, the demand for new urban and territorial policies that require specific professional competence is increasing.
This Master of Science offers an advanced academic route in designing spatial arrangements and urban policies, to transform and manage the city, territory and environment.

See the website http://www.polinternational.polimi.it/educational-offer/laurea-magistrale-equivalent-to-master-of-science-programmes/urban-planning-and-policy-design/

Career Opportunities

The main professional opportunities for Master of Science graduates are in the free-lance sector (after having sat the professional examinations) and in institutions and public and private bodies operating to transform and manage the city, territory and environment.

Presentation

See http://www.polinternational.polimi.it/uploads/media/Urban_planning_and_policy_design_02.pdf
This Master of Science is a multidisciplinary programme that connect urban design to regional studies and social sciences. The programme aims at developing a wide education in planning and policy making and training professionals who can deal with the multiple and complex issues of the contemporary policy agenda for cities and regions. Graduates are currently working for Local Governments, research institutes, private firms in the real estate and advising market, in Italy and abroad.
The programme is taught in English.

Subjects

Main subjects:
- Urban design
- Planning theory and practice
- Policy analysis
- Contemporary city
- Analysis and assessment of urban transformation
- Infrastructure planning and design
- City design
- Energy and urban planning
- European economics and urban policies
- Urban ethnography
- Land use ethics and the law

See the website http://www.polinternational.polimi.it/educational-offer/laurea-magistrale-equivalent-to-master-of-science-programmes/urban-planning-and-policy-design/

For contact information see here http://www.polinternational.polimi.it/educational-offer/laurea-magistrale-equivalent-to-master-of-science-programmes/urban-planning-and-policy-design/

Find out how to apply here http://www.polinternational.polimi.it/how-to-apply/

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MSc Urban Planning is suited to a range of entrants - graduates from related disciplines, such as geography, professionals from planning practice and those from non-related backgrounds who are passionate about the subject. It is accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute and prepares you for work as a planner in a wide range of roles, including in local or central government, private practice and the third sector. We also prepare you for potential work outside the UK, with an international context to the knowledge and skills you develop.

Key benefits

This course is accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and supported by a vibrant research community.

Course detail

The course comprises advanced postgraduate study in urban planning and is firmly underpinned by a wide range of research, some of which is carried out by the course's excellent teaching staff and by faculty scholarships, consultancy and links with practice. Indeed, learning is strongly linked to practice, helping you become an effective, professionally qualified planner.

It also offers a range of study patterns to allow easier access to the course. Available over one or two years, it includes 'time out' options to help you manage your personal and professional commitments around your studies.

You can also specialise. We provide core planning knowledge and skills, with a range of specialised areas of planning available as you progress.

Structure

The full Master's course comprises 180 credits divided into three 60 credits stages: Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, and Master's. Students work incrementally through the three stages and must pass all modules at each stage in order to progress to the next.

Modules

There are three core modules to the taught element of the course:
• Plan Making (30 credits)
• Implementation and Design Quality (30 credits)
• History and Theory of Urban Planning (30 credits)
• Dissertation (60 credits)

You also choose two 15 credit modules from the following, based on your intended specialism:
• Planning for Conservation
• Healthy Cities
• Grassroots Planning
• Urban Design
• Transport Policy and Finance
• Changing Travel Behaviour

Format

We use a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, seminars, workshops, discussions, teamwork, presentations and external visits.

Assessment

All assessment is by coursework for each module, on a credit basis. This means patterns of study can be flexible. The modules are assessed through a mixture of group and individual presentations, essays, reports, portfolio work and presentation boards.
We also have guest lectures from professional practitioners, which give you valuable insights into the latest developments in practice.

Careers / Further study

This RTPI-accredited qualification offers postgraduates the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills for a range of fascinating careers, in a field where there is currently a shortage of qualified professionals. Bristol hosts a range of employers, particularly in the consultancy sector.

