UCAS code K400
The Town and Regional Planning MPlan programme is designed for those who wish to pursue a professional career in urban, regional and environmental planning. The MPlan offers two pathways with distinct specialisms. These are Transforming Cities and Regions and Spatial Planning for Environmental Change.
This course is an integrated Master’s programme designed for students who wish to pursue a professional career in urban, regional, and environmental planning. Fully accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), it forms part of a closely aligned suite of planning programmes with a shared structure and educational ethos. The programme equips students with the knowledge, skills, and professional competencies needed to address complex spatial challenges and shape sustainable places.
Students begin with a shared curriculum in years one and two, building a strong foundation in planning theory, environmental issues, and urban development while developing critical thinking and analytical skills. This structured approach supports flexible pathways and fosters a strong sense of academic community.
In later years, students specialise through one of two pathways:
Teaching combines lectures, seminars, fieldwork, live projects, and collaborative learning to connect theory with real-world planning practice.
The final year focuses on professional practice, including a major consultancy-style project. Graduates develop digital, analytical, and professional skills, preparing them to become confident planning professionals capable of creating sustainable and inclusive communities.
The programme is accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and Institute of Environmental and Environmental Professionals (ISEP), providing combined spatial and specialist accreditation (dependent upon module selection in year three).
The Royal Town Planning Institute works in partnership with universities to develop and accredit professional planning qualifications to put graduates on track to become a Chartered Town Planner.
Discover what you'll learn, what you'll study, and how you'll be taught and assessed.
Your first year of study introduces you to planning issues and the circumstances in which they arise. It provides an understanding of how planning powers, agencies and policies work to overcome the challenges that face cities and communities. You will also improve your oral, written and visual communication skills and engage in group-based problem solving and practical work with local field days so you can put your newfound skills into practice in a real-life setting.
You will take the following compulsory modules and select two choices from the optional modules detailed below.
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change. The course content currently shown on this page reflects the programme as it is running in September 2026. The University is currently reviewing all of its programmes for 2027 entry. View the 2027 version of this course for more information.
Year two is when you develop your specialism for either transforming cities and regions or spatial planning for environmental change. You will be introduced to the social, economic, and environmental causes of urban and regional change and the concept of environmental sustainability and its connections with patterns of human development. Project work helps you develop an awareness of the issues that arise in the development of planning schemes while a field trip examines social, economic and environmental planning challenges in a rural setting.
You will take the following compulsory modules and select one choice from the optional modules detailed below.
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change. The course content currently shown on this page reflects the programme as it is running in September 2026. The University is currently reviewing all of its programmes for 2027 entry. View the 2027 version of this course for more information.
In your third year of study, you will select your specialist pathway, either transforming cities and regions or spatial planning for environmental change. You will also take three compulsory modules.
| Compulsory modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| PLANNING AND PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT (ENVS369) | 15 |
| PLANNING LAW AND GOVERNANCE (ENVS348) | 15 |
| INTERNATIONAL PLANNING STUDIES (ENVS378) | 30 |
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change. The course content currently shown on this page reflects the programme as it is running in September 2026. The University is currently reviewing all of its programmes for 2027 entry. View the 2027 version of this course for more information.
Year four focuses on professional planning practice and includes a major project in the module spatial planning in action; coverage of planning theory and ethical questions in planning practice. This year also includes an assessed work placement for a minimum of three weeks working with a planning-related agency. Previous students have undertaken their placement in Merseyside, elsewhere in the UK or overseas, for example in Denmark, Poland, and Hong Kong.
You will take the following compulsory modules.
| Compulsory modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| MPLAN DISSERTATION (ENVS494) | 30 |
| PLANNING IN PRACTICE (ENVS426) | 30 |
| SPATIAL PLANNING AND DESIGN PROJECT (ENVS467) | 30 |
| THEORY, POWER AND ETHICS (ENVS432) | 15 |
| PLANNING PRACTICE PLACEMENT (ENVS448) | 15 |
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change. The course content currently shown on this page reflects the programme as it is running in September 2026. The University is currently reviewing all of its programmes for 2027 entry. View the 2027 version of this course for more information.
