International Planning and Development MSc

The MSc International Planning and Development aims to provide a broad education in international planning and development, enabling you to acquire the knowledge and critical understanding to make a significant contribution to the management of human settlements and urban systems. The course is suitable for those who want to work in the planning profession and especially those who want to gain an international perspective on planning and development issues.

The course tackles the challenges of urbanisation in the 21st century. Since 2008, more than half the world's population has lived in cities. Cities are crucibles of culture, knowledge and innovation, but also harbour poverty and exclusion; globalisation, environmental pollution, and climate change all threaten the well-being of urban residents.

This course spans the disciplines of spatial planning and development studies, enabling you to acquire the knowledge and critical understanding to make a significant contribution to the design and management of cities.

Core teaching focuses on issues of development and underdevelopment, city futures in a globalising world, and creation of space and place within different political, cultural, economic and environmental contexts. Options enable you to follow specialisms in urban design, real estate and housing – or a general route with options in planning, environment, transport, real estate, site planning, regeneration and housing. The dissertation is an opportunity for you to develop your specialist interests.

Distinctive features

• The course capitalises on the research and teaching links the School has with countries throughout Europe and the world. Staff have experience and long-standing academic and professional links in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

• Accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), allowing completion of the educational requirement for RICS membership.

• This is a combined planning course, fully recognised by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). Successful completion of the MSc, followed by a period in practice as indicated in the RTPI’s Assessment of Professional Competence, allows direct membership entry.

• No previous planning education or experience is required to undertake the course.

Structure

This course is offered full-time over 12 months and is divided into two parts:

• Part one includes the taught programme of core and optional modules, allowing you to develop specialist skills and knowledge to support a range of career paths. Cutting-edge techniques in planning and international development are taught where relevant.
• Part two is the individual dissertation which allows you to develop advanced postgraduate research skills.

Your taught modules will have a credit value of 120 and the dissertation is 60 credits. Acquisition of 120 credits will lead to an award of a Diploma in International Planning and Development, and acquisition of 180 credits to the award of MSc International Planning and Development.

Core modules:

Development and Urbanisation Processes
Planning City Futures
Researching Spatial Planning and International Development
Space and Place: International Planning Practice
Dissertation

Optional modules:

Site Planning, Design & Development
Environmental Policy and Climate Change
Planning and Real Estate
Designing Cities
Housing in a Globalising World
Planning for Sustainability
Sustainable Transport Policies

Teaching

Core teaching focuses on issues of development and underdevelopment, city futures in a globalising world, and creation of space and place within different political, cultural, economic and environmental contexts.

Optional modules will enable you to follow specialisms in urban design, real estate and housing – or a general route with options in planning, environment, transport, real estate, site planning, regeneration and housing.

The dissertation provides an opportunity for you to develop your specialist interests.

Assessment

Modules are summatively assessed by way of coursework. Assessment methods used may include essays, reports, project work and verbal presentations.

Essays and reports will be used to test your core knowledge and powers of analysis. They will allow you to employ knowledge generated during the modules in pieces of policy evaluation or sustainable development in action.

Project work will develop your skills in project design and implementation, and spatial awareness to test subject skills in planning.

Seminar presentations and debates will encourage you both to develop and clarify your understanding of core knowledge (in order to defend a debating a position) and give you an opportunity to enhance your oral presentation skills.

Career Prospects

This course offers the knowledge and expertise for a career in academia, government and the private sector, in a wide variety of organisations including international agencies, central or local government, consultancy and NGOs.