Intro

The specialism of this course is sustainable coastal communities with a focus on climate change and flood risk, making it very relevant to our current times and location. You will gain the understanding, skills and experience to practise as a professional town and country planner or surveyor.

This course mixes theory and practice so that you'll learn to think and act both locally and globally and how to apply your knowledge in the real world.

You will be equipped to critically evaluate how urban development is regulated to bring about the best social, economic and environmental outcomes through an exploration of the issues which affect the built environment.

This course is dual accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and is the only RTPI and RICS-accredited course on the south coast. Our delivery is made richer as a result of our direct engagement with the RTPI and the RICS, along with the Town and Country Planning Association and the Royal Geographic Society, as well as agencies, local authorities, the UK government and EU advisory bodies.

The programme promotes critical thinking, community engagement, partnership building and leadership. It is taught from an outstanding location by the sea, the nearby South Downs National Park and a 180-degree catchment area. Each year, we run an optional but recommended international study visit. In the past, this has been to the Netherlands or France.

Find out about the RTPI Future Planners bursaries for 2023 students.

Find out about postgraduate events

Key facts

Location 91快活林: Moulsecoomb

Full-time 1 year
Part-time 2 years

Accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

Please review the entry requirements carefully and if you have any questions do get in touch with us.

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

Degree and experience
Normally a 2:2 honours degree in an appropriate subject.

English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. Find out more about the other English qualifications that we accept.

International requirements and visas

International requirements by country
Country name
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

View our English language courses

For pre-sessional English preparation courses.

For degree preparation courses.

Visas and immigration advice

Applying for a student visa

Check out our step-by-step guidance.

Course content

Course structure

In order to meet the high professional standards required by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), students are required to complete four core modules as part of the course and have the opportunity for specialist study in allied areas.

Course delivery is divided into three parts.

A taught portion requiring attendance at the university for lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, laboratory classes, individual supervision sessions and team working.
An individual research programme (the masters project) where you will broaden your learning and develop research skills directed at critical appraisal, examine innovative solutions to the problem at hand, and are taught to produce and defend a written thesis on a selected town planning topic with a university-based supervisor.
An individual professional learning log using an industry-based mentor.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through .

Areas of study

All students will study six core modules and choose four option modules. These will allow you to specialise in the areas of the course that interest you the most.

Core modules

Planning Theory and Practice
Policy and Implementation in Town Planning
Sustainable Urbanism in Coastal Communities
Comparative Practice in Property and Planning
Masters Research Skills and Dissertation
Learning Log (non-credit bearing module for the RTPI-accredited MSc Town Planning final award)

Options*

Situate
Introduction to GIS
Contested Natures and Social Justice
Environmental Impact Assessment
Case Studies in Environmental Assessment and Management
Sustainable Urbanism in Coastal Communities
Comparative Practice in Property and Planning
Critical Readings in Spatial Design
Sustainable Construction
Applications in GIS
Environmental Management in Organisations
Environmental Policy and Law
Independent Study
Environment Placement

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Meet the team

Georgia Wrighton, MRTPI, course leader and senior lecturer

Georgia joined the university in January 2019 from a role teaching sustainable planning. She has over 28 years of experience as a planner working in the fields of planning education, local government, community planning, and third sector campaigning.

Andrew Coleman, MSc MRTPI FRGS, senior lecturer

Andrew previously worked at the Environment Agency where he was lead planning advisor advising government officials on planning policy for flooding, coastal change and water planning policy, and National Policy Statements on energy, transport, wastewater and hazardous waste. He was seconded to government departments during the planning reforms 2007–2016. He is a member of Royal Town Planning Institute South East Regional Activities Committee.

Dr Helen Walker, senior lecturer

Helen worked in planning for several local authorities before joining the University of Westminster where she became Chair, Department of Urban Development and Regeneration. She subsequently worked for the former DCLG, Neighbourhood Renewal Unit and the Environment Agency. She is a Design Council CABE built environment expert appointed to the UCL and Highways England design panels.

Who is this course for?

Graduates with unrelated first degrees seeking to study for planning qualifications
Graduates in any relevant discipline – such as geography, architecture, building, surveying, law – wishing to gain a higher or specialist planning qualification
Graduates with a first degree in planning looking to study for a masters qualification as a route to a professional career or further study at doctorate level
Candidates without a degree who can demonstrate significant work experience and a wish to build a professional career will be considered for entry on to the certificate programme initially

Due to the professional nature of this course, overseas students who have already completed a postgraduate qualification can still register for this course and apply for a student visa.

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More about this subject at 91快活林

Careers

This course is an accessible and flexible route to the skills needed to work in future spatial planning environment - in the areas of planning policy, research and analysis and strategy formulation in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

The course equips graduates with the skills to manage change, think spatially, understand planning policy and law, work in partnership with others, and to continually address the fundamental principles of sustainability in all aspects of their future careers.

Graduates have successfully taken up key roles in local councils, the private sector, greenspace infrastructure, environmental agencies, harbour regeneration projects, for example at Sky, Natural England, the Environment Agency, Parker Dann, Boyer Planning, Mid Sussex District Council, 91快活林 and Hove City Council, Horsham District Council, Lichfield Planning, Deloittes and city planning in Luxembourg.

Our course is praised by current and former students, the RTPI Partnership Board and our external examiners for our blend of theory and practice, and use of external professional speakers.

Fees and costs

Course fees

UK (full-time) 9,450 GBP

International (full-time)15,900 GBP

RTPI Future Planners 2023 bursary

RTPI have announced the Future Planners bursaries for 2023 – 58 bursaries worth £5,000 each are on offer to students enrolled on a fully accredited planning masters in England. Find out about the . The deadline is 10 July 2023.