How to apply

Information on applications can be found at the following link: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/study/applyingtouwebristol/postgraduateapplications.aspx

Funding

- New Postgraduate Master's loans for 2016/17 academic year –

The government are introducing a master’s loan scheme, whereby master’s students under 60 can access a loan of up to £10,000 as a contribution towards the cost of their study. This is part of the government’s long-term commitment to enhance support for postgraduate study.

Scholarships and other sources of funding are also available.

More information can be found here: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/feesandfunding/fundingandscholarships/postgraduatefunding.aspx

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The MSc in Urban Planning: Developing and Transitional Regions is concerned with the theory and practice of urban planning in societies undergoing rapid economic, social, technological, environmental and spatial change.

The emphasis of the course is on institutional aspects of planning and management interventions in the urban sector and the scope of various policy instruments and planning modes to manage the emerging spatial patterns, impacts and processes of urban growth.

The MSc is RICS- and RTPI-accredited.

Why choose this course?

It is a fully accredited RTPI and RICS course which is viewed as the first choice for urban and development planning training by a range of employers throughout the world - especially governments, local authorities, development and planning consultancies.

Benefit from the success of our courses in delivering highly skilled professionals. Our graduates get employment in the private and public sector, international development institutions, NGOs, research institutions and consultancy. Engage with and benefit from teaching staff who are active in research and practice; drawn primarily from the Department of Planning but with some contributions from the wider university community. In REF 2014 69% of our research was rated as either world leading or internationally excellent.
Visiting speakers from business and industry, local government, and consultancies and research bodies provide a major contribution to the teaching programme.

Study in our newly redeveloped Headington campus, ultra modern spaces and facilities in Abercrombie building and John Henry Brookes building; access to top of the range studios, IT suites and computer programs, library and 24/7 online databases. As well as being one of the world's most famous centres for learning, Oxford is a city with a great urban heritage and is within easy reach of London and other urban centres. Its excellent transport links make it a convenient place to take up a day release part-time course.

Professional accreditation

The MSc Urban Planning: Developing and Transitional Regions is fully accredited by:
-The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).
-The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). This means that on successful completion of the MSc, graduates can register for the Assessment of Professional Competence procedures of RICS and RTPI and work towards becoming full members.

This course in detail

The course is offered as a master's degree (MSc), a postgraduate diploma (PGDip) or a postgraduate certificate (PGCert).

The MSc course is based on the completion of the following compulsory modules, plus elective specialisations and a 15,000-word master's dissertation.

As courses are reviewed regularly, the module list you choose from may vary from that shown below.

Compulsory element (indicative modules):
-Development and Urbanisation
-Urban Land Policy and Urban Management
-Globalisation: Environment and Development
-Urban Policy in Practice: Programme and Project Implementation
-Research Methods

MSc students are offered choice and flexibility in terms of specialist elective modules, of which two must be chosen from the following indicative list:
-Armed Conflict and International Humanitarianism
-Principles of Environmental Assessment
-Environmental Management Systems
-Designing the City
-World of Refugees
-International Transport Planning
-Strategic Environmental Assessment
-GIS and Environmental Modeling
-Designing the Neighbourhood
-Global Institutions
-Delivering Sustainable Futures
-Destination and Event Development
-Statistical Research Using SPSS
-Independent Study.

Please note that not all electives may be available in any given year.

The PGDip course is based on the completion of the following compulsory modules as in the MSc programme:
-Development and Urbanisation
-Urban Land Policy and Urban Management
-Globalisation: Environment and Development
-Urban Policy in Practice: Programme and Project Implementation.

A similar choice of two elective modules from the same options as the MSc course is required.

The PGCert is based on the completion of the following compulsory modules as in the MSc course:
-Development and Urbanisation
-Urban Land Policy and Urban Management or Independent Study
-Globalisation: Environment and Development or Independent Study

Careers and professional development

Today our alumni can be found in senior positions in some of the largest international planning and environmental consultancies, in government agencies, in large NGOs and campaigning organisations across the globe.

