Masters Degrees in Planning

The Master of Planning (MPlan) degree requires two years of full-time, or the equivalent in part-time, study and entails postgraduate coursework in planning and planning-related subjects, as well as a significant piece of supervised research. There are two streams: one involving a thesis, and the other a research project. The normal admission requirement for both streams is a completed Bachelor's degree in any subject(s) relevant to planning.

A candidate's academic programme is decided at enrolment, and the research topic is determined at the end of the first year of studies. The thesis or the research project must be submitted by the end of the final year of the programme.

The MPlan is a professional qualification, and graduates are employed in local, regional and national government agencies, health boards, industry and planning consultancies in New Zealand and overseas. Some proceed to doctoral studies in preparation for employment in a university or as consultants on policy and planning.

Programme Requirements

Option A
Seven prescribed papers in planning studies with a value of 130 Points:
PLAN 411 Planning Theory
PLAN 412 Spatial Planning and Development
PLAN 435 Planning Case Study I
PLAN 438 Planning Practice
PLAN 535 Planning Case Study II
LAWS 515 Resource Management Law
One of:
LAWS 521 International Environmental Law
LAWS 540 Environmental Law
LAWS 577 Advanced Resource Management Law
One planning-related paper worth 20 Points, as approved by the Director of the Planning Programme
Thesis: PLAN 5 (90 Points)

Option B
Seven prescribed papers in planning studies with a value of 130 Points:
PLAN 411 Planning Theory
PLAN 412 Spatial Planning and Development
PLAN 435 Planning Case Study I
PLAN 438 Planning Practice
PLAN 535 Planning Case Study II
LAWS 515 Resource Management Law
One of:
LAWS 521 International Environmental Law
LAWS 540 Environmental Law
LAWS 577 Advanced Resource Management Law
Planning-related papers worth 60 Points, as approved by the Director of the Planning Programme
PLAN 590 Planning Project (50 Points)

Structure of the Programme

The programme of study shall consist of either:
Seven prescribed papers in planning studies (PLAN 411, PLAN 412, PLAN 435, PLAN 438, PLAN 535, LAWS 515, and one of LAWS 521, LAWS 540, LAWS 577) with a value of 130 points, one planning-related paper worth 20 points, as approved by the Director of the Planning Programme, and a thesis (PLAN 5) with a value of 90 points.
OR
Seven prescribed papers in planning studies (as in (a)(i) above) with a value of 130 points, planning-related papers worth at least 60 points, as approved by the Director of the Planning Programme, and a planning research project (PLAN 590) with a value of 50 points.

-With the approval of the Director of the Planning Programme, one or more papers from relevant subject areas may be substituted for a prescribed paper in planning studies worth up to 20 points.
-A candidate shall, before commencing the investigation to be described in either the planning project or the thesis, secure the approval of the Director of the Planning Programme for the topic, the supervisor(s) and the proposed course of the investigation.
-A candidate shall submit the planning project by 1 October of the year in which the coursework is completed.
-A candidate shall submit the thesis by 1 November of the year following that in which the coursework is completed.
-A candidate may not present a planning project or a thesis which has previously been accepted for another degree.

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Our Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) accredited course will provide you with comprehensive training and practical experience for a rewarding career in urban and suburban planning.

How do you balance progress with sustainability or the needs of the many with the interests of the few? These questions are ever more significant in the UK, yet qualified planners are in short supply.

Study with us and you’ll gain the all-round professional skills required to shape policy and strategy, plan sustainably, negotiate or manage the planning process, and balance competing priorities.

We explore the practical, from the technical and environmental aspects of construction to the many legal, political, social, aesthetic and economic issues you’ll consider, and reconcile, as a planner.

The MSc Town Planning is accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute and provides 2 years free student membership of the institute alongside a route to full Chartered status of the Institute attainable 2 years after graduation. This paves your way to a successful career in Town Planning.

Course content focuses on the evolving planning system, the sustainability agenda, skills for planning practice, and the role of planners in the development of space and place. The eastern region offers a fascinating laboratory for new approaches to planning, including sustainable communities, environmental challenges, new house-building provision and proximity to mainland Europe. The exploration and examination of these contemporary issues will help to develop not only your professional knowledge, but also your ability to analyse complex issues, make sound judgements, solve problems and communicate and act autonomously.

Full-time - January start, 15 months. September start, 12 months.
Part-time - January start, 33 months. September start, 28 months.

See the website http://www.anglia.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/town-planning

This course will:
• equip you for employment through a rigorous course of study
• provide you with a qualification which meets the requirements of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)
• enable you to become a reflective town and country planning practitioner
• provide you with a supportive study environment.

It is professionally accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and provides you with the knowledge and skills needed for professional practice in town and country planning. Once you have successfully completed the course and undertaken two years' practical work experience in planning, you will be eligible to apply for membership of the RTPI, which is highly regarded, both in Britain and overseas.

