MSc Global Urban Development and Planning

The University holds regular open days, where you will have the opportunity to tour the campus and find out more about our facilities and courses.

On this day, you will find out more about the School of Environment, Education and Development and our resources, and meet academic and admissions staff who will be able to answer any questions you have.

For more information, see  Open days

Apply online  (from 7 October 2019)

Please submit the following documents with your completed application form:

• copies of official degree certificates and transcripts of your previous study, showing the subjects taken and grades obtained. If these documents are in languages other than English please provide official translations;
• two written academic references on official institution letterhead, signed, dated, stamped and containing the official university email address of your referees. Alternatively, your referees can send us the reference letters directly from their official university email address. If you have had a substantial period away from any formal learning, professional references may be considered. Professional references should be written on official company letterhead, signed, dated, stamped and containing the professional email address of your referees. Alternatively, your referees can send us the reference letters directly from their professional email address.
• a personal statement (maximum 500 words) detailing why you wish to study the course, your experiences, what you can bring to the course and any other information that you see as relevant to your application;
• your CV;
• copies of English Language Certification, eg IELTS, TOEFL or Pearson test score report.

Ensure that you enclose all the necessary documents, as the delay caused in having to seek any missing documents from you might adversely prejudice your application.

MSc Global Urban Development and Planning will improve your understanding of global urban development issues, particularly relating to cities of the global South.

Cities in Africa, Asia and Latin America struggle with growth, and urban communities in the developing world are increasingly faced with problems relating to poverty, informality and inequality, climate change, insecurity and lack of social cohesion.

The course will also suit development professionals seeking to acquire new expertise in dealing with urban issues, and social development specialists working in the voluntary, private or public sector.

You will:

• focus on sustainable and equitable urban development planning in the global South;
• participate in cutting-edge conceptual debates in global urban development theory and practice;
• gain the skills to gather, organise and employ evidence and information from a wide variety of sources.

• Benefit from small-group teaching, close staff-student relationships, and guided one-to-one supervision.
• Develop practical skills in project studios with drawing facilities, model-making workshops, and specialist design and spatial analysis software.
• Enjoy fieldwork opportunities in the UK and abroad, exploring real-life issues on one-day trips, site visits, and overseas residential visits to locations including Manchester, London, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Toronto, Amsterdam, Belfast and Dublin.
• Have the flexibility to mix discipline units or specialise, and choose from a wide range of optional course units.
• Study in Manchester, a city where planning has been taught for more than 50 years, and urban development and environmental impacts are on your doorstep.

Part-time students complete the course over 24 months. There are no evening or weekend course units available; you should, therefore, discuss course requirements with the Programme Director and seek approval from your employer. Timetabling information is usually available from late August. You can discuss course unit choices during induction week with the Programme Director.

You will be required to pass a total of eight course units totalling 120 credits of postgraduate study, and undertake a dissertation of 12,000 -15,000 words which provides a further 60 credits.

You must also complete four core course units compulsory for all students, and four optional course units.

Most courses are assessed by essays, class presentations and examinations or a combination of these (depending on the course units selected).

You can develop your practical skills in our project studio, model-making workshop, and computer suites with specialist design and spatial analysis software.

For more information, see  Facilities

MSc Global Urban Development and Planning students develop an advanced knowledge and skill base that can be applied to professional activities relating to a variety of urban-related fields.

Past students have gone on to work as consultants for international development cooperation agencies, planners for national and local governments and private companies, and as practitioners in slum upgrading programmes, or international networks and national NGOs in cities in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Planning and Environmental Management graduates in general are popular with employers, particularly in consultancy, where the ability to analyse and propose policies and implement strategies is vital. After London, Manchester hosts the largest number of planning and environmental consultancies in the UK.

Our graduates have gone on to successful careers in areas including environmental management and consultancy, urban planning and design, real estate development, urban and regional development policy, central and local government, international development, energy and water, non-governmental organisations, and research.

Top employers include AECOM, Arup, Atkins, BP, EDF Energy, the Environment Agency, Jacobs, and Rolls-Royce.

If you decide not to follow a vocational career, your wide knowledge base and transferable skills in problem-solving, strategic thinking, teamwork, creativity and communication fit what most employers are seeking.

For more information, see  Careers and employability