About this course
- Entry year: 2012/13
- Course code: K44062
- Applications: University
- Level: Postgraduate
- Department: Planning and Architecture
- Campus: This course is studied entirely by distance learning
- Duration: Flexible but normally up to 3 years
- Delivery: Distance learning. Please note this course starts in January each year.
- Study Abroad: No
- Programme leader: John Allinson
- Key fact: This distance learning course provides access for all to a quality town and country planning education. It is the only course of its kind in the world and is fully recognised by the RTPI.
Introduction
This fully recognised RTPI course is one of a kind! It provides you a route to becoming a Chartered Town Planner entirely through distance learning - so is ideal for those who can't or don't want to study a normal university-based taught course. It is run by a consortium of four Planning Schools across the UK, including UWE and the Open University.
This popular course follows a calender year, not the standard academic year, and applications are made to start in January of each year.
Although principally designed as a route to the professional qualification of the RTPI, it may also be of interest to those wishing to know more about the planning system for reasons other than the professional qualification.
The MA is made up of three planning courses devised and run by a consortium of four planning schools. They are:
- Department of Planning and Architecture, UWE
- Faculty of Arts, Environment and Technology, Leeds Metropolitan University
- Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences, London South Bank University
- School of the Environment, Dundee University
The programme has been running since 1985. It was granted accelerated status as a new Spatial Planning course in 2004. It continues to receive the full support of the Open University which has been closely involved in its development from the outset. Additionally, the Open University provide a 30 credit specialism to one of the planning courses.
Access to all
If you are already a graduate from a related subject or have relevant professional experience, you will take the 'short' programme comprising of the three planning courses.
If you are not a graduate, don't have relevant professional experience or are a graduate from an entirely unrelated discipline, you will take the three planning courses as well as four extra Open University courses.
Successful completion of the programme leads to the RTPI recognised MA in Town and Country Planning which is awarded by UWE. Completion of a structured programme of planning experience followed by RTPI's Assessment of Professional Competence leads to full RTPI membership.
Student's view
"My success has stemmed from fantastic teaching. I have grown in confidence and am a totally different person now. I have great respect for the course team and cannot thank them enough for helping me get where I am today." Caroline Marsden
Structure
Content
There are two distinct elements to the programme - Planning Courses 1 and 2 devised and run by the Consortium and Planning Course 3 which includes the Open University specialist element along with the dissertation.
The courses focus on town and country planning practice, looking closely at the making of place and the mediation of space. As such, they deal primarily with issues relating to the use and development of land and how that relates to the achievement of broader spatial objectives. The Open University specialism in Planning Course 3 has been selected to provide an understanding of the social, environmental and management context within which the activity of town and country planning takes place.
Planning Courses 1 and 2 are each equivalent in workload to 60 credits. Planning Course 3 is made up of a 30 credit dissertation and a 30 credit Open University specialism. The courses are studied in sequence, building progressively on material already covered and increasing in academic difficulty.
Planning Course 1
This course focuses on context and procedures. It covers the practices by which planning systems in the UK, Europe and the world seek to control, direct and harness the forces that impact upon the built and natural environment. To start the course, current issues and historical background are aired as contexts. Following this, legislation on the making of plans and the management of development are comprehensively covered, as is the property development process. The course concludes with a module introducing the principles and practice of urban design, which is assessed through an integrative Place Making project.
Planning Course 2
This course further develops learning on spatial planning, engaging with the processes, aims and objectives of planning systems. After initial consideration of the methods that planners use to collect, analyse and apply environmental data, the course goes on to discuss three different scales of operation - international and European, regional and strategic, and local and community. The final taught module considers the processes of implementation and management. The course concludes with a substantial and indepth Spatial Planning project, carried out partly in groups at a Summer School.
Planning Course 3
This course seeks to provide a specialist focus on ideas, perspectives and debates that set out the context for planning. It enables you to develop a substantial and genuine expertise in a specific field to pursue throughout your career or in future programmes of continued professional development and learning. The main mechanism for this is the production of a 12,000 - 16,000 dissertation. You will also complete an Open University specialist subject which should relate to your chosen dissertation topic. These cover a variety of subjects broadly catergorised as environmental policy modules, management , decision-making and leadership modules, and social policy modules.
