Urban and Regional Planning MA

The MA course will give you the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to practise professionally as a spatial planner. It is designed to meet the growing employer needs for staff who can investigate changes in the natural and built environments, manage the challenges of climate change through sustainable development, and debate and critically reflect upon the knowledge and values underpinning current approaches to land use development. Completion of the MA course is the first step to become a full member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

The course will support your personal and professional development. You will be able to work in the interdisciplinary and cross-sector environment of urban and regional development, in a variety of private, public and community contexts, and apply your knowledge to practise in specialist areas of planning. The course builds on the University's experience of delivering postgraduate courses in town planning for more than 60 years.

If you want to gain a greater understanding of spatial planning, but do not want to study for a full Masters course, we also offer an Urban and Regional Planning Postgraduate Diploma and an Urban and Regional Planning Postgraduate Certificate. Scroll to the bottom of this page to find out more about these courses. Alternatively you can study a single module(s) from the Urban and Regional Planning MA course as stand alone short courses.

Course content

The course explores the current context and content of spatial planning. It does so from a UK and European perspective, and also investigates underlying theoretical debates.

For the award of the MA students need to pass modules totalling 180 credits. Part-time Masters students usually take the equivalent of four 20 credit modules (80 credits) plus the field trip in their first year, and the equivalent of five 20 credit modules (100 credits) in their second year. MA students take all core modules and choose one specialist option module.

Associated careers

There is demand from government and the private sector for qualified planners. Recent graduates from the full-time course have gone on to work in local government, urban regeneration agencies and into consultancy.

Professional accreditation

On successful completion of the MA course students can become licentiates of the RTPI. After two years' experience in practice, they may make a submission for their Assessment of Professional Competence and, if successful, are then entitled to full RTPI membership.

Visit the Urban and Regional Planning MA page on the University of Westminster website for more details!