Reasons to study with us
By studying with us you will become part of a new and exciting generation of urban professionals, whose diversity of background and experience reflects life in the 21st century city. You will help to create fairer, healthier and more sustainable places; a crucial role in today's society.

You will be taught by the best and receive an outstanding education in urban studies and planning. Our academic staff are global research leaders whose passion and expertise feeds directly into the classroom.
As a student, you will engage with teaching staff on the challenges and opportunities of managing social, economic, environmental and technological change in the present and future. You will study a range of modules that are research-led and interdisciplinary, with a strong focus on climate change, design and social justice.
Five reasons to study with us:
1) Highest student satisfaction rates
We are the top planning school in the Russell Group for overall student satisfaction, according to the 2022 National Student Survey.
2) Highest quality of teaching
We are the UK’s top accredited planning school for teaching, according to the 2023 Guardian University Guide.
3) As a graduate you will be highly valued by a wide range of employers in planning, real estate and related fields.
95% of our graduates are in work or further study 15 months after course completion, according to the 2021 Graduate Outcomes survey on discoveruni.gov.uk.
4) You will join an internationally renowned centre of excellence in urban studies, planning and real estate.
Our department is the UK’s top accredited planning school for research and impact, with more than 95 percent of our research considered world leading or internationally excellent, according to the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
5) You will not only leave with an academic degree but also obtain professional skills and qualifications.
The MPlan in Urban Studies and Planning gives full accreditation from the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) as well as partial accreditation from the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH).
If you enrol into one of our flexible BA programmes, you can obtain a professional accreditation by taking one of our additional one-year Masters courses:
- The MSc in Urban and Regional Planning and MA in Urban Design and Planning are fully accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).
- The MSc Real Estate and MSc Real Estate Planning and Development are fully accredited by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
- The MSc Applied GIS provides technical and practical skills to launch a career in GIS, applied policy research or spatial data analysis.