StudyLink logoHome
Students on a university campus

Studying urban planning abroad

Urban planning degrees focus on sustainable development, city design, and urban challenges.

Urban planning is the development and design of land use and the built environment. This can include airspace, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas. Good urban planners take into consideration the political, environmental, economic, cultural and social facets of a city, as well as understanding the physical aspects like air quality, water supply and infrastructure including buildings, roads and facilities.

The rapid growth of the worldwide population, as well as pressing climate change issues and questions around sustainable development, urban planners are having to be increasingly resourceful. This is making the training of urban planners more important, ensuring that graduates are well rounded and capable.

A degree in urban planning will include modules about the specific design and planning of spaces. You may also be required to study modules that are business based, such as economics, policy, law and history, among others.

Your degree will likely be delivered mostly in a lecture or seminar format. There may be some practical based lessons and assessments, but this will depend on your institution. Some institutions may encourage you to undertake a placement, as this gives you relevant work experience.

Depending on where you choose to study, your institution may offer you the opportunity to specialise towards the end of your degree. Some common specialisations include:

  • Urban Regeneration
  • Spatial Planning
  • Environmental Politics and Policy
  • Urban Design
  • Urban Health
  • Urban Economic Development

If your course requires you to write a dissertation, this will be a chance to research a chosen area to a greater extent.

Accreditation

The accreditation and certification of your degree will depend on the country in which you study, and your institution of choice. At a UK university, urban planning graduates will most likely be awarded a Bachelor of Science. Some courses in the UK may be accredited by the royal town planning institute (RTPI), or may run a degree in partnership with them. Another body that may accredit or contribute to degree courses in the UK is the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

For information about the accreditation and certification of your course, check with your institution.

Generally an undergraduate degree will last three to four years. Foundation degrees, diplomas and certificates usually last up to two years when studied full-time.

Careers

On completion of your urban planning degree, you will either be able to look for a job in your chosen field, or continue your studies. Continuation of your studies could be in the form of a postgraduate degree, such as a masters, a PhD, or a graduate diploma or certificate. If you do choose to further your studies, you will be given the opportunity to focus on a more specific area of Urban Planning.

Graduates of an urban planning degree will have been provided many transferable skills. This means that there will be a wide range of career paths open to you. You may choose to work directly in urban planning, in either the public or private sector. Jobs could include town planner, transportation planner, community worker, estate developer or research officer. Transferable skills gained might be research and analytical skills, teamwork, resource management skills and decision-making skills. These are all very useful in many different fields and sectors.

All Urban Planning courses

Highlighted course

Urban Planning and Resilience MA

University of Kent United Kingdom

Find out more

Urban Planning and Policy Design MSc

Politecnico di Milano Italy

Find out more

DDM Urban Planning, Society and Sustainability Master Degree

University of Groningen Netherlands

Find out more

Urban Governance of Inclusive Sustainable Cities Master Degree

Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB), Erasmus University Rotterdam Netherlands

Find out more

Business Engineering in Urban Mobility MSc

EIT Urban Mobility Master School Sweden

Find out more

Transitional Environments Design MDes

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design (PolyU Design) Hong Kong

Find out more

BEng (Hons) Architecture BEng (Hons)

University of Nottingham Ningbo China China

Find out more

Geography: Tourism and Hospitality Master Degree

University of Wroclaw Poland

Find out more

Master of Urban Planning Master

American University of Sharjah United Arab Emirates (the)

Find out more

Urban Planning MSc

The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong

Find out more

Urban Planning - Developing and Transitional Regions MSc, PG Cert, PG Dip

Oxford Brookes University United Kingdom

Find out more

Stay Ahead with the Latest Study Abroad Updates!

Join the StudyLink email list and never miss a chance to turn your study abroad dreams into reality!

  • Discover exciting opportunities from top universities worldwide
  • Get expert insights and higher education news to guide your choices
  • Receive exclusive tips, advice, and resources to make your journey smoother
Sign up now and take the first step!
Students with books and test tubes