MSc Urban Design and International Planning

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

• MSc (full-time)
  UK students (per annum): £14,900
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £32,000

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.

The course unit will have the following content:

• Urban Design and Heritage Conservation [An International Perspective]
• Introduction to Planning Frameworks within selected Fieldtrip destination city
• Briefing on fieldtrip destination city across multiple key themes including
• Transport and mobility
• Planning systems and policies
• Open and green space
• The public realm and space
• Heritage
• Social equality
• Architecture
• Development history
• Develop a focused urban design assessment approach at multiple scales for study tour
• Undertake international Study tour
• Study tour visits to series of urban design and development projects across multiple scales
• Self-observation of urban design and development projects

The course unit aims to:

• Provide a framework for critical urban analysis within an international context
• Explore urban design responses within a non-UK planning structure, considering differences in development policies and planning frameworks
• Develop design analysis skills regarding culturally sensitive urban design responses and approaches
• Developing knowledge on heritage conservation within urban design and international planning
• To engage students in on-site urban analysis and observation techniques.

On completion of this unit successful students will be able to:

• Understand how different social and environmental challenges in unique spatial contexts are met by developing urban design and planning policies
• Understand principles and practice of urban design, development, and heritage conservation within an international context
• Use urban design analysis techniques and skills to explore appropriate culturally sensitive design responses in urban environments
• Have ability to test and analyse different design projects within different contexts and multiple scales to understand best practice approaches and quality assessment
• Carry out a full urban design and planning assessment across multiple scales and themes in an international and heritage focused city
• Continue development in working with professionals in practice and group design work/analysis/presentation

The course unit will utilise a variety of pedagogical approaches including:

• Group assignment component(s) – including presentation and graphical report
• Regular tutorial teaching
• Regular studio workshops
• Studio crit (with formative feedback)
• The online urban design toolkit
• Week long study tour to international destination
• Local practitioner and academic led visits and presentations of urban design and development projects in destination city
• Self-observation of urban design and development projects in destination city
• End of semester assignment workshop/surgery

Recall how different social and environmental challenges in unique spatial contexts are met by developing urban design and planning policies
Discuss principles and practice of urban design, development, and heritage conservation within an international context

Use urban design analysis techniques and skills to identify and discuss appropriate culturally sensitive design responses in urban environments

Analyse different design projects within different contexts and multiple scales to explain best practice approaches or case studies success 
Carry out a full urban design and planning assessment across multiple scales and themes in an international and heritage focused city

Develop skills required for working with professionals (e.g. on international projects) in practice and collaborative design work/analysis/presentation 

Assignment I: Group presentation - 25 minutes maximum, 20% weighting

Assignment II: a Visual Report (a pair work) 3000 words, 80% weighting

Feedback given as per Faculty's timeframe.

Bandarin, F. and van Oers, R. (2014) Reconnecting the City, Wiley Online Library
Cohan, N. (2001) Urban planning conservation and preservation, New York, McGraw-Hill Tweed Sutherland, M. (2007) Built cultural heritage and sustainable development, Landscape and Urban Planning 83: 62-69
Kostoff, S. (2014) The City Shaped, London, Thames and Hudson
Meeda et al (2009) Graphics for Urban Design. UDG