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 Brighton: Moulsecoomb

Full-time 1 year
Part-time 2 years

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

Apply online

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

Apply now for your place

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 students whose language skills do not match the IELTS scores set out here should consider applying for this course through our Extended Masters programme.

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.

Visit our language centre

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

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 Student View.

Areas of study

All students will study four core modules and select three 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
Learning Log (non-credit bearing module for the RTPI accredited MSc Town Planning final award)
Masters Research Skills and Dissertation

Options*

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

*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.

Read Georgia's full profile.

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.

Read Andrew's full profile.

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.

Read Helen's full profile.

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 Brighton

Discussing solutions to current challenges at the Planning for Water conference

It’s not often these days that you hear people say ‘money is not the problem’, but that was one of the more surprising contributions at a recent Planning for Water conference hosted by the Centre for Aquatic Environments and the Royal Town Planning Institute SE region at the University.

Future town planners – new £5,000 bursary for 2023!

You can now apply for a bursary of £5,000 towards the cost of your fees from the RTPI.

Gain skills and expertise for your career on our Town Planning postgraduate degree

Laura Hemsley graduated with distinction from our Town Planning MSc and is now working as a Town Planner at Jacobs.

RTPI bursary agreed for 2022!

The Royal Town Planning Institute has just confirmed that they have agreement from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to extend the Future Planners Bursary for this coming academic year 22-23.

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, Brighton 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) 9,100 GBP

International (full-time)15,800 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 full eligibility criteria and how to apply. 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.

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2023–24.

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 undergraduate and postgraduate students
Student finance and budgeting while studying
About the university’s fees by checking our student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Applied Sciences in the 2022–23 academic year are listed here.

Where required:
- all students are provided with a laboratory coat, safety glasses and log book.
- a budget to cover laboratory consumables and equipment for your final year project is included in the fees for all students.
- access to key subject journals and subject specific databases is provided, as well as a site licence for industry-standard chemical drawing software.
- essential instruction booklets (laboratory handbooks) are provided, as is project poster printing and thesis binding. However, you should budget for books, printing and stationery for personal study.
For our ecology and conservation courses there are compulsory field trips for which you should budget up to £200. There are also optional field trips for which you may choose to budget up to £2,700. You may also need to buy appropriate clothing for outdoor use.
DBS checks for MPharm students are included in the fee.
Costs for MPharm placement travel is reimbursed up to a specified amount depending on location of placement.
The independent mapping project is a mandatory part of the Geology BSc(Hons) involving independent fieldwork that is undertaken in the summer between years 2 and 3. The cost of this fieldwork is not included in the fee, and you will need to meet this additional cost yourself.
Travel and accommodation costs are included for all mandatory taught residential field trips, but you’ll need to provide your own food and drink.
Optional placements and day trips may include additional costs. This will vary depending on where and how long the field trip is but you should budget approximately £1,500.
Some students require specialist outdoor equipment and/or personal protective equipment (PPE) and should budget up to £100.
If you choose to take an optional paid placement you’ll be expected to cover your own travel, accommodation, food and drink.
You will have access to computers and necessary software, however 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. Find out what free software is available from the University of Brighton.
In most cases coursework submissions are electronic but students may wish to print notes which would involve an extra cost.

You can chat with our enquiries team if you have a question or need more information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Location and student life

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Two miles north of Brighton 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.

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.

Brighton: 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 Brighton

The city of Brighton & 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.

Brighton 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 Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also 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 Brighton 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.

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton 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.

Find out more about Sport Brighton.

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)