Entrance requirements
Graduate
Normally a 2.2 Honours degree or above, or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University in any discipline. Applicants with qualifications below 2.2 Honours standard or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University will be considered on a case by case basis, if they can demonstrate appropriate experience, acceptable to the School. Supplementary form to be completed along with application. Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible and ideally no later than 30th June 2027 for courses which commence in late September. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal prior to the deadline stated on course finder. Notifications to this effect will appear on the application portal against the programme application page. Please note: A deposit will be required to secure a place on this course. The University’s requirements for Recognition of Prior Learning, including the amount and level of credit that may be awarded, are set out in the QUB Study Regulations. To apply for recognition of prior learning please visit the link below. http://go.qub.ac.uk/PostgraduateRPL
English Language Requirements
Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.0, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required (*taken within the last 2 years).
International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.
For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs .
This module will introduce postgraduate students to the key concepts and principles of spatial and environmental planning. It will describe some of the founding principles of the discipline and examine the importance of the policy, administrative and legislative context within which planning is set. The course also introduces you to the mechanics of the policy-making processes and how this relates to land use planning. But it aims to build awareness and understanding of the key substantive and procedural principles of the profession. This includes a concern with rationality in decision making and justifying resource allocation and challenges to dominant theoretical positions from political economy, collaborative planning and radical action approaches. The module attemtps to explore issues of practice from a range of competing theoretical perspectives as planning and planners struggle to deal with a more global, uncertain and complex sets of spatial relations. What theory can tell us about our capacity to act in thse circumstances is also investigated, especially in the shift from regulatory to spatial planning. Critical reflection on case studies and live examples are emphaised as a way of appreciating the value of theory in planning practice.
The course extends over one semester and is structured to provide students with a comprehensive grasp of the key issues underpinning planning skills and ethics. It will draw upon enacted legislation, Circulars and Planning Policy Guidance, and Good Practice Guides that govern the procedure and processes of determining planning applications. This will be followed by 'hands on' experience of making decisions on a planning application.
This module will focus on property development processes in both the private and public sectors, including: the economic, social and political context of property development; property markets and their dynamic; key stages and stakeholders in the development process; the cyclical nature of property development; assessment of scheme viability; principles of project management; housing and sustainable development; redevelopment and the public interest; and the global financial crisis and it's implications. The module is taught through a mix of formal lectures (including a variety of guest lecturers) and study visits.