Course summary

MPlan Master of Planning with Professional Placement is a five-year enhanced undergraduate degree, which gives you real-world experience and key employability skills, and is accredited by both the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The curriculum of Years 1, 3 and 4 are the same as our BSc Planning and Real Estate, in which you will consider the issues faced by professionals in dealing with the planning, development and management of all aspects of our built and natural environments. In the third year of study you will embark on a paid work placement with an organisation engaged with planning, environment, urban design and/or real estate to apply the conceptual, digital and communication skills you practice. The fifth year of study is at taught master's level and provides professional training in planning. However, if you change your mind about your future career, you can choose to exit the MPlan after three years and graduate instead with a BSc Planning and Real Estate degree. Effective planning, development, and management of our towns, cities and natural environment is crucial in an age when governments and societies all over the world are struggling to deliver sustainable development. Understanding and engaging with the problems facing the communities and places in which we live, work, and play is at the heart of what we do in the department of Planning and Environmental Management at The University of Manchester. MPlan Master of Planning satisfies the spatial planning curricula for initial qualification with the RTPI and the RICS Planning and Development pathway. Manchester is a great place to study planning. It is a major UK city undergoing rapid urban change, which provides an ideal base for exploring urban development pressures and how these shape economic, social, and environmental futures. Developing an appreciation of the interaction of people, the economy, and the politics of development are central to this process and your studies in Manchester. The city is also ideally placed for you to learn about a wide variety of rural environments which have interesting implications for planning and real estate markets, including three spectacular National Parks, areas of intensive farming, and impressive coastlines.