Planning and Development (MA)

Planning is about effectively managing place development in ways that support economy activity, protect the environment and enhance social and spatial conditions for populations.  It is about achieving balance and sustainability across these dynamic and interconnected spheres in planning decision-making.  Successful planning ensures a quality built environment complementing and enhancing the natural and cultural attributes of place.  Effective planning is critical in a time of increasing urbanisation, competition for scarce natural resources, negative impacts of climate change, and international geopolitical uncertainty.   

During this one-year program, you will: 

• Learn about the role of planners and the planning process in effectively managing space and creating places that meet the needs of diverse populations while also addressing sustainable development priorities.   
• Study relevant aspects of planning policy and practice, including planning systems and administrative and legal aspects of planning, the role and remit of local and national planning authorities and of private planning practitioners.  
• Gain a strong grounding in planning-relevant concepts and theories to develop your critical insights into contemporary ways of delivering planning, and to guide informed problem-solving and decision-making in practice-based contexts
• Learn about the importance of consultative and participatory approaches to achieving sustainability in planning and to developing places that meet the needs of all concerned.
• Examine case study examples through site visits and fieldtrips.
• Gain a degree professionally accredited by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) (affiliated to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)). 

Place-Based Approaches  

 Students taking this programme will develop an understanding and appreciation of the diversity of spatial planning approaches. This will be achieved through a variety of place-based exercises using the west of Ireland as a living lab construct.   

Accreditation:

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The SCSI is an internationally recognised professional body that provides Surveyors with a valuable designation and a mark of excellence that is valued throughout the property and planning industry worldwide. This accreditation will mean students of the programme can become chartered members of the SCSI through their planning and development APC pathway. The SCSI is an affiliate of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) meaning graduates may apply for a globally recognised and respected professional qualification.  

The course’s primary focus is on creating professional, qualified planning practitioners who can work in a variety of planning environments. To achieve this, modules cover diverse content. Considerable emphasis is placed on field-based teaching and learning experiences. In semester three graduates have potential opportunities for placement with planning organisations, for service-learning arrangements working with an organisation in order to deliver a project in a co-creation of knowledge approach, or students can opt to produce a more traditional dissertation.