Additional content - non-graduates
If you are a non-graduate wishing to study the MA, you will first need to complete four staged courses with the Open University. These cover foundation level through to undergraduate level 3 study. You will register with the Open University as an undergraduate student and may not progress onto Planning Courses 2 and 3 until you have successfully completed these initial stages. They fulfil the important function of introducing non-graduate students with limited or no experience in Higher Education to study up to Masters level, as well as to study by distance learning.
Possible additional content - graduates
If you are already a graduate you will only need to complete the three Planning Courses in order to gain the MA. You will need to have a relevant degree, eg. geography, environmental studies, surveying, or if you do not have a relevant degree, then another degree along with one year's experience in a planning-related field. If you do not meet these criteria, you will first need to take the Open University Environment Course (U216) before you can join Planning Course 1.
Additional information
Please see our Summary Guide for more information on the course, as well as details on the programme structure, additonal learning requirements for non-graduates and specialist options available to you through the Open University.
Teaching and learning
This course presents a unique approach to professional planning education. It offers flexibility in terms of how and when you study and at what pace, as well as some choice over the subjects included. It provides tutorial, documentary and web-based support for your studies.
Course materials are delivered over the internet in a virtual learning environmental called Blackboard. This is also used for announcements, messages and links to other published resources. You will therefore need to have access to the internet to obtain materials and study the course. Upon enrolment you will be issued with a user name and password to access Blackboard.
As far as possible, the electronic course material together with supplementary resources are self-contained. In practice, it is not possible to cover everything in this way and additional reading is indicated where appropriate. Planning Courses 1 and 2 involve a compulsory Summer School which provides valuable opportunities for group work, face to face learning and practical work such as field and studio work and computing. There is also a voluntary Spring School in Courses 1 and 2 as well as an attended study day in Course 3.
Study time
There are 6 modules in each of Planning Courses 1 and 2. You are expected to spend around 15 hours a week studying, giving a total study time of 600 hours for each of the courses. This will include time spent on assignments, studying for exams and participation in attended sessions. There is considerable diversity in subject matter within each course reflecting the range of material necessary to be covered in a recognised RTPI course.
Assessment
Assessment would normally be through assignment work, examination and the dissertation.
Special Features
Professional accreditation
This course is accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). Taken together with a minimum of two years structured and monitored relevant experience and the RTPI's Assessment of Professional Competence, the course provides the basis for election to membership of the RTPI. This carries with it the right to use the designation MRTPI and the title 'Chartered Town Planner'. Further information can be found on the RTPI website.
Entry
Entry requirements
If you are a non-graduate, please contact the Open University at Milton Keynes, or one of their regional centres, to apply, to find out more about entry requirements or if you wish further information on fees or content.
If you are a graduate from a related degree, or a graduate from a non-related degree but with at least one year's experience of working in a planning-related role, you must contact us by 1 November at the latest for Planning Course 1 which starts at the beginning of the next calender year. Your completed application with all supporting documentation, relevant course fee or commitment to pay e.g.. direct debit instruction or invoicing details must be returned by mid December at the latest to facilitate a start in January. This is a very popular course and unfortunately we are not able to consider late applicants. Please ensure that your application clearly states that you are applying for the MA Town and Country Planning by distance learning, as we also offer a course by the same name offered by full time and part time study.
Typical offers
- GCSE: Maths and English Grade C or above
Fees
Full details of fees for this course can be found on our postgraduate fees pages.
For funding options, please see our funding and scholarships information.
How to apply
All applications and enquiries should be directed to either Nancy Campbell (Administrator) or John Allinson (Programme Leader) in the first instance. Nancy and John are able to provide guidance to non-graduates on appropriates routes to entry to the MA and who to contact.
For further information
Page last updated 14 December 2011