Your organisation can be confident that you have followed a course of study which is recognised by the RTPI for equipping students with the range of specialist professional and generic skills required to work in this challenging, creative and fast-changing profession.
On successful completion of this course you will be able to:
• understand the different historical, legal, economic, social, political, conceptual and environmental contexts that affect planning activity
• debate underlying current developments in Town Planning
• appreciate the interrelationship between theory and practice in planning decisions
• demonstrate a specialised study area of planning: urban design, housing or environmental planning
• effectively utilise systematic, creative and flexible skills to carry out the totality of planning activity
• collect, critically evaluate and communicate information from a variety of planning resource materials
• demonstrate initiative and originality in developing responses to spatial planning needs
• work effectively both in a group and individually, demonstrating self-direction and autonomy in planning and implementing tasks at professional and postgraduate level.

Core modules

Planning: Principles and Concepts
Plan making and Policy
Planning Implementation
Planning and Society
Site Studies and Urban Design
Sustainability and Environmental Management
Research Design and Methodology
Major Project/Dissertation for MSc Built Environment

Optional modules

Housing and Planning
Project Management Techniques
Facilities Management of Heritage Buildings

Links with industry and professional recognition

This course is accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute.

Associated careers

This course is designed for those who wish to follow a career in spatial planning or an associated discipline.

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Upon completing the master’s programme in Urban Studies & Planning, you will be able to:
-Understand theories and identify concepts and empirical research methods relevant to urban studies and planning from the related fields of social sciences, humanities, ecology, engineering, architecture, design and art.
-Demonstrate a working understanding of the role of urban government, policy-making and planning in urban development.
-Critically and creatively pose and answer significant research questions relevant within and across multiple fields of theory and practice.
-Gather, process and develop relevant conclusions based on information from multiple sources.
-Produce, collect and analyse cases and data relevant to urban phenomena.
-Use digital and other tools to collect, analyse and share data.
-Develop responses to urban problems using relevant tools and techniques for representing, modelling, prototyping, testing and evaluating solutions.
-Understand and develop integrated approaches within and across urban research and applied planning.
-Communicate your understanding of and responses to urban phenomena visually, graphically, orally and in writing.
-Write academic, professional and popular texts on urban themes based on relevant literature.
-Apply and develop skills for co-production of knowledge and co-design.
-Work productively and cooperatively in multidisciplinary, multiprofessional and international environments.

And in terms of knowledge and skills in relation to specialisations and professions, you will be able to:
-Apply the general knowledge and skills introduced, developed and demonstrated within the courses and thesis work.
-Place urban analyses and proposals in relation to your specialisation and contextualise them in relation to others.
-Identify, differentiate and articulate relations among various theories and methods relevant to your specialisation.
-Develop and reflect on your competence in urban studies and planning in relation to your professional role.
-Carry out independent research on urban issues in your field using relevant research methods and responsible scientific practice.
-Analyse phenomena and develop solutions through the use of digital and other tools, such as GIS and CAD.
-Fulfil specific professional degrees in accordance with the relevant professional codes and directives (such as those of architects, landscape architects, and urban planners.
-Demonstrate your competence to work as a professional and/or researcher in urban studies and planning.
-Communicate professionally and constructively with different experts, practitioners and stakeholders in the field of urban studies and planning.
-Articulate your professional identity in terms of established and emerging roles relevant to urban studies and planning.

The University of Helsinki will introduce annual tuition fees to foreign-language Master’s programmes starting on August 1, 2017 or later. The fee ranges from 13 000-18 000 euros. Citizens of non-EU/EEA countries, who do not have a permanent residence status in the area, are liable to these fees. You can check this FAQ at the Studyinfo website whether or not you are required to pay tuition fees.

Programme Contents

Urbanisation is a global phenomenon that is shaping the future of our societies. Most of the key challenges of contemporary societies are encountered and addressed in cities. Cities provide enormous economic, technical and cultural opportunities, but they are also places of social conflict and segregation as well as environmental and health problems. The magnitude of these challenges implies that no single profession or field of research can tackle them. Urban development requires an integrated approach. To this end, two prominent Finnish universities have joined forces in this unique and interdisciplinary Master’s programme.

The Master’s Programme in Urban Studies and Planning prepares you to excel as a professional capable of understanding and addressing complex urban development challenges. You will learn to address such challenges through a curriculum and pedagogical approach that includes interdisciplinary breadth as well as depth in core areas of knowledge, skills and practice. The programme balances theoretical, historical and conceptual knowledge with the acquisition of methods, skills and experience. You will thus gain a broad understanding of urban phenomena as well as practical experience in collaborative and practical situations. This is the foundation of the programme and of the elements in the curriculum.

Taking full advantage of the joint university structure, the programme unites leading expertise from the University of Helsinki and Aalto University into three major study lines. The signature elements in the programme are interdisciplinary studies that address urban challenge themes. These themes relate to urgent contemporary issues found not only in Finland but on the European and global scale, including controversies intrinsic to urbanisation. The urban challenge themes may be attached to focus areas, research projects or collaborations within our universities, municipalities and regions in order to provide a constructive and critical framework for study and practice. These themes cross the boundaries of disciplines and professions, and are united in addressing a common challenge and emphasising a forward-looking perspective.

Selection of the Major

There are three study lines in the Master’s programme in Urban Studies & Planning:

Urban Planning and Design
Urban Planning and Design (USP Plans) addresses urban development by integrating the knowledge, skills and pedagogical approaches of planning and design and by developing synergies across multiple disciplines. The constructive power of design to imagine, structure, visualise and communicate is combined with the analytical rigour and critical understanding of planning and urban governance history, methodologies and tools. USP Plans develops and deepens such skills while advancing your professional capabilities through challenge-based learning within concrete cases, multi-disciplinary collaboration, and learning-by-doing experimentation. USP Plans is oriented towards planners, architects, landscape architects, and spatial, service and strategic designers.

Urban Life, Economy and Cultures
Urban Life, Economy and Cultures (USP Peoples) addresses urban development by integrating analysis of socio-economic, digital and physical structures with planning. Here you will explore and apply theories and methodologies from the social and political sciences. The focus is on socio-spatial dynamics changes, including influences of policies and markets, actors and structures, decision-making processes, social mixing and demographics. USP Peoples deepens your knowledge of foundational studies while advancing your professional capabilities through challenge-based and collaborative learning, including situated municipal and field studies. USP Peoples is oriented towards planners, urban economists and managers and those interested in urban humanities.

Urban Ecologies and Systems
Urban Ecologies and Systems (USP Systems) addresses urban development by integrating technical and natural science knowledge. This includes methodologies for studying, assessing and planning for social and ecological resilience, technological innovation and complex adaptive systems. It applies systems approaches to identify multi-dimensional planning while retaining a holistic perspective on the complex and historical dynamics affecting multiple scales. USP Systems develops your understanding of foundational studies while advancing your professional capabilities through challenge-based and collaborative learning, including urban, digital and ecological field studies. USP Systems is oriented towards planners, engineers, architects, landscape architects, and environmental managers.

Programme Structure

The requirement for completing the Master’s programme in Urban Studies and Planning is 120 credits (ECTS), which can be done in two years. The curriculum consists of:

Core Urban Challenge Studios (20 credits)
Common urban challenge studios integrate multiple expert areas to study and address contemporary urban phenomena from different perspectives. Here you will explore urban challenge themes theoretically from different perspectives and you will address them practically within specific cases, sites or initiatives. Your teachers represent key disciplines and professions, and your studies will be conducted in cooperation with partners in research and municipalities. Examples of urban challenge themes include:
-Urban economies and the challenge of governance and welfare.
-Social integration and the challenge of urban typologies and heritage.
-Liveability and the global challenge of fast-paced cities.
-Socio-Ecological habitats and the challenge of densification.

Specialisation coursework (20 credits)
The three study lines offer courses for you to specialise within one of the three competence areas in the broad field of urban studies and planning. Both universities offer courses for each study line; these can be adapted to support your advancement, background knowledge and skills. The courses cover topics such as urban geography, urban sociology, urban ecology, urban economics, urban ethnology and history, environmental policy, urban planning, urban design, landscape architecture, real estate economics, service and strategic design, etc.

Core skills and methods coursework (20 credits)
Core skills for thesis research and professional practice are offered as basic courses. These include skills relevant to digital representation, analysis and communication, modalities and techniques of communication and argumentation, research methods and methodologies of academic research. You will learn, for example, how to use digital tools to analyse and study urban phenomena and how to illustrate your ideas and solutions visually and graphically. You will also become familiar with the theories and tools of communication and argumentation, and you will study and apply research methods.

Electives (30 credits)
You can select elective courses according to your personal study plan. You can select electives to deepen your knowledge in a specialisation or broaden your exposure to additional areas relevant to planning. For architects and landscape architects, some electives will guide your development according to the EU directive for these professions. You can also take courses at other Finnish universities, in a student exchange abroad, or in an internship in city planning and development.

Master’s Thesis (30 credits)

Career Prospects

The programme prepares you to be a professional in a field that is meaningful, growing and in demand. You will acquire the knowledge, skills and experience needed to fill both traditional and emerging planning roles (such as urban planning and design, real estate development, strategic planning, environmental planning, landscape architecture, policy and service design). To these established or emerging roles, you will bring an integrated understanding of, and training in applying, more interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to urban development. As a graduate you will be prepared to compete for local and international positions within public, private and non-profit organisations, planning, architectural and policy advisory firms, research institutes and NGOs.

Internationalization

The Master’s Programme in Urban Studies & Planning provides international scope in many ways, taking advantage of the unique Helsinki context and diverse urban contexts around the world. Each year, new students in the Master’s Programme in Urban Studies & Planning include both Finnish and international applicants. We look for students whose varied backgrounds, experiences, and education reflect the richness of contemporary society. The teachers of the programme have an international background and experience, and the programme builds on their strong international connections in their respective fields. Researchers and invited lecturers from abroad take part in the teaching of the programme. The Master’s Programme builds on the joint University of Helsinki and Aalto University Bachelor’s Program ‘Urban Academy’, including its teaching faculty, international network and advisory board of leading international experts. Your elective coursework can include a student exchange or internship abroad, and you are also encouraged to collaborate internationally on your Master’s thesis. You will thus have an opportunity to study in an international environment and acquaint yourself with different cultures. For international and Finnish students, Helsinki and Finland are well-known internationally for progressive approaches to planning. Helsinki is a UNESCO creative city; planning and design have strong roles within municipalities, government and the public sector. Finland is a European and international forerunner in technological research and innovation, such as open data in municipalities. Local and national policies support experimental and participatory culture and development. In the context of urban challenges, Helsinki provides a unique case for engaging with progressive approaches to welfare state paradigms, including public-private dynamics, changing demographics and cultures, and diverse approaches to market growth and sustainability.

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Spatial Planning determines the design of places, the relationships between land uses, and identifies infrastructure requirements. The planning process makes provision for the needs of households and the requirements of the economy, and planning aims to mitigate the adverse impacts of development upon our natural environment.

Marine Spatial Planning is a new field arising from new legislation geared to sustainable use of the marine environment. New planning procedures are being introduced and new skills are required to engage with the process. It is aimed at environmental planners and consultants working with local authorities, regulatory bodies, government, land owners and NGOs.

Why choose spatial planning?

Spatial Planning is concerned with creating sustainable places, Planners achieve this in a number of ways:

Planners work with building firms and housing organisations to help make available sites addressing the housing needs of local areas. They meet with local communities to learn about their concerns and to discuss ways of tackling issues such as the protection of homes from flood risk. They provide guidance on how to promote quality in the design of places and buildings.

Planning makes possible investment in sustainable economic development. Through preparing medium and long-term plans, planners ensure that land is available for development within and around our cities and towns. Planners often lead on regeneration projects and work in partnership with engineers to bring forward the infrastructures necessary to relieve transport congestion and to provide for long-term energy solutions.

Climate change is making achieving sustainability increasingly important. Planners, work with the environmental agencies and with conservation interests to ensure that the potential environmental impacts arising from development proposals are first established and then they use planning powers to promote a sustainable balance between social and economic development and the protection of the environment.

Who becomes a planning students?

Spatial Planning is a multi-disciplinary activity and attracts a wide mix of graduates. Often these are geography graduates, but increasingly graduates with social science, law, architecture and surveying degrees, as well as graduates from the environmental sciences find that Spatial Planning makes use of their knowledge and training.

Aims of the Programme

The Spatial Planning programmes are designed to provide the knowledge, skills and understanding required for graduates wishing to enter into professional careers in urban planning and development.

Programme Content

Semester 1:
Spatial Analysis has two key components. The first component analyses built and natural environments particularly from a conservation perspective. The second part of the module focuses on socio-economic analysis of data at a city scale and the relevance of this to planning.

Statutory Planning. is a practice based approach to learning processes processes of plan-making and the management of development.

Property Development Processes deals with complexities and challenges in the property development sector and the role of different stakeholders involved.

Semester 2:

Concepts of spatial planning introduces students to the role of planning and planning systems. The other part of this module introduces students to various planning theories and their relevance to practice.

Sustainability in Contemporary Cities examines various challenges facing the growth of cities globally and the implications of these to planning of cities and the countryside.

The third second semester module is optional depending on the selected specialism. Students select one specialist module from the following:

Environmental Assessment
Marine Spatial Planning
Sustainable Urban Design
Urban Conservation
Applied Geographic Information Systems and Geospatial Data Analysis
Semester 3:

A 60 credit dissertation in line with the selected specialism

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods cover a mix of formats including 'live' project-work and a research project. There are no written examinations. The educational aims are to develop subject understanding and to equip students with research and practice skills. Assignments call for visioning, problem-solving, forward-planning and critical reflection. Assignments are informed by students making effective use of available literature, conducting investigations and accessing sources of data. Attention is paid to building the effective communication and partnering skills vital for practicing professional planners.

Sources of Funding

Information about the School of the Environment scholarships can be found on the School of the Environment scholarships webpage. Other sources of funding for postgraduate students can be found on our Scholarships webpage.

SAAS tuition fee loans are available for this course for students who meet the eligibility criteria. Visit our SAAS tuition fee loan webpage for more information and links.

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Spatial Planning determines the design of places, the relationships between land uses, and identifies infrastructure requirements. The planning process makes provision for the needs of households and the requirements of the economy, and planning aims to mitigate the adverse impacts of development upon our natural environment.

The planning system is currently undergoing change to be better able to address the challenges of competitiveness and sustainability. There is a pressing requirement in both the public and private sectors for planners with appropriate understanding and skills to plan for development and protect the environment.

The University is a long-established provider of planning education. MSc Spatial Planning will be attractive to individuals with a real interest in tackling the challenges of important urban planning issues; MSc Spatial Planning with Urban Conservation is designed to equip graduates for professional management roles concerned with the critical interplay of transport and spatial planning.

Why choose spatial planning?

Spatial Planning is concerned with creating sustainable places. Planners achieve this in a number of ways:

Planners work with building firms and housing organisations to help make available sites addressing the housing needs of local areas. They meet with local communities to learn about their concerns and to discuss ways of tackling issues such as the protection of homes from flood risk. They provide guidance on how to promote quality in the design of places and buildings.

Planning makes possible investment in sustainable economic development. Through preparing medium and long-term plans, planners ensure that land is available for development within and around our cities and towns. Planners often lead on regeneration projects and work in partnership with engineers to bring forward the infrastructures necessary to relieve transport congestion and to provide for long-term energy solutions.

Climate change is making achieving sustainability increasingly important. Planners, work with the environmental agencies and with conservation interests to ensure that the potential environmental impacts arising from development proposals are first established and then they use planning powers to promote a sustainable balance between social and economic development and the protection of the environment.

Who becomes a planning student?

Spatial Planning is a multi-disciplinary activity and attracts a wide mix of graduates. Often these are geography graduates, but increasingly graduates with social science, law, architecture and surveying degrees, as well as graduates from the environmental sciences find that Spatial Planning makes use of their knowledge and training.

Aims of the Programme

The Spatial Planning programmes are designed to provide the knowledge, skills and understanding required for graduates wishing to enter into professional careers in urban planning and development.

Programme Content

Semester 1:
Spatial Analysis has two key components. The first component analyses built and natural environments particularly from a conservation perspective. The second part of the module focuses on socio-economic analysis of data at a city scale and the relevance of this to planning.

Statutory Planning is a practice based approach to learning processes, processes of plan-making and the management of development.

Property Development Processes deals with complexities and challenges in the property development sector and the role of different stakeholders involved.

Semester 2:
Concepts of spatial planning introduces students to the role of planning and planning systems. The other part of this module introduces you to various planning theories and their relevance to practice.

Sustainability in Contemporary Cities examines various challenges facing the growth of cities globally and the implications of these to planning of cities and the countryside.

The third second semester module is optional depending on the selected specialism. You'll select one specialist module from the following:

Environmental Assessment
Marine Spatial Planning
Sustainable Urban Design
Urban Conservation
Applied Geographic Information Systems and Geospatial Data Analysis

Semester 3:
A 60 credit dissertation in line with the selected specialism

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods cover a mix of formats including 'live' project-work and a research project. There are no written examinations. The educational aims are to develop subject understanding and to equip students with research and practice skills. Assignments call for visioning, problem-solving, forward-planning and critical reflection. Assignments are informed by students making effective use of available literature, conducting investigations and accessing sources of data. Attention is paid to building the effective communication and partnering skills vital for practicing professional planners.

Sources of Funding

Information about the School of the Environment scholarships can be found on the School of the Environment scholarships webpage. Other sources of funding for postgraduate students can be found on our Scholarships webpage.
SAAS tuition fee loans are available for this course for students who meet the eligibility criteria. Visit our SAAS tuition fee loan webpage for more information and links.

Read less

Spatial Planning determines the design of places, the relationships between land uses, and identifies infrastructure requirements. The planning process makes provision for the needs of households and the requirements of the economy, and planning aims to mitigate the adverse impacts of development upon our natural environment.

The planning system is currently undergoing change to be better able to address the challenges of competitiveness and sustainability. There is a pressing requirement in both the public and private sectors for planners with appropriate understanding and skills to plan for development and protect the environment.

The University is a long-established provider of planning education. MSc Spatial Planning will be attractive to individuals with a real interest in tackling the challenges of important urban planning issues; MSc Spatial Planning with Sustainable Urban Design is designed to equip graduates with the professional skills for resolving environmental, economic, social, cultural and spatial dimensions in designing for sustainable development.

Why choose spatial planning?

Spatial Planning is concerned with creating sustainable places. Planners achieve this in a number of ways:

Planners work with building firms and housing organisations to help make available sites addressing the housing needs of local areas. They meet with local communities to learn about their concerns and to discuss ways of tackling issues such as the protection of homes from flood risk. They provide guidance on how to promote quality in the design of places and buildings.

Planning makes possible investment in sustainable economic development. Through preparing medium and long-term plans, planners ensure that land is available for development within and around our cities and towns. Planners often lead on regeneration projects and work in partnership with engineers to bring forward the infrastructures necessary to relieve transport congestion and to provide for long-term energy solutions.

Climate change is making achieving sustainability increasingly important. Planners, work with the environmental agencies and with conservation interests to ensure that the potential environmental impacts arising from development proposals are first established and then they use planning powers to promote a sustainable balance between social and economic development and the protection of the environment.

Who becomes a planning student?

Spatial Planning is a multi-disciplinary activity and attracts a wide mix of graduates. Often these are geography graduates, but increasingly graduates with social science, law, architecture and surveying degrees, as well as graduates from the environmental sciences find that Spatial Planning makes use of their knowledge and training.

Aims of the Programme

The Spatial Planning programmes are designed to provide the knowledge, skills and understanding required for graduates wishing to enter into professional careers in urban planning and development.

Programme Content

Semester 1:
Spatial Analysis has two key components. The first component analyses built and natural environments particularly from a conservation perspective. The second part of the module focuses on socio-economic analysis of data at a city scale and the relevance of this to planning.

Statutory Planning. is a practice based approach to learning processes processes of plan-making and the management of development.Property Development Processes deals with complexities and challenges in the property development sector and the role of different stakeholders involved.

Semester 2:
Concepts of spatial planning introduces students to the role of planning and planning systems. The other part of this module introduces students to various planning theories and their relevance to practice..

Sustainability in Contemporary Cities examines various challenges facing the growth of cities globally and the implications of these to planning of cities and the countryside.

The third second semester module is optional depending on the selected specialism. Students select one specialist module from the following:

Environmental Assessment
Marine Spatial Planning
Sustainable Urban Design
Urban Conservation
Applied Geographic Information Systems and Geospatial Data Analysis

Semester 3:
A 60 credit dissertation in line with the selected specialism

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods cover a mix of formats including 'live' project-work and a research project. There are no written examinations. The educational aims are to develop subject understanding and to equip students with research and practice skills. Assignments call for visioning, problem-solving, forward-planning and critical reflection. Assignments are informed by students making effective use of available literature, conducting investigations and accessing sources of data. Attention is paid to building the effective communication and partnering skills vital for practicing professional planners.

Sources of Funding

Information about the School of the Environment scholarships can be found on the School of the Environment scholarships webpage. Other sources of funding for postgraduate students can be found on our Scholarships webpage.
SAAS tuition fee loans are available for this course for students who meet the eligibility criteria. Visit our SAAS tuition fee loan webpage for more information and links.

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The Urban and Regional Planning program at the University of Sydney is your pathway to the professional world of planning. The Planning Institute of Australia accredits this course, ensuring professional relevance and excellent employment opportunities.

Planners are strategic professionals that reconcile the complex demands of law, budgets and aesthetics to produce plans for vibrant, functional and desirable public spaces and cities. The planning program at the University of Sydney is recognised for its focus on the significant challenges of scale in planning. Our expertise in both Urban and in Regional planning means that when you study with us, you will be adept at working across the spectrum of planning works, whether for a population of 500 or for 5 million.

You will benefit from the expertise of our staff and our close ties with industry. Our academics are all active contributors to the profession, forging close links with state, national and international planning organisations. In 2012, the planning program celebrated its close ties with the Office of Urbanisation in Papua New Guinea through a Memorandum of Understanding. We regularly host prestigious international planning conferences, including the only UPE conference to be held in the Asia-Pacific. All of this combines to give you unparalleled access to the best teachers and a solid network of industry contacts as you complete your degree. This is consistently demonstrated in our high student-satisfaction and graduate employment surveys.

We give you flexible options to expand the scope of your degree by undertaking one of our exclusive enrichment options. Offered in Heritage Conservation or Urban Design, you can improve your employment prospects by taking these specialisations. No other program planning program in Australia gives you the flexibility to pursue these enrichment options

Planning is an important function in many professions. You may find yourself working as a consult alongside politicians or private companies. There is also a demand for planners by local councils and state planning authorities. Planners are allied professionals to engineers, architects and environmental consultants. They provide advice, support and their expertise in planning to ensure that proposed projects are appropriately scoped and investigated on all relevant scales. There is also an important role for planners in the development of policy, particularly in international development, where the Faculty holds expertise.

Planning is a vibrant, challenging and rewarding career. It is much more than the simple, technical evaluation of different design options. Instead, planning is infused with consideration for human welfare and social progress. The social and ecological impacts of a project are always at the forefront of a planner’s mind. Our planning program gives you the tools and approaches that will enable you to work in planning-based roles both in Australia and internationally, and can give you this experience during your degree through our extensive exchange network.

International Connections:

The Urban and Regional Planning program has strong international connections and is recognised for its expertise in the formulation of national planning strategies. Dr. Paul Jones has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Urbanisation Office in Papua New Guinea and has been instrumental in the launch of the first
national urbanisation strategy.

Students of the Urban and Regional Planning program benefit from this expertise and global connectedness. There are many exchange opportunities with institutions around the world, further expanding your understanding of urban planning in different national contexts. This all combines to give you perspectives on planning that go well beyond the classroom.

Graduates of the Master of Urban and Regional Planning are eligible, subject to professional experience requirements, for corporate membership of the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA).

To ask a question about this course, visit http://sydney.edu.au/internationaloffice/

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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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The International Planning MSc provides a strong international and comparative focus on planning, urban theory and practice. The scope of the programme primarily encompasses Europe, North America, Australia, South Africa and the Far East, and increasingly China and South-East Asia.

[Degree information]]
Students develop an appreciation of planning approaches and systems, alongside an understanding of planning as a culturally specific, context-dependent activity taking different forms in different countries and regions. The programme aims to provide students with a broad range of skills and knowledge in planning and urban theory in a global context while offering them the opportunity to develop a specialisation.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme consists of six core modules (90 credits), one specialism with two modules (30 credits), a research dissertation (60 credits), and a field trip (not credit bearing). A Postgraduate Diploma, six core modules (90 credits), two optional modules from the list of possible specialisms available (30 credits), full-time nine months, is offered.

Core modules
-Urban Design: Place Making
-Pillars of Planning
-Comparative Planning Systems and Cultures
-Critical Debates in International Planning
-Dissertation
-International Planning Project

Optional modules - students choose two linked modules from the following to form a specialist study area:
-Communities and Planning
-Planning for Housing
-Mega-Infrastructure Planning
-Sustainable Governance
-Urban Design
-Urban Regeneration
-Historic Cities
-Smart City Theory and Practice

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

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of individual and group project work, skills-based practical and IT work, traditional lectures, tutorials and seminars, field trips and direct practitioner involvement. Student performance is assessed through individual and group work, essays, examination, and skills-based practical work.

Fieldwork
Field study trip in reading week in term two; part of assessed module.

Careers

International Planning graduates have been very successful in gaining subsequent employment in various sectors. At present, there is a growing demand for our graduates from a wide range of both public and private employers in the UK and abroad. They are employed in both local and central government internationally, in global planning-related consultancies, as well as in a wide range of other related sectors, such as housing, transport and urban regeneration, as well as in public and private utility companies, teaching and research.

