Urban planners create places and use their advanced observational and analytical skills to put their ideas into practice.

A key component of this postgraduate qualification relates to the promotion and development of sustainable cities. The courses studied pivot around real-world issues and therefore provide you with relevant skills that are transferable in the workplace.

What you'll learn

This graduate diploma will equip you with the knowledge, skills and practical expertise needed to embark on a career in the field of urban and regional planning. You will learn about:

• sustainable design and development
• social policy and planning
• urban transportation planning
• research techniques

Planners work at local, national and international levels and are involved in a range of professional activities, including environmental, social, heritage, transport and community planning, and urban design. Planners often find employment with councils. This degree opens up excellent career opportunities for graduates – in fact, employment prospects for planners is expected to rise by 14.7 percent through until November 20201. You may be involved in:

• planning and designing new towns and suburbs
• energy efficient housing
• new public transport services
• the protection of heritage buildings and landscapes
• coastal planning
• planning of healthy cities
• regeneration of run down or abandoned  former industrial areas
• development regional and rural communities