Planning education has an important vocational focus and in Liverpool we consider a real world connection to be extremely important. Our students gain a broad understanding of planning, from the ways in which towns and cities have evolved and are being reshaped to meet the challenges of the 21st century to the effects of planning on the environment and planning’s role in urban regeneration.
To do this we have designed varied programmes of study with a range of teaching styles. You will learn by doing through place-based projects and field classes as well as be introduced to real-life examples from around the world.
Our programmes also include specialised training in geographic information systems, mapping and urban design. Together these approaches ensure that you gain valuable transferable skills whilst studying with us.
Assessments are designed around developing skills and styles of communication that will be relevant to future employers. So, in addition to exams and essays, you will also undertake assessments that include computer-based exercises, oral presentations, policy briefs, poster presentations, field projects, research reports, design work, group work, seminar presentations and papers. Students complete a compulsory dissertation or project module in the final year on a topic of your choice. This is your opportunity to develop skills as an independent academic researcher, supported on a one-to-one basis by an expert in the field.
At Liverpool, we take a distinctive approach to education through the Liverpool Learning Framework. This means teaching that is engaging, inclusive and designed to help you succeed during your studies and beyond.
You’ll develop specialist subject knowledge alongside the skills employers value most, including:
Our curriculum is characterised by the three Liverpool Hallmarks:
We also embed key priorities across our curriculum, including AI literacy, employability, and sustainability, helping you prepare for the future and make a positive impact in the world.
We’re committed to creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment where every student can thrive.
Studying with us means you can tailor your degree to suit you. Here's what is available on this course.
University of Liverpool students can choose from an exciting range of study placements at partner universities worldwide. Choose to spend a year at XJTLU in China or a year or semester at an institution of your choice.
Immerse yourself in Chinese culture on an optional additional year at Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University in stunning Suzhou.
Broaden your world by spending an additional year of study at a partner university abroad following your second year of study.
Take a semester of your second year of study at one of our worldwide partner institutions.
Spend a summer abroad on a study placement or research project at one of our worldwide partner institutions.
Year in industry placements give you an in-depth workplace experience where you can develop your skills and apply your learning.
You don't need to decide now - you can choose to add a year in industry after you've begun your degree.
To spend a year in industry, you'll need to secure a placement with an organisation. If you're unable to find a placement, you'll continue with the standard version of the course without a year in industry.
Every student at The University of Liverpool can study a language as part of, or alongside their degree. You can choose:
All of our programmes benefit from the expertise of our academic staff who are leading global discussions in spatial planning, planning economics, and environmental assessment and management. This means you will benefit from research-led teaching, bringing the latest planning theory and practice into the classroom. Within the department, we also edit two respected peer-reviewed academic journals (Town Planning Review and Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal) and host the Centre for Sustainable and Resilient Cities and the Environmental Assessment and Management Centre. All of this means you can be confident that your learning is at the forefront of the discipline.
From arrival to alumni, we’re with you all the way:
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Our Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) accredited programmes ensure that you are fully qualified to enter this dynamic profession on graduation.
If you wish to continue your education beyond your undergraduate degree we also offer a range of postgraduate degrees, including our RTPI accredited Master of Civic Design.
We also offer a series of specialist postgraduate programmes including:
Our programmes are varied, interdisciplinary, and have a strong vocational focus, meaning that Liverpool planning graduates enter a wide range of planning related careers in the public, private and voluntary sectors. Career development is embedded throughout the programme. Students receive extensive and structured support through a dedicated programme of career development and enterprise activities integrated into the curriculum as well as through the University’s Careers & Employability Service. This includes careers workshops, employer-led presentations, recruitment and networking events, internship opportunities, sector-specific careers resources, and access to digital tools such as LinkedIn Learning and online interview platforms.
Career paths taken by our recent graduates include: