MA Planning Built Environments

The MA Planning Built Environments course gives students the skills to design exciting and functional urban spaces, doing so by combining theory with practical experiences, helping students gain practical experience, leveraging the university's urban setting and industry ties to tackle real-world challenges and create better cities.

Students of this course will learn to identify and analyse different planning processes, tools, and outcomes that lead to the creation of environments that are sustainable. 

Students will also gain the capacity to assess contemporary planning theory and practice, giving them the knowledge to address current and future planning and development challenges within an environmental context.

Birmingham City University is an established institution that is located centrally in Birmingham, accepting over 31,000 students from more than 100 countries. The university is recognised for its focus on practical learning, offering broad perspectives of modern courses with global connections. 

Birmingham City University offers a lot of programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in different fields such as Business, Arts, Computing, Health, and Social Sciences, including the MA Planning Built Environments course.

Applicants must submit a personal statement, academic or employer reference, and optionally, a CV to build a picture of their work experience.

Grade Requirements:

• Applicants are expected to hold at least a second-class honours undergraduate degree (2:2), or an equivalent qualification, in any subject. 
• Practical experience in the field is considered desirable.
• A different degree may be acceptable if the student has enough relevant work experience in the planning or built environment sector.

English Proficiency:

• Applicants need to score 6.0 overall in IELTS (with no less than 5.5 in each component).
• Other English language tests, such as TOEFL and PTE, are also accepted.

For international students, the full-time 12-month course costs £18,600, while the 18-month option with placement is £20,460.

The university offers several scholarships for international students, such as International Postgraduate Scholarships provide up to £2,000 off tuition fees for postgraduate students based on academic merit, with awards ranging from £1,000 to £2,000 depending on the degree classification. Commonwealth Scholarships are available for students from developing Commonwealth countries, with various schemes often focused on specific subjects or levels of study. The 125th Anniversary Scholarships are available to Master's students from specific countries, including Nigeria, for studies starting in September 2025. Chevening & Birmingham Partnership Scholarships are offered to Master's students from 160 countries through a partnership with the Chevening program.

Graduates from the MA Planning Built Environments programme can pursue roles as:

• Urban Planner
• Development Consultant
• Planning Policy Officer
• Regeneration Officer
• Environmental Planner
• Community Engagement Officer

Interested candidates can apply directly through the university's online portal. If you need further assistance, please speak to our trained advisors.