As a Birmingham postgraduate student you are part of an academic community and will learn from both academics and place-based specialist practitioners. From the outset you will be encouraged to become an independent and self-motivated learner, and we want you to be challenged and to think for yourself.
As a student you will be exposed to a variety of learning and teaching methods including lectures, small group teaching sessions, seminars, student-led workshops and tutorials. The teaching emphasis is on participative approaches to learning that enable students to reflect critically on important current debates in the practice and principles of spatial planning in diverse urban regions. To provide a “real world” feel for the programme there are a number of planning practitioners who directly input into the programme and we make good use of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands as part of our overall “learning laboratory”.
Studying with us you will enjoy a favourable staff–student ratio and full tutorial support. The department is centrally located on the campus close to the library, and provides access to photocopying and computer facilities. You will have access to a comprehensive support system throughout your time at Birmingham that will assist and encourage you, including personal tutors and welfare tutors who can help with both academic and welfare issues.
As well as having access to professional journals and magazines within the department, students can also use the University’s main library and the increasingly large variety of learning materials and library research services (eg, e-journals and WebCT) via the internet.
The MSc Urban and Regional Planning programme places an emphasis on applied, real world study, ensuring you gain those essential skills valued by all employers, including group and project work, IT skills, presentations and report writing skills. There will be a variety of assessments that you will have to complete including essays, reports, project-based work, reflective think-pieces and a 15,000 word dissertation.