
Urban Planning BA Honours
Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
DURATION
3 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 25,600 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* international students; GBP 9,250 - home students
Introduction
Our accredited Urban Planning degree allows you to explore the forces that shape our cities and neighbourhoods and help lead the debate about their future.
This Urban Planning degree focuses on the built environment and how it’s developed. You'll develop a thorough understanding of planning processes, design awareness and housing policy so you're equipped to pursue a career in town planning.
The course draws on Newcastle’s rich history, including the rise and decline of industry and its more recent cultural renaissance. You will undertake projects that address real-life planning situations and challenges, taking you out into the city and beyond. Study visits in Stage 2 also offer opportunities for international exploration and comparison.
You'll study topics such as design awareness, environmental sustainability and housing policy, and participate in a range of field trips and projects to see planning in action. You can specialise in subjects such as global poverty, the design of urban spaces, the effect of digital tools on democracy and how we plan for mega projects and the unknown.
Professional accreditation and recognition
Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)
This degree is partially accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) as a spatial qualification.
This means it satisfies the standards set by the planning profession.
BA Urban Planning and MPlan students are able to opt-in to free student membership of the RTPI at the start of their degree.
Study abroad
In Stage 2 you can choose to spend a whole semester studying in Europe as part of a study abroad exchange.
Rankings
- 10th in the UK – The Complete University Guide 2023 (Town and Country Planning, Landscape category)
- 15th in the UK – The Guardian University Guide 2023 (Construction, Surveying and Planning category)
- Global Top 125 University - QS World University Rankings 2023
- 65% increase in research power since 2014 – Research Excellence Framework 2021
- 42% of our research is classified as 4* world-leading research – Research Excellence Framework 2021
- 8th in the UK – Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023 (Town and Country Planning and Landscape category)
- 1st in the UK and 8th in the world for sustainable development – Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2022
- Global Top 140 University - Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023
Curriculum
The information below is intended to provide an example of what you will study.
Most degrees are divided into stages. Each stage lasts for one academic year, and you'll complete modules totalling 120 credits by the end of each stage.
Our teaching is informed by research. Course content may change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.
Student Testimonials
Career Opportunities
Our graduates do exceptionally well in the job market, both regionally and nationally, with many going on to pursue accredited Town Planner status.
Our graduates have also gone on to become teachers, accountants, solicitors, academics, business managers and officers in the armed forces.
Becoming a Chartered Town Planner
To become a Chartered Town Planner you need to fulfil the RTPI educational requirements and then complete two years' experience in planning practice.
- our four-year MPlan degree offers an RTPI-accredited route to Chartered Town Planner status
- our three-year BA Honours degree provides the foundation for this but requires an additional year of master's-level study
This three-year degree satisfies the core spatial planning requirements for RTPI membership, but not the specialist teaching requirements to achieve Chartered Town Planner status directly.
If you decide, during your BA degree, that you would like to become a Chartered Town Planner, you can apply to transfer onto our MPlan degree until the end of Semester 1 of Stage 3 as both courses follow the same programme.
Or you can study a specialist master’s qualification, should you decide to return to planning later in your career.
Admissions
Gallery
Scholarships and Funding
Several scholarship options are available. Please check the university website for more information.
Program delivery
This programme is vocationally oriented and this is reflected in the methods of tuition we use.
A typical week may involve lectures, seminars, and individual and group project work.
Field trips in the UK and abroad are integral to the programme and form a key part of tuition and assessment.
Our innovative teaching and assessment techniques involve the use of film, posters and presentations, making learning a creative and dynamic process.
Program Admission Requirements
Show your commitment and readiness for Grad school by taking the GRE - the most broadly accepted exam for graduate programs internationally.