International Planning and Sustainable Development MA
University of Westminster
Key Information
Select location
Campus location
London, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
1 year
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
GBP 15,000 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Sep 2024
* international | UK: £9,500
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Introduction
This course is aimed at built environment professionals and others with a relevant social or physical science background who wish to gain an in-depth understanding of planning and sustainable development, whether to improve career prospects in their country or enter international practice. Through the course, you'll examine the growing problems of sustainable development facing cities, regions and communities in a rapidly urbanising world, subject to growing climate change and other environmental, economic and social pressures and risks.
Based in London, you'll have access to the internationally recognised experience of spatial planning for sustainable development and explore contemporary theories, public policy thinking and good practice in planning in both the developed and developing worlds. The University of Westminster is the UK's first Habitat Partner University. We work with UN-HABITAT and other like-minded institutions to promote the socially and environmentally sustainable development of towns, cities and regions in accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and New Urban Agenda.
The course benefits from having strong links with the Max Lock Centre, an international development research unit, which is part of the wider Research Community for Sustainable Cities and Urban Environments. Associated research and consultancy focus on the planning of cities and regions towards a sustainable and low-energy future and the exploration of the environmental and social impact of concentrating people and economic activity in cities and urban areas, including the consequences for surrounding rural areas.
This course explores contemporary theories, public policy thinking and good practice in planning that spans both developed and developing world contexts and offers you the opportunity to explore one area of specialism in a related field in some depth.
Course pathways
There are two Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) accredited pathways through the course. The Spatial Planning Pathway has a strong urban design component and an emphasis on the development planning process. The Urban Resilience Pathway provides a sustainable development-focused route with a core emphasis on climate change mitigation and adaptation planning. Urban design, planning and sustainability are mainstream elements across the course with the pathways providing an additional opportunity to specialise.
Although there is an opportunity in the course to develop a range of communication skills, including graphic presentation, pre-existing design experience is a strong advantage for those considering the Spatial Planning Pathway. The Urban Resilience Pathway offers an opportunity to explore this growing area of planning interest in a world facing climate change and biodiversity emergencies.
Top reasons to study with us
- Learn from experts – You’ll be taught by academics and practitioners, experts in the field, who are involved in the publication, research and consultancy for a variety of organisations in the UK and internationally.
- Professional links – We have close links with professional practice, and members of our teaching team are active in professional associations.
- Accredited course – The Spatial Planning and Urban Resilience MA pathways each have full Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) accreditation as a ‘Combined Planning Programme’. This provides the basis for becoming a full Chartered Member of the RTPI following two years of professional practice as a Licentiate Member.
Why study this course?
- Taught by experts
You’ll be taught by academics and practitioners, experts in the field, who are involved in the publication, research and consultancy for a variety of organisations in the UK and internationally. - An accredited course
The Spatial Planning and Urban Resilience MA pathways each have full Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) accreditation as a ‘Combined Planning Programme’. - Field trip
You’ll go on an international planning field trip, which will introduce you to research methods and methodologies specific to urban and spatial research, design and planning.
Course accreditation
The Spatial Planning and Urban Resilience MA Pathways each have full RTPI accreditation as a ‘Combined Planning Programme’.
Career Opportunities
Graduates from the course may secure promotion within their existing or a new related area of work or move onto more responsible positions. This may include management posts or the responsibility for project or policy development. It is expected that graduates will enhance their potential to be considered for development positions outside their home country.
Graduates from this course can expect to find employment as planners or urban designers, urban regeneration or environmental management specialists in private consultancy, local and national government, and non-governmental sectors in their own country or internationally, including providing urban and sustainability planning expertise to international development agencies.
- Industry knowledge
We have close links with professional practice, and members of our teaching team are active in professional associations. - Choose your specialism
You can choose one of the course’s two pathways to explore an area of specialism in depth. - Employers around the world
The University’s Careers and Employability Service has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping all our students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers.
Industry links
Our teaching staff maintain close links with the RTPI International Development Committee and has worked closely with the RTPI, RIBA, ICE, RICS and international NGOs on disaster risk management issues.
Internationally, we have close links with international organisations such as UN-HABITAT, UNHCR and the World Bank. We also have ongoing connections with a range of large consultancies operating in planning, sustainability and international development, as well as local authorities in the UK.
Job roles
This course will prepare you for roles such as:
- Urban and regional planner
- Environmental planner
- International development expert
- International urban planner and designer
- Sustainable development specialist
Graduate employers
Graduates from this course have found employment at organisations including:
- AECOM
- Atkins Global
- Corporation of London
- IMC Worldwide
- IPE Triple Line
- World Bank
Westminster Employability Award
Employers value graduates who have invested in their personal and professional development – and our Westminster Employability Award gives you the chance to formally document and demonstrate these activities and achievements.
The award is flexible and can be completed in your own time, comprising a set of core and optional extracurricular activities.
Activities might include gaining experience through a part-time job or placement, signing up to a University-run scheme – such as mentoring or teaching in a school – or completing online exercises.
Admissions
Curriculum
The following modules are indicative of what you will study in this course. Other modules with course-related learning outcomes may be taken subject to timetabling constraints and the agreement of the course and module leaders.
Core modules – both pathways
- Planning in a Globalising World
- Sustainable Neighbourhood Development and Management
- Sustainable Cities and Neighbourhoods
- International Spatial Planning Practice
- Planning Skills and Research Methods
- Dissertation or Major Project
- International Planning Field Trip
Core module for Spatial Planning pathway
- Urban Form and Growth
Core module for Urban Resilience pathway
- Planning for Urban Risk and Resilience
Option modules
- Environmental Policy, Assessment and Climate Change
- Place and Experience in Design for Urban Spaces
- Emerging Landscapes and Urban Ecologies
- Urban Design Project
- Housing and Urban Regeneration
- Communities Towards Sustainability – Public Engagement
- Conservation and Heritage
- Information Management Applications for Urban Planning
- Destination Development – Case Study Perspectives
- Land Use, Planning and Transport
- Traffic and Streets
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Program Tuition Fee
Scholarships and Funding
The University is dedicated to supporting ambitious and outstanding students and we offer a variety of scholarships to eligible undergraduate students, which cover all or part of your tuition fees.
English Language Requirements
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