MSc City Planning

On this MSc, you’ll gain hands-on planning skills using real-world data and Glasgow itself as a living urban laboratory. The programme connects you to the Urban Big Data Centre, giving access to rich datasets and tools like GIS and AI-driven urban analytics. You’ll tackle group projects, go on field visits, and complete a major research project or dissertation, all focused on practical, policy-relevant urban work.

Here’s how your learning experience is structured:

• Use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and other data-analysis tools in lab-based courses and integrative planning labs.

• Participate in group workshops and labs to model planning scenarios and test development strategies for real urban sites across Greater Glasgow.

• Take part in field trips, including visits to major planning and development projects in cities like London, and meet professionals in the planning field.

• Work with the Urban Big Data Centre, gaining exposure to cutting-edge research, datasets, and seminars that connect you with academics, public-sector, and industry professionals.

• Complete a dissertation or research project, applying your learning directly to real urban challenges under the guidance of Glasgow’s planning faculty and research centres.

Graduates from the MSc City Planning typically move into roles such as chartered town planner, housing or transport consultant, urban policy adviser, or community development practitioner. This degree prepares you to work across public, private, and third-sector organisations, giving you a strong foundation for long-term career growth.

Here’s how Glasgow supports your career progression:

• The University’s Careers, Employability & Opportunity team offers tailored support for postgraduate students, including networking events, internships, work experience placements, and career-development workshops.

• Around 84% of Urban Studies graduates secure employment or further study within six months of graduating, many in managerial or professional roles.

• The programme maintains strong links with industry and government, through research centres like the Centre for Housing Evidence and the Urban Big Data Centre, and via guest lectures from Scottish Government and local authorities.

• Being accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) gives graduates a pathway to becoming a chartered planner, an internationally recognised credential.

• Graduates have gone on to work at leading consultancies such as Arup, WSP, and JLL, as well as in local and national government and the third sector.

Further Academic Progression:
If you wish to continue your studies, you could pursue a PhD in Urban Studies, Public Policy, or Planning, working with Glasgow’s research centres like the Urban Big Data Centre or the Centre for Housing Evidence to explore advanced, evidence-based planning and policy research.