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Undergraduate

Urban Planning BSc (Hons)

What is Urban Planning BSc (Hons)?

If you’re interested in how the built and natural environment you experience is created, formed, shaped and managed then our urban planning is the course for you.

What makes places successful, beautiful, challenged or inspiring? How have places emerged and evolved over time? How will they look in the future? How can we deliver future sustainable development and healthy thriving communities? Urban planning looks at all these questions and more.

You’ll examine environmental, social and economic contexts to analyse and understand our world, and consider strategies and approaches to enable positive future change that is mindful of the important contemporary debates including sustainability, health and wellbeing, design and place quality; green infrastructure, biodiversity, economics, community, inclusivity, resilience, growth, and environmental impact.

You’ll learn how to respond to the changing needs of society and the environment within a rapidly changing world. And develop your understanding of the factors and preconditions necessary for the successful delivery of successful places within the built and natural environment.

With this course you’ll take the first step towards a career in urban planning or a related discipline such as real estate, property, housing, transport, environmental management/consultancy, landscape architecture or a range of other choices. Become a place maker and a place shaper, and study urban planning with us.

In due course, we shall be seeking accreditation by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

Study style

A broad range of subjects are covered via lectures, seminars, field study visits, practical workshops and collaborative or individual projects. A variety of assessment methods will help you develop your academic and professional skills, such as coursework, projects, reports, essays, exams, groupwork, seminars, presentations, practical workshops and portfolios. Study trips, locally and further afield, are an important part of our course and ensure you have a practical and applied learning experience.

An interdisciplinary approach to study will give you an opportunity to develop knowledge, skills and aptitude for professional practice through a range of learning experiences. These will include placements, workshops, active engagement with communities, group project live scenarios, precedent field visits and research of theoretical concepts. We deliver some these opportunities in partnership with local industry and community organisations, and have a diverse academic team which includes colleagues still working practice; our offer is therefore current, applied, practice-informed, impactful, and varied.

Working in our seminar and studio environments, you’ll collaborate and learn with students from disciplines such as Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Interior Architecture.

 

Get Urban Planning BSc (Hons) course updates and hear more about studying with us.

Entry requirements

    • 104 UCAS tariff points, BCC at A levels, MMM at BTEC or a Merit in your T-Level.

       

    • We welcome applicants with a pass in a relevant Foundation or Extended Diploma (Level 3 or 4).

    • English Language or Literature and Maths Grade 4/C in GCSE (or equivalent) are normally required.

    • We welcome applications from mature students (aged 21 and over) and do not necessarily require the same academic qualifications as school leaving applicants, although some entry requirements may still apply for Professionally Accredited Courses. We accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas and make offers on an individual basis.

Course modules

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Fees and costs

See the further details of fees and potential extra costs when studying a course at the University of Gloucestershire.
Start date Location UCAS code Fee (UK)
per year
Fee (international)
per year
Sep 2023 Francis Close Hall, Cheltenham K421 £9,250 £15,450
Sep 2024 Francis Close Hall, Cheltenham K421 TBC TBC

Ready to apply?

Possible careers

Graduates from this course can go on to work in:

  • Local authority planning departments (development management, strategic planning, urban design, enforcement, heritage and conservation)
  • Private sector planning consultancies
  • Non-government organisations e.g. RSPB, CPRE
  • Urban design consultancies
  • Transport planning
  • Urban regeneration organisations
  • Real estate, property development and housing
  • Landscape planning/architecture

Industry links

Our existing programmes, research centres, and academics enjoy the benefit of links with local, national and international practices, business and organisations such as:

  • Atkins
  • LUC
  • Cheltenham Borough Council
  • EDP
  • Capita
  • DEFRA
  • Forest of Dean council
  • McLoughlin Planning
  • Planning Advisory Service
  • RTPI Young Planners (Gloucestershire)
  • Gloucester City Council
  • Jacobs
  • LDA
  • RTPI South West
  • Roberts Limbrick
  • Pegasus
  • Harrison Clark Rickerbys
  • Terra Firma
  • WSP

Our strong industry links offer opportunities for awards, intern positions, live challenges, visiting lecturers and employability skills workshops that could offer a real boost to your graduate career pathway.

In due course, we shall be seeking accreditation by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

Future-proof graduates

The course has been written with urban: city, town and rural strategic planners from a broad spectrum of local, national and international organisations. This means it meets the needs of changing contemporary practice in the industry and the needs of society while also exploring the great global challenges that urban and rural planners will need to be conversant with in the future.

Cross-discipline collaboration

You’ll work on construction modules and design context-related projects with students from Architecture, Interior Architecture and Quantity Surveying so that you can build collaborative relationships, design, innovate and learn from each other. This develops an understanding of the challenges that are posed when working across multiple professional contexts. As a result, you’ll gain essential transferable skills, becoming considerate professionals and good negotiators before joining industry upon graduation.

Placements

As part of your course you can gain valuable experience on an optional placement year.

  • Duration – 12 months, full-time (minimum 35 hours a week)
  • Location – popular destinations include the UK, USA, China and Europe
  • Visa – you may need a visa if you’re on placement abroad
  • Finance – your tuition fee is reduced for your placement year – and you can still apply for a maintenance loan and get money advice
  • Placement support – we’ll help you find a great placement and get the most out of the experience

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