MSc in Planning and Development
Belfast, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 up to 2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Request earliest startdate
TUITION FEES
GBP 21,500 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for EU and international
Introduction
Completion of this one-year conversion Master's, following your undergraduate qualification, will allow you to become an accredited planner.
Planning is a fascinating subject to study at university. It is about changing the places within which we live. How we can transform and improve our cities, towns, villages, neighbourhoods, and communities. So, it affects our everyday lives and is an extremely exciting discipline to study at university. A Planning degree provides you with the knowledge and skills to be able to make decisions that shape the processes of growth and development. We currently face many major challenges - for example, attracting investment, creating jobs, protecting the environment, energy policy, housing supply, transport links, providing local amenities, and protecting health and wellbeing - and Planning affects how these things happen. Therefore, as future planners, you will have a very important role to play in shaping the future. Planning is a broad subject matter and planners perform many different roles relating to the natural, physical, economic, social, and cultural environments that we live in. Given this, Planning offers a wide spectrum of employment opportunities. Studying Planning will equip you with the knowledge to understand how cities, towns, villages, communities, and neighbourhoods function and operate, and then have the skills to make decisions that shape how they grow and prosper. The discipline of Planning is located in the School of Natural and Built Environment, David Keir Building on Stranmillis Road, Belfast.
The course’s primary focus is on attaining a professional qualification. It is designed as a conversion Master's for graduates in any undergraduate subject to provide a broad knowledge of planning and the professional skills and experience you’ll need to forge a career in this area. Your dissertation may be a work-based project, working for a client organization on a brief that they commission. You will learn the use of techniques (GIS, design software, statistical analysis) but more importantly, how to apply them to solve problems, create new solutions for the built environment, and understand the complexity of environmental management.
The Environment
You’ll be working in an applied problem-solving environment, confronting genuine challenges in the field, and making a real contribution to sustainable environments. We emphasize projects on live planning problems such as a Development Plan exercise for a client (local authority), on studio work and applied learning outside the class including problem-solving with controversial proposals, such as fracking and windfarm applications. You’ll work with your fellow students in teams to find practical approaches to the management and development of the built environment.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Applicants are advised to explore fully the funding opportunities for studying in the UK, for example, international students may find funding is available from sources within their own countries.
The funding set out in this section includes funding available from the University and from some external sources. Information provided in this section is intended to highlight some sources of funding: it is not a comprehensive list of funding sources.
Applying for funding which is available from the University is part of an integrated, online, postgraduate admissions process. An offer of a place at Queen’s does not constitute an offer of financial support.
For 2023 entry, Faculties and Schools in the University will be setting their own deadlines for postgraduate applications for admissions, studentships and scholarships. Applicants who wish to apply for postgraduate funding available from the University for 2023 entry should refer to the relevant Faculty and School websites for information.
- The Department for the Economy will provide a tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 per NI / EU student for postgraduate study.
- A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £11,836 for taught and research Masters courses in all subject areas.
Curriculum
Course Content
An intensive program to prepare graduates from a broad range of disciplines for a career in planning and development. It is overseen by professional Partnership Boards of practitioners, academics, and members of the Institutes, and accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
You’ll develop relevant skills in ICT, problem-solving, teamwork, and aspects of urban design; you’ll gain awareness of your ethical responsibilities; and you’ll benefit from a strong emphasis on the practical skills and knowledge required for theoretically-informed practice.
Semester 1 Modules
- Introduction Planning Theory and Practice
- Environmental Planning & Governance
- Planning Skills & Ethics
- International Planning Studies
- GIS & Spatial Analysis
Semester 2 Modules
- Design in the Built Environment
- Property Development
- Professional Practice Project
- Community Planning & Regeneration
- Planning Law and Practice
Semester 3 Module
Independent Specialist Research Project
Time spent in Classes, Tutorials/Seminars/Labs, and Private Study in a Teaching Semester
Approximately 10 hours per week in lectures, 4 hours in practical project work, and 4 hours in tutorials.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Our graduates end up in leading positions in central and local government, planning consultancies in the private sector and in NGOs. Former students have also gained employment in related fields of housing, renewable energy, heritage and environmental advocacy internationally.
Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes alongside sterling integration with business experts helps our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally.