Masters Degrees in Urban Planning

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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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'.

See the website http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/courses/course-finder/urban-planning-design-ma

Modules

Year 1:
- Planning history and theory
This module examines the history of planning and the evolution of the theories and ideas that have underpinned the various attempts to intervene in the natural and built environment through the institution of state-led planning systems. It stresses the concept of theory as understanding, the interlinked nature of history and theory and the importance for the development of planning practice.

- Urban design- the heart of planning
The module will focus on the future of an area of London that has undergone radical change in recent years and is the subject of complex and intense pressures for development. The area will have a number of constraints such as being in a Conservation Area and including listed buildings and part of the work will be to assess the balance to be struck between the parts that are of historic value, the parts that are to change and the form of new development, in an area that is complex culturally, socially and economically. The underlying theme to the module is the belief that planners must be able to visualise possible futures for sites in such a way that is positive.

- Urban design project
This project based module provides you with the opportunity to extend and develop your urban design skills in a practical context in relation to the planning process and the urban context for design. You'll also review theories and approaches to urban design in the context of real projects and places in use as well as your own work. Whenever possible the module will be linked to 'live' projects and areas and cases of current interest.

- Sustainable places (with EU field study visit)
This module examines sustainability issues and challenges and the initiatives and responses from spatial planning and related agencies, institutions and organisations in the context of a European field study visit. The module will provide you with a detailed knowledge and understanding of the different forces at work within a region or city context. You'll develop your understanding of sustainability issues and the impact of climate change; recognise the processes of change and identify issues and mechanisms that allow an area to develop to fulfil its potential as well as respond to environmental and related challenges.

- Everyday life: place and performance
On this module you'll focus on the importance of 'the user' and the part spatial planning and urban design play in shaping the settings for the events of everyday life. You'll be introduced to theoretical standpoints from literature, history and other precedents for this approach and will have the opportunity to apply and develop practice in a way that is both innovative and practical, focussed on 'planning' but also multidisciplinary. Each year the module will have a different location and focus to gradually build up a range of materials for research and documentation.

- Planning in London
You'll examine the planning context of London as a World City, as a centre for financial industries and as a home to millions of people. You'll find it particularly useful as an introduction to town planning in the UK and for understanding how a major city functions.

- Dissertation
On this module you'll engage with a substantial piece of research and writing which is self-initiated and supported by a specified academic supervisor. This is a double-weighted module that runs over two semesters and is an intensive piece of student-devised learning which normally includes empirical research. You'll choose your own research topic, which must be in the field of your chosen specialism. You can expect this to be a most rewarding experience and the academic high-point of your degree.

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, design and practice-based projects, presentations and a dissertation. There are no exams on this programme

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.

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.

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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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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.

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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 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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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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Associated with the research group Cass Cities, this Spatial Planning and Urban Design MA embeds you amongst the city-focused researchers of The Cass. Architecture, urban design and planning subjects are explored while you're introduced to a live site in London at the forefront of urban change. Resources and connections across the city are here to help support you throughout your studies. In the most recent (2014-15) Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey, 100% of graduates from this course were in work or further study within six months.

More about this course

The Spatial Planning and Urban Design MA is associated with Cass Cities, a group of doers, thinkers and researchers at The Cass led by Professor Mark Brearley.

The course combines the disciplines of architecture, urban design, and planning to help you become effective in all aspects of urban understanding. We'll encourage you to become an architect and architectural designer who understands how to intervene strategically in city-level architecture and planning.

Cass Cities engages in urban research and proposition. Urban change happens when people with ideas, knowledge and experience work in creative ways to transform cities. This happens through designing buildings, engaging with local communities, developing masterplans, re-thinking public transport networks and informing policy change.

We'll nurture your ability to form architectural propositions and develop a strong spatial judgement, but we'll also emphasise that there is much more to city processes than building design.

You'll work in the Cass Cities Unit alongside postgraduate architects, and every year we choose live and significant sites which are at the forefront of urban change, with a strong focus on London. There will be work on these live projects as well as the attendance of meetings on relevant topics and access to influential decision-makers in London. These resources and connections will help you direct your work in professional, practical and influential ways.

The projects produced in the unit are concerned with the shaping of both buildings and places. You'll participate in contemporary debates in all forms as a proposer, responder and observer.

Get a taste of things to come by watching this video of Professor Mark Brearley talking about the MA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkCHzBzQOcs

The course can lead to a further MA by Project or PhD research opportunities.

Assessment is through a range of methods, including written coursework submissions and design portfolio presentation.

Modular structure

The modules listed below are for the academic year 2016/17 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.

Year 1 modules include:
-Design Thesis (core, 60 credits)
-Economics of Place (core, 20 credits)
-Planning and Urban Practice (core, 20 credits)
-Planning and Urban Theory (core, 20 credits)
-Research for Spatial Planning and Specialism (core, 20 credits)
-Sustainable Communities and Governance of Place (core, 20 credits)
-Urban Design (core, 20 credits)

After the course

The course is designed for practicing planners and architects wishing to specialise in urban design, as well as urban design practitioners who require knowledge of spatial planning. It is also suitable for graduates with relevant degrees who wish to obtain a postgraduate qualification in planning or urban design. Graduates of this course have gone on to become urban designers and freelance consultants.

