Program Overview

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City Planning and Design Higher Level Apprenticeship

Overview

In a world facing environmental, social and economic challenges, how we manage changes to our natural and built environments will be crucial for our future. In our urbanised world, how we design and plan our cities impacts our environmental sustainability, health and even happiness. This programme will equip you with the skills to be part of making progressive changes in your place.

Course Structure

The MSc is designed to allow you to develop real world project management skills through the completion of live design projects for local authority and community sector clients. You will also acquire urban and data analysis skills that you can use to develop strategic regeneration policies and design solutions.

Course Content

The course content gives theoretical and practical coverage across a wide variety of topics including:

• Green infrastructure
• The Inclusive City
• Urban Technological Developments
• Low carbon transition
• Critical Heritage Perspectives
• Cities and the e-economy
• Planning the Urban-Rural dialectic
• Demographic challenges
• The future of urban housing
• Health in future cities

Course Modules

• Comparative Urban Design (20 CATS)
• Spatial Literacy (20 CATS)
• Urban Futures (20 CATS)
• Future Planning Practice (20 CATS)
• Planning for Sustainable Communities (20 CATS)
• Approaches to Development (20 CATS)
• Thesis (60 CATS)

Part-time Modules

• Year 1, Semester 1: EVP7039 - Spatial Literacy (20 CATS), EVP7040 - Urban Futures (20 CATS)
• Year 1, Semester 2: EVP7043 - Planning for Sustainable Communities (20 CATS)
• Year 2, Semester 1: EVP7038 - Comparative Urban Design (20 CATS)
• Year 2, Semester 2: EVP7041 - Approaches to Development (20 CATS), EVP7042 - Future Planning Practice (20 CATS)
• Year 2, Semester 3: EVP7044 - Thesis (60 CATS)

People teaching you

• Dr Neil Galway, Senior Lecturer
• Dr Urmi Sengupta, Senior Lecturer
• Professor Geraint Ellis

Teaching Times

1 day of teaching per week.

Learning and Teaching

Learning and teaching is split into the following:

• IT Tutorials: Demonstrator-led IT skills tutorials to ensure students develop GIS and data visualisation skills.
• Project sessions: A key component to all group projects whereby tutors offer feedback on student ideas in small groups during the completion of live projects for professional clients.
• Self-directed study: This is an essential part of life as a Queen’s student when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work is carried out.
• Seminars: Student-led thematic presentations that address major global themes are a crucial part of this programme.

Assessment

Assessments associated with the course are described below:

• Methods of assessment will comprise a combination of group reports, individual assignments, student presentations, portfolio submissions and role-play exercises.
• A major component of this degree will involve the completion of a thesis based on an independent research project over the third semester, supervised by a member of research staff.

Facilities

The Planning department has a devoted studio space along with state of the art IT facilities.

What our academics say

“In an increasingly urbanising world, cities represent both the greatest social, environmental and economic challenges and opportunities for planners and urban designers alike to create more sustainable environments and just societies.” - Dr Neil Galway, Programme Director for MSc City Planning and Design

Entrance requirements

• Normally a 2.2 Honours degree or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University in a relevant subject.
• Applicants with qualifications below 2.2 Honours degree standard, or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University, will be considered on a case-by-case basis, if they can demonstrate appropriate acceptable experience.
• Students wishing to apply for this Higher-Level Apprenticeship should also upload their CV and a letter of support from their employer (combined in one file).
• The employer’s letter of support must state that the employer supports their application, that they are prepared to release them from work for one day per week to attend the course, and that, if they are an existing employee, they need this qualification for a new role.

International Students

Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region.

English Language Requirements

Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.5, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required.

Tuition Fees

• EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident.
• Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.
• EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.

Additional course costs

• Students are required to undertake a compulsory field trip to a European city.
• They are responsible for funding travel, accommodation and subsistence costs and should budget for approximately £500.

Career Prospects

• Our graduates end up in leading positions in central and local government as well as in planning consultancies in the private sector.
• Others are employed as urban designers and in related industries such as Housing, Community Advocacy, Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Heritage and Construction.

Employment after the Course

• Examples of employment: Urban Design and Planning practices, Research institutions, GIS companies, Housing organisations, Community Advocacy Groups, Environmental and Community sector NGOs.

