Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £10,620 for the course
International/EU: £17,725 for the course -
How long will I study?
1 Year
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Where will I study?
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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
This course is accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Top 10 in the UK
We’re top 10 in the UK for research impact in Planning (Research Excellence Framework 2021).
Come to an open day
Find out more at our postgraduate open days. Book now for your place.
How you learn
Graduate View
'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
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
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreLearn 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
360 tour - Materials Lab
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
Applied Research Methods
Environment & Infrastructure
Housing Planning And Development
Major Research Project
Planning And Growth
Planning Theory And Context
Policies For Space And Place
Shaping Places
Sustainable Master Planning
Elective modules
Comparative International Planning
Professional Project
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.
Postgraduate student loans
Up to £12,471 is available in 2024/25 for home students on most masters courses.
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.
