MSc Urban Design and International Planning

Fees for entry in 2027 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2026 were as follows:

• MSc (full-time)
  UK students (per annum): £14,200
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £30,500

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 .

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.

Reinforcing through applied practice of the main urban design principles; skills of architectural observation and description; techniques for notation and analysis of urban space; green-space and circulation; built form and urban space; city image; conservation and the historic environment; design policy and guidance; design and access statements, urban design and climate change mitigation/ adaptation. Course includes studio exercises and culminates in the preparation of a design proposal for a corner site.

1. to develop a project-oriented approach to urban design
2. to apply site analysis techniques to support urban design proposals
3. to explore the main urban design principles and their relationship with practice
4. to design and communicate an urban design scaled intervention
5. to develop skills of design, presentation and 3D physical modelling
 

1. Lectures: Lectures will be shorter overviews of analytical and design techniques and process, introducing students to key themes, approaches, terminology, and practice.
2. Studio: Students will work collaboratively with staff and peers to develop individual projects in-class through applied learning. This will take the form of one-on-one times, group working, and engaging with current design soft wares
3. Seminars: Seminars allow students to receive valuable and regular feedback on their individual projects and seek peer guidance and support with particular shared issues or aspects of the design/analysis

E-Learning: The VLE will be used to engage students outside of the lecture hall with e-lectures and case study materials linking to best practice urban design examples and current global urban developments of interest. The online urban design toolkit also acts as a valuable technical resource for out of class learning and enabling students to continue work on individual design projects during non-contact hours.

• To be able to conduct in-depth site and character analysis
• Understand the principal categories of urban design interventions
• develop understanding of the key urban design principles and the design process
 

• to robustly test urban design scheme options
• have the ability to effectively engage with and learn from constructive critique
 

• Develop 3D physical model making capabilities
• Be able to deliver a comprehsive urban design proposal
 

• Develop presentational and graphics technics
• Develop skills in key design software including Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Sketch-up, and CAD
• To be able to work within a busy design studio environment
 

Crit 1 – Urban Design Program and Immature Options - 1x A1 and in-studio 5 minute presentation 10% weighting

Crit 2 – Final Design Proposal - 1x A1 and in-studio 5 minute presentation 20% weighting

Urban Design Project - (2x A1 pages (80%) and 3D physical model (20%)) 70% weighting

Crits provided in weeks 3, 8 and 12 – crits offer students opportunity to present work to staff member and receive immediate oral feedback.

Studio and seminar sessions designed to provide students with weekly feedback and critique on their design project

Final submission results in official written feedback on both A1 pages and 3D physical model
 

Black and Sonbli ‘The urban design process’

Barnett J Introduction to Urban Design 
711.4/B450

Barton H et al Shaping Neighbourhoods 
711.001/B154

Carmona M & Tiesdell S Urban Design Reader 771.4 C374

English Partnerships Urban Design Compendium 729/E3

Haas T New Urbanism and Beyond
711.4 H307

Hartwell C Manchester 
720.942721/H2

Larice M & McDonald E The Urban Design Reader 711.4/L471

Moor M & Rowland J Urban Design Futures 711.4/M442

Urban Design (quarterly journal of the Urban Design Group)