MSc Sustainable Planning and Transport

Why choose Herts?

Professional Accreditations

The course is accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). As students registered on an accredited planning programme, you’ll receive free student membership of the RTPI. As a student member, you’ll have access to networking events and student resources. Upon graduation, you’ll be eligible to apply for full professional membership. The RTPI, in partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce, is currently (for students starting in 2025/26) offering a Planning Scholarship for home (UK) students enrolled full-time on the MSc Sustainable Planning and Practice. To apply for this full-fee scholarship, please contact the Programme Leader, Professor John Sturzaker. 

Why choose this course?

This exciting course is specifically aimed at people wishing to gain expertise in contemporary planning and transport issues. It provides graduates with excellent career opportunities in a complete range of planning specialisms. 

Through our problem-based approach, you’ll benefit from a stimulating learning environment which challenges you through real planning issues and case studies. You’ll learn the role planning plays in addressing key sustainability concerns, including climate change, urban sprawl, social cohesion, and demands for personal mobility. You’ll also get to use the latest techniques including GIS; urban design tools and community engagement techniques such as charrettes. 

Throughout the course, you’ll be supported by research-active staff, and insights from a broad range of planning practitioner lecturers, who will encourage you to explore the latest research, applications of knowledge and case studies in the industry. 

You’ll have the opportunity to go on field trips locally and further afield. The University of Hertfordshire is uniquely located near the world’s first Garden City, Letchworth Garden City - and the first New Towns. Additionally, our Comparative Planning and Transport Practice module includes a residential visit to explore and compare transport planning systems in a different policy context. Any travel and accommodation costs of field trips are included in course fees. 

Whether you have experience or a previous degree in planning, or a related discipline, this course will enable you to broaden your horizons and excel in your career. Previous students have joined the course from a range of backgrounds, including: 

• students who have had work experience in planning, or a related discipline 
• new graduates starting out their career in planning with a first degree in geography, environmental science, conservation, sociology, architecture or urban studies 
• students from another discipline who have developed an interest in planning through voluntary work, work experience or project work. 

Whatever your background, this course will give you the skills you need to succeed. 

We're proud of our 91% overall satisfaction ranking for geography, earth and environmental studies in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES, 2024). You can be confident in knowing you're receiving an exceptional learning experience when you study this course. 

What will I study?

The MSc Sustainable Planning programme structure is based on a series of modules, each of which requires 150 hours of study. Most of these modules are centred on short courses of two-to-three-day short courses that usually run Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

If you wish to study full-time, the short course components of the modules run approximately twice a month which means that you’ll be attending classes on four weekdays and two Saturdays.

If you want to study alongside your work commitments, the part-time offering enables you to take modules over a period of between two and five years. This makes the course flexible and easy to attend.

You’ll benefit from a blended learning approach. Teaching combines a face-to-face teaching and tutorials approach with virtual live teaching allowing easy contact with module leaders and tutors, excellent access to learning materials and online submission of assignments. Modules include workshops, field work, class exercises, seminars and group work. Any travel or accommodation costs of field visits are included in the programme fee.

All of the modules are assessed through coursework. One module on the MSc Sustainable Planning and Transport has one exam. The nature of the coursework will vary, but will include experience in report writing, practical urban design work (no architecture background is required), oral presentations and negotiation skills. 

An individual project, the planning dissertation, will give you the opportunity to explore an area you’re interested in and to do primary research with support from an allocated supervisor. The supervisor will encourage you to explore the latest research and provide industry insight. You'll be encouraged to link with external organisations, such as local government, voluntary sector organisations or planning consultancies, to produce this piece of primary research that is both academically challenging and of practical benefit.

Further course information

Student experience