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About the MSc programme

The MSc Regional and Urban Planning Studies is a unique planning programme as it is based on the economics, geography and the politics of land-use planning, drawing on LSE’s strength in interdisciplinary teaching. The programme has a long tradition in training both people seeking careers in urban and regional planning policy and mid-career professionals. It attracts students from all over the world including North and South America, Asia and Europe.

The MSc aims to provide a common understanding of the various influences affecting the planning process, and to teach a set of research skills that will help planners in practice. These skills include urban and regional economic analysis, the evaluation of environmental and regional policies and the study of institutional and political factors that impact city and regional development.

We provide strong professional linkages through our very active alumni network and links to the Association of European Planning Schools. This programme benefits from a partnership agreement with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), thus conferring professional recognition upon graduation.

Graduate destinations

Our graduates typically go on to careers in planning consultancies, local and regional government, real estate and property development; and community advocacy organisations.

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The Master of Research in Urban Planning is designed primarily, although not exclusively, to enable you to link a course of substantive
research training to the subsequent pursuit of a doctorate. The course is modular in structure and includes training in spatial planning and in research methods and methodology. You will undertake a dissertation of 15,000 words and will also have the opportunity to become involved in research projects of Brookes’ Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development.

Course Content

The MRes consists of five core modules, an optional module, and the dissertation, representing 190 master’s-level credits in
total. Research methods modules include:
-The Philosophy of Research
-Qualitative Methods and Inquiry by Design
-Statistical Research using SPSS

The dissertation comprises Research Design and Strategies and the dissertation itself.

The two core substantive modules are:
-Spatial Planning in Action
-Planning Theory

The option can be chosen from an array of modules in the planning studies fields offered within the department, such as planning in developing countries, transport, tourism and urban regeneration. Routes also exist which enable you to take two core modules from the fields outlined above.

The PGDip and PGCert are available as exit awards only, the PGDip requiring 130 credits and the PGCert requiring 70 credits.

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Government advises that good planning and good design are inseparable; this course focuses on urban design as a part of town planning. Our approach to urban design emphasises the continuing nature of planning responsibilities (as opposed to the contractual nature of most design professions) and focuses on the everyday use of places and spaces.

Site project work

Initial modules contextualise ideas of urban design and its evolution. The core of the course is project work on sites where there are current urban design issues and we have established links with the planning authority or a client. We have worked on the hinterland of Bankside, Great Yarmouth Sea Front, and Central Hackney.

Field trip

The Field Trip module (a compulsory part of the MA and PgDip) prepares you for work in unfamiliar places. Field trips offer our students a unique learning experience. We think of the trips as visits to living laboratories where you'll learn through active, hands-on experience. Beyond your studies, you'll also have the opportunity to develop and enhance their self-confidence and leadership skills. Recent field trips have involved postgraduate planning students visiting Barcelona, Spain; Ruhr Valley, Germany; and Venice, Italy. For all new entrants the field study visit fees are included in the tuition fees.

Dissertation

The dissertation is a research-based urban design project which engages with critical thinking, such as Chris Jones' concept of urban design as 'bringing about change in a man-made world'.

Modules

Year 1

Planning history and theory
Urban design- the heart of planning
Urban design project
Sustainable places (with EU field study visit)
Everyday life: place and performance
Planning in London
Dissertation

Part-time mode taught one day per week, with one or two modules being taught in each semester plus the dissertation being completed by the end of January in the third year.

Assessment

Modules are assessed by a range of coursework, examination, design and practice-based projects, presentations and a dissertation.

Professional links

The project work for the course is closely integrated with current issues and problems and each year a new site is chosen and new contacts made, visits undertaken and visiting speakers address the students.

Recent guest lecturers include:

• Rob Cowan, Urban Design Group;
• Various speakers from CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment);
• Struan Leslie, Choreographer and Movement Director, (RSC, Casanova, Welsh National Opera);
• Beatrice Jarvis, Goldsmiths College.

Employability

There is a national shortage of qualified town and environmental planners in the UK so the demand for our postgraduate courses is particularly high.

Qualifications in the planning and housing sectors can lead to a wide range of careers. Many of our past and current students hold key positions in their organisations and professional bodies, often as senior managers and business owners.

