BSc(Hons)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.

Careers

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 centers and private sector companies including Turley Associates, Terence O'Rourke, Crest Nicholson, Persimmon and Savills.

Entry requirements

International applicants

For country specific entry requirements please find your country on the country information pages. If you are an international student and do not meet the academic requirements to study this course, you can qualify by completing preparatory study at our International College.

If you are applying to study at UWE Bristol and require additional support to meet our English language requirements, you may be able to attend one of our pre-sessional English courses.