Master of Planning (MPlan)

MPlan Planning with Professional Placement

Make a difference during your degree with a year-long placement gaining hands-on experience of planning vibrant, liveable and sustainable communities.
  • Duration: 5 years
  • Year of entry: 2025
  • UCAS course code: K403 / Institution code: M20
  • Key features:
  • Study abroad
  • Industrial experience
  • Scholarships available
  • Field trips
  • Accredited course

Full entry requirementsHow to apply

Fees and funding

Fees

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £29,000 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

Additional expenses

This course has normally included an overseas field trip in year 5, which is an optional part of the course. Please note there is a student contribution towards the cost of the trip depending on the location.

Policy on additional costs

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).

Scholarships/sponsorships

We are committed to attracting and supporting the very best students from all backgrounds to study this course.  

You could be eligible for cash bursaries of up to £2,500 to support your studies. 

Find out about our funding opportunities

Course unit details:
Introduction to Urban and Environmental Economics

Course unit fact file
Unit code PLAN10352
Credit rating 20
Unit level Level 1
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? Yes

Overview

The course provides an introduction to urban and environmental economics, which does not require an in-depth prior understanding of economics. Fundamental knowledge of environmental and urban economics is attained through the examination of key economic concepts and tools, using examples of environmental and land use policies, different types of market failures, and environmental valuation. The students gain understanding of consumer and firm behaviour by looking at a range of market structures, supply and demand issues, location and land use effects, and analysing policy responses to some of the major environmental issues of our time.

 

Aims

To provide key economic concepts and tools for analysing environmental and urban issues 


To introduce and explain the application of economic methods to the analysis of the built and natural environments. 


To make clear the ways in which sound economic analysis is critical to urban and environmental policy making. 


To encourage critical debate and reflection on key environmental and urban policy issues.

 
To present latest economic thinking and research for a range of topical issues such as climate change and environmental agreements, ecosystem service valuation, the efficacy of various policy instruments in meeting key UNSDGs, and the impact of land use regulations
 

Learning outcomes

This unit will provide students with a foundational understanding of how economic concepts and tools are applied in examining environmental and urban issues as well as in designing policies to address them. This knowledge is crucial for students as it allows them to effectively apply economic frameworks and tools, numeracy skills and problem solving not only in their future years of study but also in their careers. 

Students should be able to:

Teaching and learning methods

A series of lectures is used to introduce topics in a structured manner. Workshops and seminars are used to explore a particular issue in more depth and encourage critical debate. The lectures will be recorded and available as podcasts through VLE. Course material will be available online through VLE. The students are expected to prepare for seminars and to read the suggested reports and papers, research any assigned tasks and consider questions in advance. The students are also expected to take a lead in discussions. Student engagement, participation and provision of feedback will also be done online through a VLE Discussion Board.  Workshops are designed to allow the student to work through problems, individually or in groups, with guidance provided by tutors.

 

Knowledge and understanding

Demonstrate ability to explain key economic ideas and tools.

Apply economic reasoning and theory to analyse issues in the built and natural environment.

Critically evaluate the impact of land and environmental regulation.

Intellectual skills

Apply skills in complex problem solving, in analysing and evaluating information and data.

Devise frameworks of evaluating the socio-economic and environmental impact of projects and policies.

Practical skills

Critically analyse and evaluate information, make considered judgements 

Provide innovative and credible solutions to policy problems.

Transferable skills and personal qualities

Effectively communicate ideas and concepts in writing

Ability to undertake desk-based research

Introduce numeracy skills including selection, accuracy, uncertainty and approximation with sampling and quantitative methods.

 

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Written exam 100%

Feedback methods

Detailed feedback on summative assessments will be provided via VLE. This will be in written format. 

Recommended reading

This reading list is not exhaustive but indicates work that will support you on this course. Specific readings and further material will be provided at relevant times during the course.

Introduction to economics

Begg DKH, Fischer S, Dornbusch R. (2015) Foundations of Economics, 5th Ed., McGraw Hill.

Lipsey, R. G. and Chrystal, A. (1995) An introduction to positive economics, 8th Ed., Oxford University Press.

Urban and Environmental Economics

Hanley, N., Shogren, J. F. and White, B. (2001) Introduction to environmental economics. Oxford University Press: Oxford.

McDonald, John F. and Daniel P. McMillen, 2011. Urban economics and real estate: theory and policy. John Wiley & Sons, London, UK

McCann, P. (2001) Urban and regional economics.  Oxford University Press: Oxford.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 22
Seminars 8
Independent study hours
Independent study 170

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Sotirios Thanos Unit coordinator

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