MSc/Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning
[Course Details]
Professional accreditation
- The MSc and Pg Diploma courses are accredited by the Royal Town Planning
Institute,( last accredited 1999).
- Students who successfully complete the courses, on a full or part-time basis,
are eligible to become corporate members of the Institute once they have gained
practical experience. There is no requirement to sit further examinations.
- Students who register for the Diploma and qualify will be awarded the Msc.
- The course is also recognised by the C.I.B.
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Course aims and objectives
- The MSc and postgraduate Diploma courses have inter-related academic and vocational objectives.
- The main aim of the courses is to produce graduates who have the aptitude, commitment, knowledge and skills to enable them to gain employment as town and country planners or in related environmental professions
- The aim is achieved through developing both student's knowledge of planning
and the skills required. These are reinforced through practical exercises
which enable the student to gain direct experience of planning tasks and to
understand more fully how planning operates in contemporary society. The course
diagram illustrates this process and outlines the key areas of knowledge and
the skills which are developed. The range of specialist subjects allows students
to develop their interests in specific aspects of planning in greater depth.
- Compulsory classes examine the economic, political and social context within
which planning operates. These are followed by classes which consider planning
legislation and practice in the United Kingdom and Europe. Students are then
given the opportunity to study a number of Specialised Subjects in greater
depth.
- Students undertake a range of practical projects throughout the course;
to synthesise the lecture classes and help develop a range of practical planning
skills. Full-time students undertake a four week work placement during their
first year; arranged by the Department, the placement gives students the opportunity
to gain first hand experience of planning practice in a public or private
agency involved in environmental planning.
- Glasgow is an excellent location for the course because of the range of urban and regional planning policies that have been developed to improve the conditions of the city region and its people.
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Study Mode and Course Length
- Both the MSc and the Pg Diploma are offered on a full, part-time basis and
modular basis from 2000/2001.
- The full time courses are taught over two academic years, the part-time over three academic years.
- Attendance on a field trip is compulsory for students on both courses. The Department normally organises a study tour to a European location for one week during the teaching year around Easter time; recent locations have included Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dortmund and Montpellier. The aim of the trip is to give students experience of planning in another country and to make comparisons with practice in the United Kingdom.
- Part-time study involves attendance on one day and evening a week for maximum
of 30 days in each academic year. In addition field trip attendance is compulsory.
The part-time years attend the Department as follows : 1st year on Thursdays
2nd year on Tuesdays 3rd year on Mondays The courses are timetabled for two
12 week semesters in each academic year. The first semester runs from late
September to December, the second semester from late January/February to May,
with a break, normally of 3 weeks, for the Easter vacation. With the exception
of the field trip, classes are not normally timetabled for the vacation although
students are expected to make use of the time for independent student learning
and do other preparatory work outside formal teaching periods.
- Both MSc and Diploma students are required to produce a dissertation. This is to contain original research and a synthesis of existing research and has a guideline length of 12000-15000 words. Both dissertation and assignment are to be on a planning related topic and are expected to contain recommendations of relevance to environmental planning.
- The regulations for the courses allow Pg Diploma students to be awarded
the MSc if they achieve the required academic standard. Likewise students
who fail to perform at MSc standard may be required to transfer to the Pg
Diploma course. No student may be awarded both the Pg Diploma and the MSc.
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Entry Requirements
Details on entry requirements for Honours graduates in
Geography and Planning from the University of Strathclyde, special arrangements
may be in place whereby the accredited curriculum is reduced to 12 months full-time
[two years part-time].
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Funding
- The full-time MSc course is approved by the Economic and Social Research
Council for open competition awards. These cover course fees and maintenance
allowances. To be eligible students must have, or expect to obtain, at least
an upper second class honours degree. Applications are made to the Council
via the Department which nominates the applicant to be put forward.
- The University awards a number of studentships each year on a competitive basis. The Department nominates suitable applicants, who need to have, or to expect to obtain, at least an upper second class honours degree.
- The Department is normally able to offer limited funding to students, in return for which they are expected to work for a number of hours in the Department.
- Part-time students are normally funded by their employers.
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Course Director
For further information, please contact the Course Director, Dr
Dory Reeves