MSc Urban Design and International Planning

All taught Masters programmes within the Planning and Landscape require students to prepare a dissertation as a central part of their programme. Candidates must prepare, on a subject approved by the Programme Director, a piece of submitted work which contains an element of original endeavour, submitted according to the specification of the programme and the advice of the individual supervisor.

Students are free to consider a wide range of topics for the dissertation, but topics will be approved in the light of the expertise of Planning and Landscape 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

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

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.