MSc Regional and Urban Planning Studies

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Studying at LSE

This programme takes an interdisciplinary approach and is administered through the Department of Geography and Environment|. It offers the following benefits:

• Study on an internationally renowned programme that provides an opportunity to specialise in aspects of planning through a choice of options and a dissertation.
• An insight into the leading edge of social science research as it is applied to the problems of cities and regions.
• The opportunity to learn from current planning controversies and practice through a programme of study visits and visiting speakers.
• An academic programme benefiting from a partnership agreement with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors conferring professional recognition

See also Student, Alumni and Academic Profiles| 

About the MSc programme

You should usually have either good academic qualifications in a relevant social science discipline, or professional qualifications and experience to gain entrance to this degree. This MSc will provide you with an understanding of the contributions of economic, political, social and spatial perspectives to the planning process.

The programme also acts as a conversion course for built environment professionals with a prior training in architecture, landscape architecture, surveying or engineering. Many of our students are returning to study mid-career.

The programme involves three compulsory half units, three half unit options and a 10,000 word dissertation. This dissertation will be on a topic of personal interest to you agreed with your tutor. It provides the opportunity for you to apply the material learned in the rest of the programme. Through your selection of options you can either study a wide range of different subjects or choose a package with a specialism such as environment, regional policy and economic development, or developing countries.

You will also have the benefit of a series of visiting speakers and study trips exploring current planning issues, including the chance to go on a study visit to another city. In recent years this has been to Sarajevo, Moscow, Istanbul, Berlin and Athens; the cost of this visit (about £300) is not covered by tuition fees.

Compulsory courses

(* half unit)

• The Economics of Regional and Urban Planning*
• Social and Political Aspects of Regional and Urban Planning*
• Urban Policy and Planning*
• Planning Practice and Research (not assessed)
• Dissertation

Options

Three from:

• Socio-economic Cohesion Policies in the EU*
• Local Capacity and Economic Development Policy*
• Regional Development and Policy*
• Cities, People and Poverty in the South*
• Cities, Culture and Politics in the South*
• Economic Appraisal and Valuation*
• Concepts in Environmental Regulation*
• Urban Environment*
• Planning for Sustainable Cities*
• Concepts in Environmental Regulation*
• Globalisation and Regional Development*
• Economics of Local and Regional Development*
• Cities, Space and Society* 
• Environmental Assessment*
• Techniques of Spatial Economic Analysis*
• Globalisation and Gender*
• Race and Space*
• Cities and Social Change in East Asia*
• City-making: the Politics of Urban Form Project* 
• Housing, Neighbourhoods and Communities*
• Cities, Politics and Citizenship*

A half unit course from another programme at the discretion of the programme director.