If you are a student who has already obtained a relevant London Met first degree, especially in architecture, and wish to progress into the above professions, then we recommend you consider this MA course. Even if you come from a background that does generally do not progress into spatial planning or urban design positions, this course will be of advantage to you in your career.

Moving to one campus

Between 2016 and 2020 we're investing £125 million in the London Metropolitan University campus, moving all of our activity to our current Holloway campus in Islington, north London. This will mean the teaching location of some courses will change over time.

Whether you will be affected will depend on the duration of your course, when you start and your mode of study. The earliest moves affecting new students will be in September 2017. This may mean you begin your course at one location, but over the duration of the course you are relocated to one of our other campuses. Our intention is that no full-time student will change campus more than once during a course of typical duration.

All students will benefit from our move to one campus, which will allow us to develop state-of-the-art facilities, flexible teaching areas and stunning social spaces.

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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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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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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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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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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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JCU’s tropical urban and regional planning programs are designed for planners in urban, shire and regional settings. They also provide scope for allied professionals to widen their knowledge in the field of planning.
Emphasis is placed on the interactions of humans and the environment, and the particular characteristics of settlements and issues in remote and tropical environments.
The course has been designed in consultation with the Planning Institute of Australia, Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, Australian Institute of Architects, and state and commonwealth departments and organisations. The Master of Applied Science is professionally accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia.

Course learning outcomes

The graduates of James Cook University are prepared and equipped to create a brighter future for life in the tropics world-wide.
JCU graduates are committed to lifelong learning, intellectual development, and to the display of exemplary personal, professional and ethical standards. They have a sense of their place in the tropics and are charged with professional, community, and environmental responsibility. JCU graduates appreciate the need to embrace and be acquainted with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of Australia. They are committed to reconciliation, diversity and sustainability. They exhibit a willingness to lead and to contribute to the intellectual, environmental, cultural, economic and social challenges of regional, national, and international communities of the tropics.
Graduates of the Master of Tropical Urban and Regional Planning at James Cook University will be able to:
*Integrate and apply an advanced body of theoretical and technical knowledge, including understanding of recent developments, in urban and regional planning in the tropics
*Retrieve, analyse, synthesise and evaluate complex information, concepts and theories from a range of sources
*Plan and conduct reliable, evidence-based laboratory and/or field experiments/practices by selecting and applying methods, techniques and tools, as appropriate to urban and regional planning in the tropics
*Organise, analyse and interpret complex planning data using advanced mathematical, statistical, qualitative and technological skills
*Communicate theoretical propositions, methodologies, social science and scientific data, arguments and conclusions clearly and coherently to specialist and non-specialist audiences through advanced written and oral English language skills and a variety of media
*Identify, analyse and generate solutions to unpredictable or complex problems, especially related to tropical, rural, remote or Indigenous contexts, by applying planning knowledge and skills with initiative and expert judgement
*Critically review regulatory requirements, ethical principles and, where appropriate, cultural frameworks, to work effectively, responsibly and safely in diverse contexts
*Reflect on current skills, knowledge and attitudes to manage their professional learning needs and performance, autonomously and in collaboration with others
*Apply knowledge of research principles, methods, techniques and tools to plan and execute a substantial research-based project, capstone experience and/or piece of scholarship.

Award title

MASTERS OF TROPICAL URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING (MTURP)

Entry requirements (Additional)

English band level 1 - the minimum English Language test scores you need are:
*Academic IELTS – 6.0 (no component lower than 5.5), OR
*TOEFL – 550 (plus minimum Test of Written English score of 4.0), OR
*TOEFL (internet based) – 79 (minimum writing score of 19), OR
*Pearson (PTE Academic) - 57

If you meet the academic requirements for a course, but not the minimum English requirements, you will be given the opportunity to take an English program to improve your skills in addition to an offer to study a degree at JCU. The JCU degree offer will be conditional upon the student gaining a certain grade in their English program. This combination of courses is called a packaged offer.
JCU’s English language provider is Union Institute of Languages (UIL). UIL have teaching centres on both the Townsville and Cairns campuses.

Minimum English language proficiency requirements

Applicants of non-English speaking backgrounds must meet the English language proficiency requirements of Band 1 – Schedule II of the JCU Admissions Policy.

Why JCU?

James Cook University brings together a team of academic and associate staff across multiple disciplines.
*Nationally-recognised leader in geoscience
*major research centres including the Centre for Tropical Urban and Regional Planning
*internationally-acclaimed academic teaching staff
*strong collaboration with industry and research organisations, both locally and internationally.

Career Opportunities

A postgraduate qualification from JCU can enhance your career prospects, enable you to reskill and change careers completely, or develop a specialist area of expertise and personal interest.
The tropical north, in particular northern Queensland, is experiencing a wave of population and economic growth which drives urban and infrastructural development. New developments create substantial planning challenges that span social, economic and environmental spheres. Currently, there is a critical nationwide shortage of planners.
Qualifications from the Centre for Tropical Urban and Regional Planning’s (CTURP) industry oriented courses will open plenty of opportunities for graduates as planners, policy makers, consultants, researchers, and impact assessors for government agencies at federal, state and local levels, environmental planning firms, environmental assessment consultants, property development companies, regional development organisations, and non-government agencies (e.g. overseas aid organisations).

Application deadlines

*1st February for commencement in semester one (February)
*1st July for commencement in semester two (mid-year/July)

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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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