European Planning

Town planning and spatial planning are disciplines concerned with how land, buildings, and infrastructure are organised to meet the needs of communities, economies, and environments. Planners shape where housing, employment, transport, and open space are located, mediating between competing interests and navigating complex regulatory frameworks to achieve outcomes that are both legally sound and socially beneficial. European planning adds an important international dimension, recognising that planning in the UK operates within a European context of cross-border environmental management, regional development funding, and comparative policy learning.

At Queen's University Belfast this four-year full-time MPlan programme is a complete professional planning qualification, following a pathway that leads to eligibility for Licentiate membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute, the professional body for planners in the UK. The European specialisation gives this programme a distinctive character, emphasising understanding of planning cultures and challenges across different European countries and providing the opportunity to study at a European university. This overseas study component includes work placement opportunities, giving you direct exposure to planning practice in a different national context.

A sandwich year and work placement experience are built into the programme, providing professional experience in planning organisations before you graduate and allowing you to develop the competence and professional network that planning careers require.

Graduates move into careers in local authority planning, private planning consultancy, housing, transport and infrastructure planning, environmental assessment, urban design, and policy. The European specialisation is a distinctive advantage for roles involving cross-border planning, EU funding, or international comparative work. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study or professional development within the RTPI's competency framework.