University of Hertfordshire - MSc Sustainable Planning

University of Hertfordshire

MSc Sustainable Planning

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.

Entry Requirements

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

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

Career Prospects

When you graduate from this course you will have excellent career opportunities in planning, environmental management, urban design and urbanism, community development and regeneration, transport management, climate change mitigation and adaptation and other planning related careers - all with a special focus on maximizing your sustainability expertise. Prospective employers include: local government; private sector planning consultancies; specialist consultancies in environmental management, urban design, transport planning; public involvement bodies; national government agencies; third sector employers including charities with an urban and rural focus; and professional bodies.

What job can I get?

The course provides graduates with excellent career opportunities in planning, environmental management, urban design, transport planning and management, climate change mitigation and other planning related careers. Graduates from our degrees are now working in a wide range of national and international roles at the forefront of tackling contemporary planning and sustainability issues.

Course Details

The MSc Sustainable Planning programme structure is based on a series of modules each of which requires 150 hours of study. These modules are centred on short courses of two-to-three-day short courses that usually run Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

If you wish to study full-time, the short course components of the modules run approximately twice a month which means that you’ll be attending classes on four weekdays and two Saturdays.

If you want to study alongside your work commitments, the part-time offering enables you to take modules between two and five years. This makes the course flexible and easy to attend.

You’ll benefit from a blended learning approach. Teaching combines a face-to-face teaching and tutorials approach with virtual live teaching allowing easy contact with module leaders and tutors, excellent access to learning materials and online submission of assignments. Modules include workshops, field work, class exercises, seminars and group work. The costs of UK and European field visits are included in the programme fee. During the COVID-19 pandemic our modules have generally being delivered virtually through live sessions, workshops and seminars, virtual field trips and in class exercises. We intend to return to classroom-based teaching on campus as soon as we can do so.

All of the modules are assessed through coursework. The Environmental Management module only, has one exam. The nature of the coursework will vary, but will include experience in report writing, practical urban design work (no architecture background is required), oral presentations and negotiation skills. 

An extended individual project, the sustainable planning dissertation, will give you the the opportunity to explore an area you’re interested and do primary research with support from an allocated supervisor. The supervisor will encourage you to explore the latest research and provide industry insight. You'll be encourage to link with external organisations, such as local government, voluntary sector organisations or planning consultancies, to produce this piece of primary research that is both academically challenging and of practical benefit.

Community engagement and the planning process
Place-making and spatial mediation
Spatial analysis for planning
Planning law, policy & practice
Urban design and conservation
Development viability
Sustainable planning dissertation
Research methods
Sustainable energy
Study skills
European planning practice
Spatial planning theories and strategies

*The information’s are correct at the time of publishing, however it may change if university makes any changes after we have published the information. While we try our best to provide correct information, It is advisable to call us or visit university website for up to date information.

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