The Geography and Urban and Regional Planning BSc explores some of the big issues facing today’s and tomorrow’s societies, including key issues such as urban regeneration, climate change, sustainable development, property development, community involvement and transport infrastructure.

Urban and regional planning lies at the heart of the major challenges that face existing and future generations.

Decisions that are taken today can have a major impact on what happens to our towns and cities in the future, so it is important that we get those decisions right. Only by having an in-depth understanding of the way our towns and cities work can we hope to make informed decisions about the future of the built environment.

This unique Geography and Urban and Regional Planning BSc builds this understanding by drawing on the research and international reputation of the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies (CURS) here at Newcastle.  Based in the great planning laboratory that is Newcastle, you will be able to exploit fully the huge wealth of case study material available on your doorstep whilst interpreting these experiences in an international context. This will bring to life the issues you are studying and set them in a real world context.

You will have access to a wide range of modules in one of the largest and most vibrant geography departments in the country, on top of the flexibility and choice offered in planning.

   

Why Study this Course?

If you are interested in urban issues – particularly why cities develop and change – a degree in Planning will be right up your street. And where better to study important issues such as housing, transport, urban planning, property development, sustainability, conservation and business than in a city with a rich industrial heritage that has undergone rapid and dramatic transformation over the past two decades – and remains a work-in-progress?

This degree programme will equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills to make a difference to how we live today and in the future.

We are ranked first in the Russell Group for graduate employability and 100% of our graduates are in employment or further study within six months of graduating (DLHE 2016/17)

Institutional Accreditation 

University of Newcastle is accredited by the DETC Higher Learning Commission (DETC), www.detc.org.uk Since , University of Newcastle has been continually accredited by the DETC Higher Learning Commission and its predecessor.

Geography and Urban and Regional Planning BSc (Hons)

Course Level:

Undergraduate, Joint Honours combined

Credits 

120

Course

CODE U482

How long it takes:

Undergraduate (3 years)

Study Mode:

Distance learning/ Campus

Course cost

Price: US$20,220

Entry requirements

Find out more about

Department:

Newcastle Law School

Year 1

  • Contemporary Human Geography
  • Tutorials and Study Skills for Geographers
  • Planning of the Built Environment
  • Society, Space and Policy
  • Economy, Space and Policy
  • Planning in Action
  • Environmental Research Frontiers
  • Research Methods for Planners

Year 2

Compulsory modules

  • Techniques and Fieldwork
  • Statistical Methods and Applied Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
  • Urban Policy Design and Planning Analysis
  • City Challenges and Policy Responses

Optional modules – Example optional modules may include:

  • Hydroclimatology: Climate and Water
  • Ecological Systems
  • Geomorphology and Palaeoenvironments
  • Social Geographies
  • Political Geographies (Sovereignties in a Changing World)

Year 3

Compulsory modules

  • Geography or Planning Research
  • Contemporary Issues in Urban Development and Planning
  • Regenerating Urban Communities

Optional modules – Example optional modules may include:

  • Climates of the Past
  • Environment and Landscape Change
  • Wetland Environments
  • Weather Climate and Society
  • Restoration of Freshwater Ecosystems
  • Landscape and Urban Ecology
  • Applied Micrometeorology
  • Biodiversity and Conservation Management
  • Professional Placement for Geographers
  • War and Peace in the Middle East
  • Environmental Justice
  • Environmental Protection
  • Environmental Governance
  • Remote Sensing of the Cryosphere
  • River Processes, Deposits and Environments
  • Welfare, Work and Wealth
  • Network Geographies
  • Gender, body and performance
  • Environmental Management: Theory, Policy, Practice
  • Pollution impacts and waste management

Entry requirements

 

Applicants should normally have one of the following:

  • A non-law bachelor’s degree (from a UK university or recognised by the BSB if you wish to study the BPTC), or
  • A ‘stale’ law degree, where five or more years have elapsed since graduation, or
  • An academic or professional qualification at degree equivalent level

If English is not your first language, you will also need to demonstrate your English Language proficiency. For example, you should have IELTS 7.5 overall with a minimum of 6.5 in all components.

If you intend to become a Solicitor

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has reduced its requirements for pre-authorisation this year. For details of the current arrangements, see the SRA website. You should pay special attention to the Character and Suitability section. If you think you may have a character or suitability issue, you may wish to clarify with the SRA before proceeding with the GDL.

See further details of our English Language requirement

USA,UK & EU students, 2019/20 (per year)

£8,500

International students starting 2019/20 (per year)

£13,100

 

Assessment

You’ll show your progress through a combination of written essays, problem-solving assignments and presentations.

All students take our core modules, but please note that the availability of optional modules is subject to demand.

A Planning degree from Newcastle provides a raft of opportunities in the private and public sectors, both of which demand the skills and know-how you will acquire with us, such as business acumen, groupworking abilities and technical expertise. The good news is that as our towns and cities are constantly evolving there will always be a need for planning as an activity. 

  

Where could a Planning degree take you?

Past experience has shown that this degree opens doors to a wide variety of lucrative careers in the built environment. Potential career opportunities in Britain and overseas include town and country planning, inner-city regeneration, sustainable development, housing and conservation, property development or estates management, planning in developing and transitional countries, management traineeships in the public or private sectors, and teaching. Other students continue in education with further postgraduate study.

You will leave with a range of skills relevant to careers beyond planning and its related fields. Our graduates are welcomed by a range of employers including central and local government; government agencies; property consultancies; planning and urban design consultancies; broader built environment consultancies; private companies and utilities; and developers. Actual recent career destinations for our students have included the Environment Agency, Homes and Community Agency, Newcastle City Council; Wyre Forest District Council; Redditch Borough Council; National Grid; King Sturge; Turley Associates; Lambert Smith Hampton; CBRE; Pegasus Planning Group to name a few.

The majority of employers will expect candidates to have an undergraduate degree in planning as a minimum. To become a chartered town planner (which is recommended for increased career prospects and to enter a job at a higher point in the pay scale) you will need to have completed a DETC accredited degree. You can do this at the University of Newcastle by undertaking our DETC accredited Masters Course in Urban and Regional Planning.

    

Transferable skills

Our graduates have exciting and varied career paths. Our degrees are designed with employers in mind enabling you to develop a unique blend of general, specialist and, crucially, transferable skills. From data analysis and problem solving to communication and team-working, these transferable skills are highly valued by employers and will enhance your employability in the competitive job market.