Intro

With specialisms in economic development, coastal regeneration and climate change, our Town Planning masters programme will provide you with the understanding, skills and experience to practise as a professional town and country planner or surveyor.

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 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.

This courses 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.

The programme promotes critical thinking, community engagement, partnership building and leadership. It is unique for its 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.

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 

Book your place: Postgraduate virtual open event

See all of our online events

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

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.

Town Planning

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
  • Masters dissertation

Options

  • Sustainable Design: Present(s)
  • Critical Readings in Spatial Design
  • Sustainable Construction
  • Independent Study
  • Environmental Impact Assessment
  • Systems for Environmental Management
  • Environmental Policy and Law
  • Environment Placement
  • Introduction to Geographical Information Systems
  • Applications in Geographical Information Systems
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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 DEFRA officials on national policy statements on wastewater and hazardous waste; he was seconded to DCLG and DEFRA during the planning reforms from 2007–2016. He is a member of RTPI General Assembly.

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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How this course is delivered

How will my course be taught?
For the academic year that starts in September 2022 we’re planning for all students to be taught face-to-face on campus, enhanced by some online learning.

Students who started their course with us in 2021 are on campus for some face-to-face learning including tutorials, workshops, laboratory classes and studio sessions. They are also taking part in off-campus learning activities such as placements, field trips and study visits. And all of our campus facilities – libraries, learning spaces, restaurants, gyms and more are open.

Like all universities we are following government guidance and we are monitoring the pandemic very closely. Should Public Health advise it we have robust plans in place for additional safety measures to be introduced to enable everyone to continue learning on campus, and, as a last resort, for students to continue their learning remotely.

We will update you regularly on our teaching plans for the next academic year as you progress your application with us.

When does my course start?
The 2022 academic year begins on Monday 26 September 2022. Teaching for most courses starts the following week.

Many education courses, some health science courses including Medicine, and some postgraduate business courses have an earlier start date. Check your offer letter for the start date of your course.

Our latest news

Graduate trio among finalists for prestigious national planning awards

Graduate trio among finalists for prestigious national planning awards

Three University of Brighton graduates have been shortlisted for the Royal Town Planning Institute Awards for Research Excellence 2021.
“Ripping up the system won’t build the homes we need”

“Ripping up the system won’t build the homes we need”

Read the Town Country Planning Association’s response to the government’s white paper Planning for the Future, outlining their concerns that the proposals will “undermine local democracy, marginalise local councils and fail to achieve the kind of high quality places that the government is committed to delivering.
What impact will Covid-19 have on planning for housing and neighbourhoods?

What impact will Covid-19 have on planning for housing and neighbourhoods?

Read this piece from The Planner which asks whether a different approach to housing and public realm could provide greater resilience in a health crisis.
Planning the post-Covid world we need

Planning the post-Covid world we need

The Royal Town Planning Institute’s new paper Plan The World We Need says that to recover from Covid-19, we need to make plans to accelerate progress to a zero carbon economy, increase resilience to risk, and create fair, healthy and prosperous communities.

Read more from our blog

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.

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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.

Fees

Course fees

UK/EU (full-time) 8,856 GBP

International (full-time)15,462 GBP

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.

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 2021–22 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.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2022–23.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

Location

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Two miles north of Brighton seafront, Moulsecoomb is our largest campus and student village. Over the last four years Moulsecoomb has undergone a major transformation, planned with accessibility, inclusivity and sustainability in mind.

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

On campus you’ll find professional-standard facilities and learning resources for all of our subjects and a brand new academic building Elm House, alongside the library, student centre, fitness facilities and the Students’ Union.

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

Two people walking past Mithras halls

Accommodation

Brighton: Moulsecoomb

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students who apply by 30 June.

Halls of residence
We have halls of residence across Brighton in the city centre, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

  • You'll be prioritised for accommodation in the halls that are linked to your teaching base, subject to availability.
  • Moulsecoomb campus is linked to Moulsecoomb Place, Mithras halls and Varley Park. All halls are self-catered.
    • Varley Park offers a mix of rooms. It is around two miles from Moulsecoomb campus and four miles from the city centre. Public transport in the city is excellent, and there’s a shuttle bus between our Brighton campuses during term time.
    • Moulsecoomb Place halls are all self-catered and are located right on campus.

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

Modern accommodation at nearby Varley Halls

Modern accommodation at nearby Varley Park

Relaxing in halls near the campus

Relaxing in halls near the campus

Students eating at the Hub

Students eating at the Hub

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.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton
Brighton Beach sunset

Maps

Moulsecoomb campus map

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.

Cricket Academy

New for September 2023, our Cricket Academy offers aspiring players the opportunity to continue their cricket development alongside studying for a degree. The programme offers a world-class training environment with the highest quality coaching.

Find out more about the Cricket Academy.

Students playing frisbee

Stay in touch

Book your place: Postgraduate virtual open event

See all of our online 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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