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Course options

  • Qualification

    MSc - Master of Science

  • Location

    The University of Manchester

  • Study mode

    Full time

  • Start date

    01-SEP-25

  • Duration

    12 months

Course summary

Course description

MSc Planning will provide you with the range of skills necessary for a career in urban or environmental planning.

The course is aimed at graduates who want a career in planning and development, either in the public or private sector.

It will provide you with the core knowledge, competencies and skills necessary to become a chartered planning and development professional and a member of both the RTPI and the RICS.

You will gain a solid understanding of planning procedures, urban theories and spatial analysis. You will study the processes that frame planning projects, from project inception, site assessment and initial design through to the planning, implementation and scheme disposal.

Aims

You will:

  • tailor the course to your professional interests by choosing from numerous optional units;
  • develop specialist knowledge for a career in planning;
  • gain an international perspective of planning

Coursework and assessment

You are continuously assessed via a range of methods, including essays and report writing, topic papers and critical reviews, project portfolios, and assessed workshop presentations.

Formative feedback is provided through the courses both orally and in written forms to help you develop further key skills.

A 15,000-word dissertation on an approved topic is discussed and chosen at the beginning of the second semester and a suitable supervisor allocated.

Career opportunities

The course prepares you for employment in professional practice in planning in the UK or overseas, and will provide you with the academic knowledge and professional skills for employment in the private (consultancy, development industry) and public (local authorities, development agencies) sectors.

More generally, Planning and Environmental Management graduates are popular with employers, particularly in consultancy, where the ability to analyse and propose policies and implement strategies is vital. After London, Manchester hosts the largest number of planning and environmental consultancies in the UK.

Our graduates have gone on to successful careers in areas including environmental management and consultancy, urban planning and design, real estate development, urban and regional development policy, central and local government, international development, energy and water, non-governmental organisations, and research.

Top employers of our Planning and Environmental Management graduates include AECOM, Arup, Atkins, BP, EDF Energy, the Environment Agency, Jacobs, and Rolls-Royce.

If you decide not to follow a vocational career, your wide knowledge base and transferable skills in problem-solving, strategic thinking, teamwork, creativity and communication fit what most employers are seeking.

Tuition fees

Students living in United States
(International fees)

£ 24,500per year

Tuition fees shown are for indicative purposes and may vary. Please check with the institution for most up to date details.

University information

University of Manchester

  • University League Table

    22nd

  • Campus address

    The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, England

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