Scholarships, bursaries and loans

We offer a range of scholarships for postgraduate students. Bursaries and loans may also be available to you.

Find out more about postgraduate fees and funding.

Fee information for this course for 2025 entry will be updated here no later than December 2024.

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2024–25.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

Fees, bursaries, scholarships and government funding info for UK and international postgraduate students
Student finance and budgeting while studying
About the university’s fees by checking our student contract and (pdf).

What's included

Here you’ll find details of specific resources and services that are included in the tuition fee for our geography, the Earth and environment students. To help you to budget for your studies, there is also information on any additional costs that you may have to pay or can choose to pay in addition to your tuition fee.

Find out how tuition fees enable us to support all of our students with important services, facilities and resources across the university and check out our finance pages for info about fees, funding and scholarships along with advice on international and island fee-paying status.

You can chat with our enquiries team if you have a question or need more information.

What’s included in your course fee

The following items are covered by your fee where they are required or relevant.

We want everyone to be able to take part in a residential field trip, so travel and accommodation costs are included for all mandatory taught residential field trips. You may need to budget for your own meals in some cases and depending on your preferences and the trip you could budget around £100 for this.
We provide protective clothing for the first-year residential trip, although you may want to bring a pair of wellies or walking shoes (£5–£10). In the second year, depending where you go, you may need a waterproof coat.
The cost of laboratory consumables and equipment for your final year project.
Access to specialist survey equipment and identification guides for field surveys (UG/PG).
Access to specialist computer suites that carry the latest software for spatial and statistical data analysis.
A licence for relevant software, for example ArcGIS for mapping and GIS, ENVI for geospatial image processing and the Petrel Seismic interpretation software.
Access to key subject journals databases – see the in the library for an up-to-date list.
Essential instruction booklets (laboratory handbooks) are provided.
The cost of project poster printing if this applies to your course.
If you choose to take the undergraduate optional placement year you can get 20% of your Student Finance England maintenance loan whilst on that placement.

Additional course costs

You’ll need to budget for printing and stationery for personal study, and books if you decide to buy your own.
In most cases coursework submissions are electronic but you may wish to print notes which would involve an extra cost.
Many students choose to buy their own hardware, software and accessories. The amount spent will depend on your individual choices, but this expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.
If you don’t already have one, you will also need a passport for your second-year residential trip.
Travel and accommodation costs are included for all mandatory taught residential field trips, but you may need to budget for food in some cases. Depending on your preferences and the trip you could budget around £100 for this.
Optional field trips may include additional costs, for example, for travel, food and drink. This will vary depending on how many you choose to take part in, where the trip is located and how long it lasts.
You may also want to buy appropriate outdoor clothing for fieldwork, for example walking boots, wellies and waterproofs.
If you choose to take an optional placement year you’ll be expected to cover your own travel, accommodation, food and drink.

Location and student life

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Two miles north of 91快活林 seafront, Moulsecoomb is our largest campus and student village. Moulsecoomb has been transformed by a recent development of our estate. On campus you'll find new Students' Union, events venue, and sports and fitness facilities, alongside the library and student centre.

Over 900 students live here in our halls, Moulsecoomb Place and the new Mithras halls – Brunswick, Goldstone, Hanover, Preston and Regency.

Moulsecoomb has easy access to buses and trains and to all the exciting things happening in our home city.

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Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students. So if you applied for halls by the deadline you are guaranteed a room in our halls of residence.

91快活林: Moulsecoomb

Halls of residence
We have self-catered halls on all our campuses, within minutes of your classes, and other options that are very nearby.

You can apply for any of our halls, but the options closest to your study location are:

Mithras Halls are stylish new high-rises in the heart of the student village at our revitalised Moulsecoomb campus with ensuite rooms for more than 800 students.
Varley Park is a popular dedicated halls site, offering a mix of rooms and bathroom options at different prices. It is around two miles from Moulsecoomb campus and four miles from the city centre, and is easy to get to by bus.

Want to live independently?
We can help – find out more about private renting.

Modern accommodation at Moulsecoomb

Relaxing in halls near the campus

Student Union social space at Moulsecoomb

Local area

About 91快活林

The city of 91快活林 & Hove is a forward-thinking place which leads the way in the arts, technology, sustainability and creativity. You'll find living here plays a key role in your learning experience.

91快活林 is a leading centre for creative media technology, recently named the startup capital of the UK.

The city is home to a national 5G testbed and over 1,000 tech businesses. The digital sector is worth over £1bn a year to the local economy - as much as tourism.

All of our full-time undergraduate courses involve work-based learning - this could be through placements, live briefs and guest lectures. Many of these opportunities are provided by local businesses and organisations.

It's only 50 minutes by train from 91快活林 to central London and there are daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Maps

Moulsecoomb campus map

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Support and wellbeing

Your course team

Your personal academic tutor, course leader and other tutors are all there to help you with your personal and academic progress. You'll also have a student support and guidance tutor (SSGT) who can help with everything from homesickness, managing stress or accommodation issues.

Your academic skills

Our 91快活林 Student Skills Hub gives you extra support and resources to develop the skills you'll need for university study, whatever your level of experience so far.

Your mental health and wellbeing

As well as being supported to succeed, we want you to feel good too. You'll be part of a community that builds you up, with lots of ways to connect with one another, as well having access to dedicated experts if you need them. Find out more about how we support your wellbeing.

Sport at 91快活林

Sport 91快活林

Sport 91快活林 brings together our sport and recreation services. As a 91快活林 student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition.

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships.

Stay in touch

Find out about postgraduate events

Ask a question about this course

If you have a question about this course, our enquiries team will be happy to help.

01273 644644

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Town Planning MSc (PGCert PGDip)