Top career destinations for this degree:
-Management Consultant, Boston Consulting Group
-Research Analyst, Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements (KRIHS)
-Graduate Transport Planner, Parsons Brinckerhoff
-Planning Officer, London Borough of Barnet Council
-Town Planning Graduate Professional, Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Employability
Recent graduates of the MSc in International Planning have gone on to work in a variety of international contexts and roles including leading London-based planning, design and architecture consultancies; UK-based local authorities and government offices; overseas government offices and ministries; overseas private sector consultancies in planning, design, construction and development; non-for-profit organisations and charities world-wide; academic research and teaching.

Why study this degree at UCL?

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

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

Based in the heart of London there is much for students to learn from being at the forefront of policy-relevant critical debate, empirical study and research-led teaching. The staff profile is multidisciplinary and teaching staff are actively involved in shaping the theories and debates covered in their teaching. Our annual public lectures attract pre-eminent speakers from around the world and our student body has a broad, international profile.

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This certificate provides an access route to the Department of Planning's RTPI and RICS-accredited MSc in Spatial Planning for students who do not have the usual educational qualifications necessary for entry onto the course.

It is a one-year part-time (one day per week) undergraduate-level course.

The overall aims and objectives of the course are to provide you with a general, yet critical, understanding of the planning process and some of the key issues and themes in contemporary spatial planning.

See the website http://www.brookes.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/certificate-in-spatial-planning-studies/

Why choose this course?

- Oxford Brookes' Department of Planning performs a leading role in research and consultancy, with clients and projects covering subjects from local concerns to multinational organisations, government and industry.

- Our research feeds directly into the teaching of the Certificate in Spatial Planning Studies and the department's students have the opportunity to learn directly from the most current areas of practice.

- The Certificate in Spatial Planning studies is a part- time course and Oxford, with its excellent transport links to all regions of the UK, is a particularly convenient place to study for part-time students on day release from work.

Professional accreditation

The Certificate in Spatial Planning Studies provides an entry qualification for the MSc in Spatial Planning which is accredited by both the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). This means that following graduation from the MSc in Spatial Planning and the RTPI and RICS Assessment of Profession Competence requirements, graduates can become full members of both professional bodies.

Teaching and learning

Learning methods include lectures, directed reading, workshops, seminars, and practical and project work.

Oxford Brookes' undergraduate courses are broken down into equal-sized units of study called modules, self-contained in teaching, learning and assessment.

The course is made up of four single-credit modules. Each requires about 150 hours of study over the 15 weeks - including around 36 hours of staff contact time. Formal teaching takes place over the first 12 weeks, with the last weeks available for examinations if these are part of the module assessment.

Approach to assessment

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.

Past Performance

The Certificate in Spatial Planning Studies has been running since September 2005 and the vast majority of graduates have gone on to successfully complete the MSc in Spatial Planning. Their performance on the MSc has been at least as good as that of students who have come through a more traditional route to a masters-level course. Indeed many graduates of the Certificate in Spatial Planning Studies have gone on to be awarded a Distinction in the MSc in Spatial Planning.

Attendance pattern

You will two two modules per semester, each of which is taught on the same day so you need to be at Oxford Brookes one day per week. Currently teaching takes place on Thursdays.

How this course helps you develop

The Certificate in Spatial Planning Studies, as a stand alone qualification, can help to improve internal progression and promotion prospects within organisations.

Careers

The Certificate in Spatial Planning Studies provides an entry qualification for the MSc in Spatial Planning which is accredited by both the Royal Town Planning Institute and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. This dual accreditation makes MSc in Spatial Planning graduates attractive to both the public and private sectors of planning and related built environment employers.

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 Masters 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 multi-national organisations, government and industry.

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This professionally accredited postgraduate programme has been carefully designed as a ‘fast-track’ conversion course for graduates of any discipline who wish to make a career in planning or in related fields. It aims to broaden students’ appreciation of planning and urban theory whilst providing them with the necessary skills to engage in critical and creative problem-solving.

Degree information

Students analyse the definition of, and solutions to, urban and regional planning problems and the nature of existing planning systems and practices. Emphasis is placed on the importance of a spatial and comparative perspective to planning and the need for integrated solutions to planning problems and the achievement of sustainable development.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of five core modules (90 credits), one specialism with two modules (30 credits), and a research dissertation (60 credits).

A Postgraduate Diploma, six core modules (90 credits), two optional modules from the list of possible specialisms available (30 credits), full-time nine months, is offered.

Core modules
-Urban Design: Place Making
-From Strategic Vision to Urban Plan
-Pillars of Planning
-Spatial Planning
-Critical Debates in Planning

Optional modules - students choose two linked modules from the following to form a specialist study area:
-Communities and Planning
-Housing for Planning
-Mega Infrastructure Planning
-Sustainable Governance
-Urban Design
-Urban Regeneration
-Historic Cities
-Smart City Theory and Practice

Dissertation/report
All MSc students undertake an independent research project, closely related to the specialist option chosen and linked to UK spatial planning. The project culminates in a dissertation of 10,000-words.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through individual and group project work, skills-based practical and IT work, lectures, tutorials and seminars. A short field course based in a European city outside the UK will take place in the second term. Assessment is through individual and group work, essays, examination, skills-based practical work, and the dissertation.

Careers

Graduates have been very successful in gaining subsequent employment, including core public and private sector planning careers (such as local government and local, national and international consultancies), as well as the housing and transport sectors; planning, urban regeneration and environmental agencies; public and private utility companies; think tanks and public policy organisations; environmental campaign groups; and teaching and research.

Top career destinations for this degree:
-Research Analyst, Knight Frank
-PhD in Planning, The University of Manchester
-Planning Adviser, The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)
-Transport Planner, London Borough of Camden
-PhD in Environmental Management, Seoul National University

Why study this degree at UCL?

The UCL Bartlett School of Planning (BSP) has a strong history of teaching and research. It has been at the forefront of planning research and teaching for 100 years and is one of the foremost planning schools in the United Kingdom, with an international reputation. Based in the heart of London there is much for students to learn from being at the cutting-edge of policy-relevant critical debate, empirical study and research-led teaching. The staff profile is multidisciplinary and teaching staff are actively involved in shaping the theories and debates covered in their teaching. Our annual public lectures attract pre-eminent speakers from around the world and our student body has a broad, international profile.

Although situated within global and European contexts, the focus for the programme is primarily the UK, and particularly London. London is a complex setting that provides the natural and most accessible laboratory for BSP students. An emphasis on understanding the social and physical world will lead onto a greater appreciation of how action or intervention shapes place. But at the same time, there is a concern with ethical issues as a framework for planned intervention.

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

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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.

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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
-Spatial Planning: Theories and Strategies
-Sustainable Communities & Environment
-Sustainable Energy
-Sustainable Planning Dissertation
-Transport Data Collection and Analysis
-Transport Policy & Travel Planning
-Urban Design and Conservation

Optional
-Research Methods

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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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This one-year full-time and two-year part-time MSc programme is the benchmark qualification for those wishing to enter the planning profession and is fully accredited by both the RTPI and RICS.

It takes a broad approach to the “traditional” field of city and regional or town and country planning. You will learn to integrate concerns across the board, including those of economy, climate change, and social need.

The emphasis is on developing a broad and flexible level of knowledge and understanding, enabling you to adapt to developing pressures during your career.

The course combines core planning education with the development of expertise in specialist areas. Our links with practitioners in both the private and public sectors ensures that the course remains at the cutting edge of practice.

The MSc provides full Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) accreditation. The PGDip must be combined with a specialist MSc dissertation for this full accreditation.

See the website http://www.brookes.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/spatial-planning/

Why choose this course?

- It is viewed as the first choice for planning training by a range of employers including local authorities, the Environment Agency and major planning consultancies.

- Frequent guest lectures from industry leaders give you the chance to make important contacts for your future career.

- Learn more about current developments from professionals and academics through our Planning seminar series.

- The department is based in the modern and well equipped Abercrombie building, part of an award-winning recent redevelopment of the campus.

- Access to top-of-the-range facilities including studios, IT suites and computer programs, as well as three libraries and 24/7 online databases which contain all the academic material you require to be successful in their postgraduate studies.

- Study in the world-famous student city of Oxford, a particularly fascinating place for those interested in cities, transport and sustainability.

Professional accreditation

The MSc in Spatial Planning is fully accredited by both the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). This means that on graduation you can complete the Assessment of Professional Competence programmes of these professional bodies and become a full member.

In order to attain full accreditation for both the RTPI and RICS, graduates must combine the Postgraduate Diploma in Spatial Planning with one of our specialist master's programmes. These include: an MSc in Environmental Assessment and Management, an MSc in Historic Conservation, an MSc in Urban Planning: Developing and Transitional Regions, or the MA in Urban Design.

Teaching and learning

Learning methods include lectures, directed reading, workshops, seminars, and practical and project work. Some modules include site visits and fieldwork.

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

Approach to assessment

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

The MSc in Spatial Planning includes a compulsory overseas field trip that is part of the two semester 1 core modules. The field trip is designed to provide students with practical examples and experience of planning in another European country.

The trip usually takes place in mid-November and normally includes three to four nights away from the UK. In the past, this field trip has been to Barcelona, Amsterdam and Lyon. The teaching staff are constantly reviewing new destinations that can best contribute to students' overall planning education.

Other half or full-day field trips often form part of the individual programmes of specialist modules.

Attendance pattern

Teaching is organised on a module-credit basis. Each module involves approximately 200 hours of personal study and approximately 36 hours of staff contact, normally delivered through three-hour teaching blocks over a 12-week period.

In recent years, teaching has been largely concentrated on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with two modules taught on each day. Generally the first year of the part time course takes place on Thursdays, and the second year on Tuesdays, whilst the full time course has teaching on both these days.

How this course helps you develop

Our courses make much use of invited lectures from planning practice, allowing students to get a feel for the world of current nature of the planning and development industry. In addition the wide spread of backgrounds and current work positions among students on our courses gives access to much valuable experience within each planning cohort.

Careers

Not only is the MSc in Spatial Planning seen as the benchmark qualification for professional planners, it is also widely recognised as providing the transferable skills and critical knowledge necessary in many fields of work in the built and natural environment.

Local government is just one of very many career opportunities available to MSc in Spatial Planning graduates.

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. They can also be found in similar positions in organisations across the globe.

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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