MSc Planning

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2027, the tuition fees are as follows:

• MSc (full-time)
  UK students (per annum): £13,200
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £28,100
• MSc (part-time)
  UK students (per annum): £6,600
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £14,100

The fees quoted above are fully inclusive of tuition, administration and computational costs.

Fees for entry are subject to yearly review. The University reserves the right to increase your tuition fee by up to 7% each year for courses lasting more than one year, including to reflect rising costs associated with delivering our educational and wider student experience. Postgraduate fees information .

Always contact the admissions team if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

International student CAS deposit

Self-funded international applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2500 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. Some applicants will be required to pay a higher deposit. More information on tuition fee deposits .

An overseas field visit is an optional part of the course.

Please note there is a student contribution towards the cost of the trip depending on the location.

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

We know that student finance can be complicated. The links below provide further information to help guide you.

Learn more about - student finance options for UK students.

Learn more about - fees and finance for international students.

Graduates of The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University can receive a 10% discount on their master's degree tuition fees as part of our Manchester Alumni Loyalty Discount scheme.

Students on the taught Master programmes are required to prepare a dissertation of 12,000 words on an agreed topic. This unit provides students with an opportunity to both synthesise existing scholarly work and conduct their own research, thereby contributing novel insights to the fields of planning. Students are free to consider a wide range of relevant topics, but topics will be approved in the light of the expertise of Planning and its staff for supervisory purposes, the feasibility of the topic within the timescale of the programme, and the extent to which the topic supplements and extends knowledge gained from following the particular programme to study.

The process of conducting an independent research project and writing a dissertation involves identifying a research problem, proposing research questions/objectives, reviewing existing literature, selecting appropriate methodologies, collecting and analysing data, and presenting findings in a coherent manner. Throughout this unit, students will get the opportunity to develop advanced research capabilities, enhance their critical thinking, and improve their writing, communication and presentation skills, all of which are essential for both academic and professional success. Upon completion of a dissertation, students will have not only produced a substantial piece of academic work but also developed a deep understanding of their chosen topic. This enhances their expertise in their field and prepares them for future academic pursuits or professional careers.
 

1. To provide students with an opportunity to plan, manage and conduct a programme of research on a topic related to their programme of studies
2. To further students' knowledge of a relevant body of literature, and to develop powers of critical reasoning as part of this process
3. To allow students to seek new research findings which add to the existing body of knowledge on a particular subject area
4. To develop students' writing, presentation and bibliographic skills, and to give them experience of developing and managing a specific programme of work through to final submission

Identify the research problem related to the chosen topic of enquiry and its relevance to planning. 
Comprehend and outline the different stages of the research process from planning, approval to dissemination.
Identify the importance of conducting ethically sound research in planning.
 

Lecture-based sessions: 4 x 2 hour sessions (8 hours)

Core content on dissertation and research ethics is taught in lecture-based sessions in semester 1 and 
semester 2. E-learning content is provided on VLE including interactive material using a range of multimedia sources.

Workshop-based sessions: 2 x 1 hour sessions (2 hours)

Workshop-based sessions are provided to help students develop their research topics and develop research proposals.

Tutorials: 6 hours
Students will use supervision meetings to engage with their supervisors to further develop their research plans based on the research proposals they submitted and gain further advice on the dissertation including ethics, data collection, analysis, and presentation of findings.

Drop-in sessions will be available in summer for students to ask general and technical questions.

Asynchronous lectures: 4 hours

Asynchronous lecture recordings on specific research methods are available for students to learn different research methods related to their dissertations.

Assessment and independent learning: 580 hours

Students will conduct independent learning and research, which includes searching for and reading literature, formulating research questions and objectives, designing methodology, collecting and analysing data, and writing and presenting the findings. In this process, students will be assisted with formative feedback from the teaching team via workshops, drop-in sessions and from their supervisors.

Identify the research problem related to the chosen topic of enquiry and its relevance to planning. 
Comprehend and outline the different stages of the research process from planning, approval to dissemination.
Identify the importance of conducting ethically sound research in planning.

Appraise the complexities of the research process, including the analysis of different literature and documents, the analysis and interpretation of different data.
Apply relevant theoretical concepts in devising, applying and critiquing the chosen methodology, methods, and data analysis.
Synthesise and conceptualise research data into relatable findings and recommendations.

Identify and apply a range of research skills, which may include: questionnaire design, interview, observation; and the recording, analysis and interpretation of qualitative and/or quantitative data.
Articulate the research process and research findings in an agreed format and appropriate written style using terminology and academic language.

Develop project management and self-regulatory skills such as time management, self-motivation, flexibility and use of initiative.
Employ diverse software, digital tools and analytical techniques that are standard in professional practice

 Dissertation 12,000 words, 100%

Written feedback on the dissertation will be provided on publication of final degree results through Turnitin

Indicative Reading List 

•    Adams, John., Khan, H.T.A. and Raeside, Robert. (2014). Research Methods for Business and Social Science Students. 2nd ed. New Delhi: SAGE Publications.
•    Berry, R. (2004) The Research Project: how to write it, fifth edition, Routledge, London. 
•    Creswell, J. (2003) Research Design: Quantitative, Qualitative and Mixed Method Approaches, second edition, Sage, London. 
•    Frankfort-Nachmias, C. and Nachmias, D. (2007) Research Methods in the Social Sciences, Arnold, London. 
•    Galvan, Jose L., and Melisa Galvan. Writing Literature Reviews a Guide for Students of the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Seventh edition., Routledge, 2017.
•    Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review : Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . London: Sage, 1998.
•    Heley, M. and Heley, R., “How to conduct a literature search” in Clifford, N. J. et al. (eds) Key Methods in Geography . Third edition. London: SAGE, 2016
•    Kitchin, R. and Tate, N. (2013). Conducting research in human geography theory, methodology and practice. Abingdon, Oxford, England: Taylor and Francis.
•    Parsons, T. and Knight, P.G. (2015). How to Do Your Dissertation in Geography and Related Disciplines. Third edition. London: Taylor & Francis Group. 
•    Robson, C. (2011) Real World Research, third edition, John Wiley, London. 
•    Silva, E.A., Healey, P., Harris, N. and Van den Broeck, P. (2015). The Routledge handbook of planning research methods. New York ; Routledge.
•    Yin, R. (2013) Case Study Research: Design and Methods, fifth edition, Sage, London.

Information
Open to MPLAN students only.

Timetable
Two two-hour lectures will be delivered at the start of semester two: