City Planning & Real Estate Development

Our Masters in City Planning and Real Estate Development at the University of Glasgow will prepare you for working either as a planner or real estate surveyor. You will develop an in-depth appreciation of how different stakeholders in the planning and real estate sectors make decisions about future places. Cities lie at the heart of the many challenges human societies face today, from climate change, infrastructure delivery, affordable housing, and social inequality. These challenges ensure that the professions of city planning and real estate development are in high demand around the world.

*This programme is fully accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The philosophy of the City Planning and Real Estate Development programme is to break down the professional barriers between two built environment disciplines that make better place-based decisions when they work together. The skills and knowledge this course delivers is crucial in our rapidly changing world, particularly in the context of rapid urbanisation and climate change.

2.1 Hons (or non-UK equivalent) in a relevant social science or humanities subject (e.g. Urban/City/Regional Planning, Geography, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Land Economy, Land Resource Management, Real Estate, Mathematics, Business Studies, Environmental Design, Public Policy, Law, Philosophy, Politics, History, Economics, Sociology). If you are unsure whether your degree is suitable, you can email the programme convener to discuss.

We may sometimes accept degrees at 2.2 Hons or non-UK equivalent.

You are required to complete a personal statement for entry to this programme - see link below

• Real Estate Statement

International students with academic qualifications below those required should contact our partner institution, Glasgow International College, who offer a range of pre-Masters courses.

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic and Academic Online (not General Training)

• 6.5 overall with no subtest less than 6.5
• IELTS One Skill Retake Accepted
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test

Common equivalent English language qualifications accepted for entry to this programme

TOEFL (ibt, my best or athome)

• 93 overall with Reading 23; Listening 23; Speaking 23; Writing 24
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements, this includes TOEFL mybest.

Pearsons PTE Academic

• 59 overall with no subtest less than Reading 60; Listening 59; Speaking 59; Writing 74
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE) and Cambridge Advanced English (CAE)

• 176 overall, no subtest less than 169
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Oxford English Test

• 7 overall with no subtest less than 7
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

LanguageCert Academic SELT

• 70 overall with no subtest less than 70
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Password Skills Plus

• 6.5 overall with no subtest less than 6.5
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Trinity College Tests

• Integrated Skills in English II & III & IV: ISEII Distinction with Distinction in all sub-tests
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

University of Glasgow Pre-sessional courses

Tests are accepted for 2 years following date of successful completion.

Alternatives to English Language qualification

• Degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
  • students must have studied for a minimum of 2 years at Undergraduate level, or 9 months at Master's level, and must have completed their degree in that majority-English speaking country within the last 6 years.
• Undergraduate 2+2 degrees from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
  • students must have completed their final two years study in that majority-English speaking country within the last 6 years.

For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use these tests to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level programmes. The University is also able to accept UKVI approved Secure English Language Tests (SELT) but we do not require a specific UKVI SELT for degree level programmes. We therefore still accept any of the English tests listed for admission to this programme.

Pre-sessional courses

The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the English for Academic Study Unit Pre-sessional courses. We would strongly encourage you to consider the pre-sessional courses at the University of Glasgow's English for Academic Study (EAS) Unit. Our Pre-sessional courses are the best way to bring your English up to entry level for University study. Our courses give you:

• direct entry to your University programme for successful students (no need to take IELTS)
• essential academic skills to help you study effectively at University
• flexible entry dates so you can join the right course for your level.

For more detail on our pre-sessional courses please see:

• Pre-sessional courses

We can also consider the pre-sessional courses accredited by the below BALEAP approved institutions to meet the language requirements for admission to our postgraduate taught degrees:

• Heriot Watt
• Kingston Upon Thames
• Middlesex University
• Manchester University
• Reading University
• Edinburgh University
• ST Andrews University
• UCL
• Durham

For further information about English language requirements, please contact the Recruitment and International Office using our enquiry form

This unique programme brings together two disciplines to help you form a rounded picture of the sector and enable you to take the next step forward in your career. Accreditations This programme is jointly accredited by both the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). RTPI is an international professional body for town planners with members in 88 countries and maintains professional standards as the voice of the profession. RICS is a globally recognised professional body for those working in built environment, construction, land, property, and real estate, with members in almost 150 countries. A RICS qualification is valued and understood as a global benchmark by clients and governments for integrity and professionalism. Career opportunities and pathways This joint accredited programme offers a quicker pathway to becoming a chartered town planner, chartered surveyor, or both. Our students have excellent employment prospects, with alumni working in major international planning consultancies such as ARUP, WSP and JLL. Graduates have also gone on to work in local and national government institutions such as Glasgow City Council, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, and the Scottish Government. Career paths also exist in the third sector with graduates going on to work in community development organisations such as Sustrans, a UK-based cycling, walking and wheeling charity. Hear from a range of young planners about how they got into a public sector planning career Professional development Throughout the programme students have the opportunity to learn from industry practitioners and take their learning into the field. Experiential learning is a core part of the programme with teaching delivered through walking tours, site visits and field trips. Students can participate in an optional, self-funded, field visit to London where the agenda includes meeting with public and private sector planners and community groups. To help build on your industry expertise, students have access to CoStar and MSCI datasets. These are leading providers of commercial real estate and performance that are widely used in practice. These databases support project-based learning throughout our programme that will enable you to develop practical skills relevant to employers and contribute to building industry skills. Students also have access to the digital model of Glasgow in VU.CITY, a 3D modelling and data software which is widely used across the sector. As a student you will benefit from the close links held through our research centres and staff networks with the Scottish Government, local authorities and other agencies who contribute to teaching. Guest lectures are delivered across the programme from figures in planning and real estate sectors, providing the opportunity to network with professional practice at various points throughout the year. Hear from our alumni Edwin Wabomba, graduate of City Planning & Real Estate Development MSc [2022-2023] Edwin Wabomba, graduate of City Planning & Real Estate Development MSc Career support from the University of Glasgow As a postgraduate student at the University of Glasgow you will have access to our Careers, Employability and Opportunity service. This service offers students the opportunity to network through organised events, help with finding employment, internships and work experience, and career development masterclasses. Learn more about Careers, Employability & Opportunity