MSc Urban Planning

Study Mode Full-time
Year of Entry 2025/26
Day time city scape of Sheffield

MSc

Urban Planning

Explore the environmental, social and economic aspects of urban planning on a professionally-accredited masters course.

Everything you need to know...

  • Pound sign

    What is the fee?

    Home: £10,620 for the course
    International/EU: £17,725 for the course

  • Time

    How long will I study?

    1 Year

  • Location

    Where will I study?

    City Campus

  • Date

    When do I start?

    September 2025


Course summary

  • Explore key planning issues at a global, national and local scale.
  • Adapt the course to meet your academic interests and career aspirations.
  • Gain core knowledge and skills for contemporary planning practice.
  • Learn with academic and professional practitioners.
  • Create a professional profile to kickstart your career.

Understand how our cities and neighbourhoods are developed and gain the relevant skills to shape their future. Accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), this course provides an adaptable approach to learning with a range of specialisms to explore. Choose from environmental planning, urban design & development, planning for housing, historic environment, transport & infrastructure or economic development.

Accredited by
  • Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
  • Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)


Top 10 in the UK

We’re top 10 in the UK for research impact in Planning (Research Excellence Framework 2021).

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How you learn

Graduate View
Honor Whitfield

'This course has developed my professional skills, while helping me to connect everyday practice with urban planning theory. It's increased my awareness of contemporary planning issues, making me more effective in my work as a planning officer.'
Honor Whitfield, MSc Urban Planning student

At Sheffield Hallam, all our courses are designed to engage you with the world and challenge you to think in new ways. You’ll get to collaborate with others, and you’ll be taught in a supportive environment where you can thrive.

The course explores the relationship between theoretical and practical knowledge through our dynamic approach to teaching. You’ll develop your skills as an independent, critical and reflective learner through a range of professional learning experiences. You’ll benefit from a mix of face-to-face lessons and online tutorials. Not only does our virtual learning platform help you interact with course material and other students – it also gives you the skills you need to operate as a contemporary planning professional.

Your course can span either two or three years with the third year focussing on your dissertation if you take this route.

You learn through 

  • seminars
  • workshops
  • gateway talks and lectures
  • individual and group tasks
  • virtual fieldwork
  • case study analysis
  • real-life planning scenarios
  • online learning platforms

Applied learning

Live projects

We base your learning experiences around coursework that reflects contemporary practice. You’ll plan policy reviews, consider professional practice and ethics, develop comparative studies, critique design and undertake your own research. Instead of examinations, you’ll be assessed on these practical applications of skills and knowledge.

You can also undertake independent masters-level research. This focuses on contemporary practice within a specialist area of urban planning while developing your project management and consultancy skills. 

On the optional Professional Project module you can choose a client and develop your own project. Here your learning takes place in a professional environment, with ongoing support from our tutors. 

Networking opportunities

We’ll also encourage you to develop your professional network through our extensive links to industry, leading authorities and fellow students.


Future careers

Planners are employed across a range of private consultancies and public sector roles. They contribute to wider policy development, campaign bodies and pressure groups. 

A planning qualification can open opportunities in

  • strategic planning and policy development
  • regeneration
  • development implementation and management
  • environmental protection
  • infrastructure planning
  • transport and accessibility planning
  • housing planning, development and delivery
  • economic development
  • health planning
  • heritage and historic environment
  • waste, energy and minerals planning

 

Where will I study?

You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.

City Campus

City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.

City Campus map | City Campus tour 


City Campus map
Location

Howard Street
Sheffield
S1 1WB

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Adsetts library

Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.

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Learn more about your department

Natural and Built Environment Facilities Tour

Take a look around the natural and built environment facilities at Sheffield Hallam University with lecturer Camila Bassi.

Equipment and facilities

On this course you work with

  • a virtual learning environment
  • specialist ICT support

Entry requirements

All students

Normally you must have a minimum of a 2:2 degree. For the part-time course, we may consider you without a degree if you have extensive relevant experience, and subject to the approval of the course leader and the Royal Town Planning Institute.

International qualifications that are equivalent to UK qualifications are acceptable. You may also be able to claim credit points which can reduce the amount of time it takes to complete your qualification at Sheffield Hallam. Find out more

If English is not your first language you typically need an IELTS 6.0 score with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.0 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.

Additional information for EU/International students

If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.

For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.


Modules

Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.

Final year

Compulsory modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Applied Research Methods
Credits 15
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Environment & Infrastructure
Credits 15
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Housing Planning And Development
Credits 15
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Major Research Project
Credits 45
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Planning And Growth
Credits 15
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Planning Theory And Context
Credits 15
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Policies For Space And Place
Credits 15
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Shaping Places
Credits 15
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Sustainable Master Planning
Credits 15
Assessment Coursework(100%)

Elective modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Comparative International Planning
Credits 15
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Professional Project
Credits 15
Assessment Coursework(100%)

Fees and funding

Home students

Our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £10,620 for the course. The tuition fee displayed above is for the full course. If the full course is more than one year in duration, the fee will be divided into annual payments which will then be rounded. This may mean the total fee you pay is slightly higher than the fee stated above. If you take a break in study or have to re-take part of the course, you may also be charged an additional fee and will be notified of this at the time.

If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.

International students

Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £17,725 for the course. The tuition fee displayed above is for the full course. If the full course is more than one year in duration, the fee will be divided into annual payments which will then be rounded. This may mean the total fee you pay is slightly higher than the fee stated above. If you take a break in study or have to re-take part of the course, you may also be charged an additional fee and will be notified of this at the time.

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Postgraduate student loans

Up to £11,222 available for Home students on most masters courses.

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Additional course costs

The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.

General course additional costs

Additional costs for Sheffield Institute of Social Sciences (PDF, 141.3KB)

Legal information

Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.

 

How do I apply?

You apply for this course via our online application form.

You can also use the application form above to apply for future years of entry.

Not ready to apply just yet?

Why not come to our next open day? Open days are the perfect place to talk to staff and students, visit our campuses and get all the information you need. Alternatively, feel free to ask us a question.

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Why choose us?

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Teaching

We are Gold rated in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) for the outstanding quality of our teaching and student outcomes

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Facilities

Study in brand-new facilities with access to state-of-the-art digital software and laboratory equipment

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Employment

95% of our UK graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating (2021/22 Graduate Outcomes Survey)

Where next?

Find out more about Sheffield Hallam's postgraduate opportunities and community.

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You can chat to teaching and admissions staff, view our facilities and learn more about your funding options.

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Information for international students

Information for international students including entry requirements by country and funding.

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