Employment Links

• Graduate employers include: Belfast City Council, Department for Infrastructure and other public and private sector planning consultancies.

Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills

• In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills.

How to Apply

• Apply using our online Queen's Portal and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to apply.

Terms and Conditions

• The terms and conditions that apply when you accept an offer of a place at the University on a taught programme of study.

Modules

Planning for Sustainable Communities

• Overview: The module is designed to provide a theoretical and a practical basis for the process of community plan preparation.
• Learning Outcomes: On the successful completion of the module, students will be able to demonstrate the skills required to complete a public consultation and to devise a strategy that mediates between different, and often conflicting, perspectives.
• Skills: Students will also develop the following generic and professional skills: generic: bibliographic research and retrieval; written, graphical and computer-based presentations skills; professional: design appreciation, team-working, time-management and professional presentation skills; client-based: consultation, brief-development and discussion/debating skills.

Thesis

• Overview: The thesis is the single most important piece of work a student will complete at postgraduate level and is a key determinant in achieving the standard required to obtain a Master's degree.
• Learning Outcomes: On the successful completion of a dissertation or work-based study, students will be able to understand the overall research process, define problems and design appropriate research strategies.
• Skills: Students will also develop the following generic and professional skills: generic: bibliographic research and retrieval; written, graphical and computer-based presentations skills; professional: design appreciate, team-working, time-management and professional presentation skills; client-based: consultation, brief-development and discussion/debating skills.

Future Planning Practice

• Overview: The module will engage with planning practitioners to illustrate the wide variety of career paths for planning graduates within community, environmental and development sectors.
• Learning Outcomes: On the successful completion of the module, students will be able to engage in theoretical, practical and ethical debate at the forefront of how the planning professional can impact upon societal as well as environmental change.
• Skills: With regard to developing specific skills, students will develop: generic skills: oral communication, negotiation skills; problem solving, use of IT and library services; professional planning skills: knowledge of the design evaluation process and interdisciplinary working.

Approaches to Development

• Overview: The course is divided into three principle sections, each of four weeks duration.
• Learning Outcomes: On the successful completion of the module, students will be able to understand the broader economic, social and political context of property development as well more specific competencies with regard to development strategies and development finance.
• Skills: With regard to developing specific skills, students will develop: generic skills: written and oral communication, numeracy and financial modelling, problem solving, use of IT (particularly spreadsheet management) and library services; professional planning skills: knowledge of the development process; evaluation of development strategies including valuation methods; decision-making in planning including stakeholder perspectives; client based/business skills: Project management, tendering processes, negotiation of added value and community benefits.

Spatial Literacy

• Overview: The module will be examined by a final assignment and continuous assessment, which will run simultaneously with the studio course, workshops and computer classes.
• Learning Outcomes: On the successful completion of the module, students will be able to debate the theoretical, practical ethical issues at the forefront of urban planning.
• Skills: Students will develop the following generic and professional skills: utilise basic skills in computer based mapping and spatial literacy using relevant software (e.g. Adobe, Suite, ArcGIS); team-working and collaboration; oral and written (e.g. report writing) presentational skills; and spatial literacy and visual appreciation.

Urban Futures

• Overview: Critical debates in planning is seminar-based with students being continuously assessed on the independent research they complete during the semester.
• Learning Outcomes: On the successful completion of the module, students will be able to critically analyse and participate in the theoretical, practical and ethical debates on planning, supported by independent reading of key texts.
• Skills: Students will also develop the following generic and professional skills: generic: bibliographic research and retrieval; written, graphical and computer-based presentations skills; professional: design appreciate, team-working, time-management and professional presentation skills.

Comparative Urban Design

• Overview: The module is based on a contribution of seminars/tutorials and studio work - a real-world live project has been commissioned within the semester to exemplify and complement the accompanying theoretical content.
• Learning Outcomes: On the successful completion of the module, students will be able to understand the nature and significance of design and regeneration in the built environment.
• Skills: Students will also develop the following generic and professional skills: generic: bibliographic research and retrieval; written, graphical and computer-based presentations skills; professional: design appreciate, team-working, time-management and professional presentation skills; client-based: consultation, brief-development and discussion/debating skills.