Planning and City Resilience - MSc

Discover the role of planning in providing innovative responses and opportunities for creating resilient places that can adapt to the impacts of social (e.g. demographic change), economic (e.g. enhancing city/region competitiveness), environmental (e.g. climate crisis) challenges. You will explore a range of topics that relate to building resilient cities across four cross-cutting themes: sustainable development, social and climate justice, inclusive planning and partnerships, and smart interventions.

The programme is delivered via a combination of lectures, workshops, and seminars alongside local and international field visits that use the city as a laboratory. You will benefit from research-led academic instruction from a multidisciplinary course team. In addition, you will learn from industry experts working in the public, private and NGO sectors and gain experience in how planning enhances city resilience, blending concepts and theories with real world problems and solutions.

We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.

Applicants must:

English language requirements for international applicantsThe minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.

Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

Global initiatives, such as the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, illustrate the growing need for practitioners – and graduates – with the skills necessary for progressing the resilience agenda. It is anticipated that demand for professional planners will continue to expand, nationally and internationally, due to rapid urbanisation, growing inequalities and the climate crisis. The technical and transferable skills gained through the modules will help prepare students for securing and maintaining employment within this ever changing context.

Accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), the programme will provide a career development opportunity for both current planners (in public and private sector) with aspirations to work in the area of resilience, and those graduates from any undergraduate programme to transfer to the field of planning. The provision of optional modules provides flexibility to accommodate educational preferences and career progression interests/specialism.