UWE Bristol - BSc Hons Urban Planning

UWE Bristol

BSc Hons Urban Planning

This course is accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) as a spatial degree and has high levels of student satisfaction and employability.

Why Urban Planning?

Simply put, planning is all about making places 'better'. It's about improving their attractiveness, making them healthier and fairer, and making them more resilient to change. It's about helping to deliver a zero-carbon world and solving problems and dealing with change. Its about the here and now, as well as what goes where and when in the future.

Planners are the agents of change. Not only are they expected to protect the places that we treasure, they also need to plan for the new homes, jobs and infrastructure that we need. As a planner, you'll need to work collaboratively and creatively, creating the places that can showcase the latest thinking in such things as energy, transport and sustainable design.

You'll need to work under pressure to ensure that your plans and ideas can happen but ultimately you can help to plan for a better world.

Why UWE Bristol?

This BSc(Hons) Urban Planning degree will encourage you to consider the contemporary challenges affecting place and society today.

You will learn how to design and deliver development and change, and find out about the individuals and groups you will need to work with to carry out successful projects. You'll examine current issues such as the impact of driverless cars, and develop the knowledge and skillset you will need to be a future-facing, visionary practitioner.

Accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute, the course will enhance your employability through opportunities to work on live project briefs across the city and meet active practitioners. You'll also undertake inspiring field work showcasing the differences that planners have brought about.

You'll be able to work with real-life clients through a professional experience module included in year two, while you can also opt to apply your learning through a year-long placement. Where possible, you can also experience global planning practice through our study exchanges, and develop wide-ranging skills that extend from design to the financial appraisal of a project.

Where can it take me?

Planning is a global career with opportunities across the public, private and voluntary sectors.

You could also go on to a career in an area linked to the environment such as housing, tourism, economic development, regeneration, and environmental protection.

Entry Requirements

  • Tariff points: 104
  • GCSE: Grade C/4 in English Literature or Language and Mathematics, or equivalent. We do not accept Level 2 Key Skills, Functional Skills or Certificate in Adult Numeracy and Literacy as alternatives to GCSEs.
  • English Language Requirement: International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component.
  • A-level subjects: No specific subjects required.

Career Prospects

There is a projected shortage of planners so there will be a range of opportunities in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

You could choose a career in an area linked to the environment such as housing, tourism, economic development, regeneration, and environmental protection. You could also go into research and teaching.

Many of our students progress to become professional members of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). The quickest route for this requires further study. Options for this at the UWE Bristol Planning School include MSc Urban Planning or MSc Planning and Urban Leadership. Both of these programmes can be studied in full and part-time modes to fit around your individual circumstances.

Planning and Urban Leadership can be studied online giving you complete flexibility. After completing this study, you then need to take a programme of work experience under the RTPI's Assessment of Professional Competence. You can then become a Chartered Planner and use the letters 'MRTPI' after your name.

You can also achieve chartered membership by undertaking a longer period of work experience that will require you to work to becoming an Associate and then a Chartered member of the institute.

Past students have gone on to work for local authorities, planning research centres and private sector companies including Turley Associates, Terence O'Rourke, Crest Nicholson, Persimmon and Savills

Course Details

If you study on the four year (sandwich) course, you'll spend a year away from the University on a work or study placement after Year two.

Depending on which you choose, you'll either complete a placement learning or learning and development module.

Year 1

Healthy Sustainable Communities
Making of Place
People, Places and Change
People and Planning
Professional Development and Practice.

Year 2

Future Places
Development, Practice and Law
Professional Experience
Researching the City
Development Appraisal and Planning.

One optional module
City Regeneration
Transport and Mobility.

Placement year

Final Year

Planning Global Cities
Infrastructure Design and Implementation Project
Achieving Design Quality
Planning Theory
Independent Project (Planning).
Plus, one optional module from:

Water and Energy Futures
Sustainable Transport: Technologies and Behaviour
Environmental Planning and Design
International Planning Expedition.
Alternatively, if you have completed a sandwich year you will study:

Planning Global Cities
Final Year Project
Infrastructure Design and Implementation Project
Planning Theory
Achieving Design Quality.

*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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