Graduates have used urban design on the planning courses at LSBU to focus on the relationship between planning and design and several now hold key posts in urban design in private consultancy or public authorities.

LSBU Employability Services

LSBU is committed to supporting you develop your employability and succeed in getting a job after you have graduated. Your qualification will certainly help, but in a competitive market you also need to work on your employability, and on your career search. Our Employability Service will support you in developing your skills, finding a job, interview techniques, work experience or an internship, and will help you assess what you need to do to get the job you want at the end of your course. LSBU offers a comprehensive Employability Service, with a range of initiatives to complement your studies, including:

• Direct engagement from employers who come in to interview and talk to students
• Job Shop and on-campus recruitment agencies to help your job search
• Mentoring and work shadowing schemes.

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Develop an innovative approach to planning grounded in theory and lively academic debate, and focused on the skills and competencies required for employment in the area.

You base your studies on real life issues and case studies and the course allows you to develop your own interests and specialist areas of study. The course provides you with key knowledge and skills for a planning or planning-related career.

It covers topics and issues such as:
-Planning theory, principles and practice.
-Planning policy and policy evaluation.
-The English and wider approaches to planning.
-Planning law.
-Economic development.
-The development process and viability appraisal.
-Climate change and environmental issues and protection.
-Design issues including urban design and sustainable design.
-Social equity and cohesion.
-Professional management skills including presentation and project management.

The course has been running for over 25 years attracting students from a range of backgrounds including:
-Graduates from a range of subjects such as geography, arts, social sciences and design looking for a professional qualification.
-Practitioners in planning and the wider built environment field who are looking to develop their career.
-People looking for a change of career direction.
-International students from Europe, America and beyond.

For more information, see website: https://www.shu.ac.uk/study-here/find-a-course/mscpgdippgcert-urban-planning

Professional recognition

This course is accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Course structure

Full time – 1 year minimum, two days per week.
Part time – 2 years minimum, one day per week.
Plus occasional block study days and an optional one week European field trip.
Starts September.

Core modules
-Planning theory and context
-Applied research methods
-Policy for space and place.
-Sustainable city ecologies
-Environment and infrastructure
-Planning and development process
-Housing and economic development
-Major project or dissertation

Optional modules
Choose one option module from:
-Comparative European planning
-Consultancy project

Assessment: coursework and practice focused assignments.

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The programme enables candidates to understand and cope with the challenges of urban development in the 21st century through a unique integration of engineering and social science. Managing the challenges of urban policy and planning in the global era requires an interdisciplinary approach that combines technical, social, economic, and environmental knowledge. The future development of cities and urban regions requires urban policy makers and planners with an understanding of global development trends as well as of local-regional contexts and identities.

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This new MSc brings a cross-disciplinary focus to transport and urban planning which is unique, aiming to foster “smart solutions” to the current critical challenges of transitioning to sustainable travel behaviours and sustainable cities in the UK and internationally. The programme draws on the latest thinking and debates in transport, urban planning and mega infrastructure project development.

Degree information

The aim of the MSc is to enable students to work effectively as transport and planning practitioners, moving beyond the ‘disciplinary silos’ usually found in academia and practice. A key feature of the MSc is its integrative design across disciplines, developing a range of different theories and perspectives, with modules linked by common principles.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of six core modules (90 credits), two optional modules (30 credits) and a dissertation/report (60 credits). A Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits, full-time nine months) is offered.

Core modules
-Transport Planning and the City
-Transport Planning in Emerging Cities
-Sustainable Urban Development: Key Themes
-Sustainable Urban Development: Project
-Mega Infrastructures as Agents of Change
-Critical Issues in Mega Infrastructure Investments

Optional modules - choose two from a list which may include the following:
-Public Transport
-Pillars of Planning
-International Planning
-Sustainable Property – Valuation, Investment and Development
-Planning Practices in Europe
-Urban Problems and Problematics
-Spatial Planning
-Preparing Regeneration Projects
-GI Systems and Science
-Data Visualisation
-The Political Ecology of Environmental Change
-Adapting Cities to Climate Change in the Global South

Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation in transport and city planning of 10,000 words.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, project work, and site visits. Assessment is through examinations, essays, group/individual projects and presentation, and a dissertation.

Careers

The programme is attractive to candidates who wish to work across disciplines, and at the strategic policy development levels, with urban planning, geography, transport planning or engineering graduates, or wider specialists, who see their future work in transport planning as part of the design of sustainable cities. Graduate students from The Bartlett School of Planning have been very successful in gaining subsequent employment. At present there is a growing demand for our postgraduates from a wide range of both private and public employers, within the transport planning or urban planning professions, or the nexus of strategy development and implementation.

Employability
This programme will equip students with the skills needed to work effectively as transport and planning practitioners in urban contexts in the public or third sector, for example in consultancy, central government, Transport for London (TfL), Greater London Authority (GLA), metropolitan authorities, local authorities, international investment banks, quangos and lobby groups. Potential employers also include international consultancies; we have close links and have worked with many of these companies such as Halcrow, CH2M and Arup.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The UCL Bartlett is the UK's largest multidisciplinary Faculty of the Built Environment, bringing together scientific and professional specialisms required to research, understand, design, construct and operate the buildings and urban environments of the future.

There is a strong focus on transport and city planning in research activities at the UCL Bartlett. Current activities include: VIBAT (Visioning and Backcasting for Transport), SINTROPHER (innovative public transport options in peripheral regions), SYNAPTIC (the seamless travel journey), the OMEGA centre (the planning and delivery of major infrastructure projects) and we work with various project sponsors such as Transport for London, the Asian Development Bank and European Investment Bank.

The MSc has Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) accreditation as a ‘specialist’ four-year programme. Candidates can also apply to become members of the Transport Planning Society (TPS), Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT), or related organisations, on subscription.

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The breadth of material covered in our MSc in Sustainable Planning gives students the skills they need in order to meet contemporary sustainability challenges in planning. Planning has a key role to play in improving the condition of life in our towns, cities and rural areas. Towns and cities themselves impact on global sustainability and can play a very influential role in tackling global environmental, social and economic problems. Equally, implementing sustainability principles within urban and rural areas is essential for the well-being of the local residents and improvement of the local environment. Creating more sustainable towns and cities will be central to the future of society and the planet. The planning system is so important because it provides one of the most sophisticated mechanisms for regulating environmental change. Recent policy changes have made planning in neighbourhoods and in communities even more important.

About the course

Increasingly planners are being required to facilitate the creation of more sustainable urban environments. This requires expertise and skills in a diverse range of disciplines and nationally there is a shortage of relevant skills. This course offers both personal opportunities for students to gain valuable skills that make them highly employable, and allows them to contribute to a much needed and fast changing professional area.

Why choose this course?

This exciting new course is specifically aimed at people wishing to gain expertise in contemporary sustainability issues. It provides graduates with excellent career opportunities in planning, environmental management, urban design, community development, regeneration, transport management, climate change mitigation and other planning related careers. The course is suitable for:
-Students who have work experience in planning or related discipline and require a postgraduate qualification and subsequent professional accreditation to develop their career further
-New graduates starting their career in planning with a first degree in geography, environmental science, conservation, sociology, architecture and urban studies
-Students from other disciplines who have developed an interest in planning from voluntary work, work experience or project work.

Key Features

-A combination of stimulating academic study and strong career orientation
-Focus on the role of planning in addressing key sustainability concerns: climate change; urban sprawl; social cohesion; and demands for personal mobility
-Using the latest techniques including GIS; urban design tools and community design engagement techniques such as charettes
-Practical problem based approach to learning that uses real planning issues and case studies
-Flexibility of study based on a programme of short courses scheduled over two or three days at weekends
-UK field trips including visits to the start of town planning nearby at Letchworth and the first New Towns
-International study visit to look at European best practice in France and Germany

This course is available both full and part-time. Full time study in Semester A takes 1 year. Full time study beginning in Semester B will take 15 months. Part time study options typically take two years but students are given a maximum of five years to complete.

