MSc Sustainable Planning

Course Details

Course Subject

Total Credit

180

Qualification

Postgraduate Taught

Awarding Body

University of Hertfordshire

Academic Level

Level 7

Course Location

Hatfield

Course Duration

1 Year

Course Fees

£ 16450 Yearly

MOI

Accepted

OIETC

Accepted

Intakes

January/September

Work Placement

About The Course

About the course

The MSc Sustainable Planning is delivered in the Ebenezer Howard School of Planning, reflecting our unique location in the county which houses the world’s first garden cities and our focus on exploring the contemporary planning implications of this placemaking patrimony.

Planning plays 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.

The breadth of material covered will give you the skills you need in order to meet contemporary sustainability challenges in planning cities and rural areas. The planning system provides one of the most sophisticated mechanisms for regulating environmental change, global environmental, social and economic problems and implementing sustainability principles.

You’ll benefit from a wide range of modules, from Planning Law, Policy and Practice to Sustainable Energy and Urban Design and Conservation. You’ll choose between three pathways: MSc Sustainable Planning, MSc Sustainable Planning and Environmental Management and MSc Sustainable Planning and Transport.

This programme offers you opportunities to gain valuable skills in a much needed and fast changing professional area and makes you highly employable in a diverse range of disciplines which will allow you to contribute to the creation of more sustainable urban environments.

Why choose this course?

This exciting course is specifically aimed at people wishing to gain expertise in contemporary sustainability issues. It provides graduates with excellent career opportunities in a complete range of planning specialisms.

Through our problem-based approach, you’ll benefit from a stimulating learning environment which challenges you through real planning issues and case studies. You’ll learn the role planning plays in addressing, and solve key sustainability concerns, including climate change, urban sprawl, social cohesion, and demands for personal mobility. You’ll also get to use the latest techniques including GIS; urban design tools and community engagement techniques such as charrettes.

Throughout the course, you’ll be supported by research-active staff, and insights from a broad range of practitioner lecturers, who will encourage you to explore the latest research, applications of knowledge and case studies in the industry.

You’ll have the opportunity to go on field trips locally and further afield. The University of Hertfordshire is uniquely located near the world’s first Garden City – nearby Letchworth Garden City – and the first New Towns. Additionally, our Comparative Planning Practice module includes a residential visit to explore and compare transport planning systems in a different policy context. Any travel and accommodation costs of field trips are included in course fees.

Whether you have experience or a previous degree in planning, or a related discipline, this course will enable you to broaden your horizons and excel in your career. Previous students have joined the course from a range of backgrounds, including:

students who have had work experience in planning, or a related discipline
new graduates starting out their career in planning with a first degree in geography, environmental science, conservation, sociology, architecture and urban studies
students from other discipline who have developed an interest in planning through voluntary work, work experience or project work.

Whatever your background, this course will give you the skills you need to succeed.

We’re proud to have ranked 9th overall for geography, earth and environmental studies in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES, Advance HE, 2023). You can be confident in knowing you’re receiving an exceptional learning experience when you study this course.

English Requirement

You have to get at least 6.5 band socre of IELTS

General Requirement

Entry requirements and key information

An honours degree with a minimum classification of second class(2.2) or higher in any subject.

For country specific international qualifications please check here.

If English is not your first language, you will need a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent. If you do not have the required level of English for entry, our academic English courses can help you to achieve this level.