Urban Policy & Practice

Background

The main thing I got was being able to bring a wider perspective to some of the policy debates we have in practice; bringing academic rigour and thinking to challenge some of the 'givens' in terms of policy handed down from government

The Masters Programme in Urban Policy & Practice is designed for people who work – or would like to work – in a wide variety of roles concerned with the planning and management of cities, towns and neighbourhoods. Established over 20 years ago, our aim is to create the urban leaders of the future. Teaching is led by staff at the cutting-edge of their field, based in one of the UK's largest and most respected urban research centres.

Students can study towards one of three MSc degrees or they can enrol for the shorter Postgraduate Diplomas or Certificates. All these qualifications can be completed through full-time, part-time or modular study. The intensive mode of delivery is designed to meet the needs of full-time students as well as those already in professional employment.

Aims

The overall aim of this Programme is to equip graduates with the knowledge and skills to make an effective contribution to promoting sustainable urban development and enhancing quality of life for all urban residents. We aim to produce graduates who are independent, critical thinkers, able to work in a wide range of roles in the public and voluntary sector. We expect our graduates to be able to:

• demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the social, economic and environmental forces shaping British cities and of how successive waves of policy have contributed to the current situation
• provide an independent, critical assessment of current urban issues and policy responses
• analyse the institutions and processes through which policies are developed and delivered
• demonstrate specialist knowledge from their chosen options but also an appreciation of the complexity of urban policy making – the multiple organizations, professions, tiers of government – and of the challenges of producing ‘joined-up’ solutions
• acquire important transferable skills in self-management, critical analysis, and written communication