Careers

When you graduate from this course you will have excellent career opportunities in planning, environmental management, urban design and urbanism, community development and regeneration, transport management, climate change mitigation and adaptation and other planning related careers - all with a special focus on maximizing your sustainability expertise. Prospective employers include: local government; private sector planning consultancies; specialist consultancies in environmental management, urban design, transport planning; public involvement bodies; national government agencies; third sector employers including charities with an urban and rural focus; and professional bodies.

Teaching methods

The MSc Sustainable Planning course structure is based on a series of two to three day short courses and tutorials that usually run Friday and Saturday, though some modules may require a Thursday as well.

For full time students the modules run approximately twice a month which means that you will be attending classes on four weekdays and two Saturdays.

Part-time students attend the MSc Sustainable Planning short courses over two years. This makes the course easy to attend and fit around a busy workload schedule.

Structure

Core Modules
-Development Viability
-Place-making and Spatial Mediation
-Planning law, policy & practice
-Research Methods
-Spatial Planning: Theories and Strategies
-Sustainable Communities & Environment
-Sustainable Energy
-Sustainable Planning Dissertation
-Urban Design and Conservation

Optional
-Community Engagement and the Planning Process
-Planning for Rural Communities
-Research Methods
-Spatial Analysis for Planning
-Urban Regeneration
-Water Resources

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This Master's programme has a unique focus on urban design as a creative planning tool and the interface between urban design and city planning. It offers a comprehensive understanding and exposure to urban design theory and practice, and also the complexity of its interface with the city planning field.

Degree information

The programme equips students theoretically and practically, engaging academically and in practice with urban design and related fields of knowledge. Students will learn how to think critically, creatively and in analytical ways across the different city scales, from strategic to local, and across urban design, city planning, place-making, real estate and sustainability arenas.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of seven compulsory modules (105 credits), one optional module (15 credits) and a research dissertation or major research project (60 credits). A Postgraduate Diploma, eight core modules (120 credits) full-time nine months and part-time 2-5 years, is offered. A Postgraduate Certificate, four core modules (60 credits), full-time nine months is offered.

Core modules
-City Planning
-Collaborative City Planning Strategies
-Critical Debates in Urban Design and City Planning
-Design and Real Estate
-Sustainable Futures by Design
-Urban Design: Layout, Density and Typology
-Urban Design: Guidance, Incentive and Control
-Urban Design: Place Making

Dissertation/research project
MSc students have the choice between a 10,000-word dissertation or 8,000-word final major research project in planning; the dissertation being by nature a rather more analytical exercise and the project a rather more propositional one.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of individual and group project work, skills-based practical and IT work, lectures (including some by visiting practitioners), tutorials, student presentations, seminars, field trips and direct practitioner involvement. Student performance is assessed through individual and group work, essays, examinations, project work, other skills-based practical work, and a dissertation or final research project report.

Careers

Graduate students from the Bartlett School of Planning have been very successful in gaining subsequent employment. There is growing demand for our Master's graduates from a wide range of both public and private employers. On completion of this programme the majority of graduates will work in either the public or private consultancy sectors. A minority will continue in higher degree studies and research.

Employability
The Urban Design and City Planning MSc is an opportunity for students seeking to further their professional careers to specialise in urban design and, within that broad arena, to engage deeply with both the theoretical debates and practice methodologies, with particular research agendas of direct relevance to the future of their professional practice.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The UCL Bartlett School of Planning has a strong history of teaching and research at all levels. The school has been at the forefront of planning research and teaching for more than 100 years and is one of the foremost planning schools in the United Kingdom, with an international reputation.

This programme is fully accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

The Bartlett School of Planning is situated in the heart of London, which offers unique opportunities to study the complexities of contemporary urban design and planning processes, and engage with practitioners, alumni and academic guests through seminars, site visits and workshops.

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The Urban Development Planning MSc explores international practices in urban development policy, planning and management that address contemporary spatial, socio-economic and political transformations in cities of the Global South.

Degree information

This MSc aims to equip participants to work effectively as development practitioners in urban contexts through a deeper understanding of the processes that generate urban change. The programme aims to enhance their diagnostic and strategic capacities to respond to such change within the framework of socially just urban governance.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of three core modules (90 credits), one optional module (30 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits). A Postgraduate Diploma, three core modules (90 credits), one optional module (30 credits), full-time nine months, is offered.

Core modules
-The City and its Relations: Context, Institutions and Actors in Urban Development Planning
-Urban Development Policy, Planning and Management: Strategic Action in Theory and Practice
-Practice in Urban Development Planning

Optional modules - please note, not all optional modules may be available.
-Adapting Cities to Climate Change in the Global South
-An Introduction to Public Economics and Public Policy
-Critical Urbanism Studio I - Learning from Informality: Case studies and alternatives
-Critical Urbanism Studio II - Investigative Design Strategies for Contested Spaces
-Disaster Risk Reduction in Cities
-Food and the City
-Gender in Policy and Planning
-Housing as Urbanism: Housing Policy and the Search for Scale
-Housing Policies: Practical Dimensions and Alternative Options
-Industrialisation and Infrastructure
-Knowledge Systems and Sustainable Food Production
-Managing the City Economy
-Neo-Structuralism and the Developmental State
-NGOs and Social Transformation
-Participatory Processes: Building for Development
-Post Disaster Recovery: Policies, Practices and Alternatives
-Social Diversity, Inequality and Poverty
-Sustainable Infrastructure and Services in Development
-Urban Water and Sanitation, Planning and Politics
-Sustainable Infrastructure and Services in Development

Dissertation/report
All MSc students submit a 10,000-word report on a topic related to the main themes of the programme. The topic can be chosen to enhance career development or for its inherent interest.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, group work, workshops and field trips. Field trips so far have taken place in Egypt, Ghana, India, Thailand, and Tanzania. Student performance is assessed through essays, coursework, team project reports, written examinations, the overseas field trip and a 10,000-word dissertation.

Careers

This MSc is widely recognised by international organisations and agencies (such as UN agencies and the World Bank) and bilateral aid organisations from different countries. Graduate destinations range from UK-based organisations in the public, private and community sectors to governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations which operate in a development capacity in the South. Graduates have also been employed by international NGOs and aid and development agencies. Some graduates return to their home countries and engage in the practice, teaching or research of urban development practice; other graduates have successfully sought employment in international development organisations away from their own countries.

Top career destinations for this degree:
-Investment Banker, Standard Bank
-Assistant Researcher, Institute for Urban Studies, Hangzhou Normal University and studying BSc Economics, The University of London
-Research Assistant, Erzurum Technical University
-Regional Programme Assistant, Merlin
-Shelter Co-Ordinator, Save the Children

Employability
The programme aims to help students:
-Prepare balanced, critical and comparative analysis and argument based on theory and empirical evidence.
-Undertake a comprehensive diagnosis of the problems and opportunities in urban development in specific contexts.
-Formulate systematic and reasoned proposals that address the multi-dimensional complexity of various urban development situations, including organisational and institutional development.
-Build presentation, advocacy and negotiation skills.
-Develop research skills including interviewing, conceptual framework formulation, and the abilitiy to analyse a range of information sources.
-Enhance their teamwork skills.
-Operate professionally in an unfamiliar environment within the context of a developing country.

Why study this degree at UCL?

This programme argues that planning is key to dealing with urban problems and opportunities presented by rapid urbanisation in the Global South, but that its potential cannot be harnessed without a critical understanding of the processes that generate urban change in specific contexts.

The programme seeks to equip students with the capacity to develop critical diagnoses of urban issues, as a basis for developing propositional responses within the framework of socially, spatially and environmentally just urban governance.

The programme promotes a deeper understanding of community-led and partnership-based urban development planning. Students also benefit from the Development Planning Unit's longstanding and geographically exhaustive alumni and partner network.

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