Master's Programme in Strategic Urban and Regional Planning, 120 credits

Introduction

The master’s programme in Strategic Urban and Regional Planning is an educational programme at advanced level that leads to a master’s degree in urban and regional planning. The education is focussed on strategic urban and regional planning, and gives students an understanding of long-term and complex urban and regional planning processes. A planner who works with strategic planning must be able to lead overall planning at various levels of society: local, national, international and global. Such planning processes involve many different stakeholders within public administration, the business world and civil society. The programme focusses on questions and problems in a European context. Particular emphasis is placed on the sustainability challenges that urban areas and regions are facing, including such issues as climate change, globalisation, urbanisation, digitalisation and social inequality. In order to be able to manage these challenges, students must be able to make well- founded assessments of a complex reality, and use them to define objectives, formulate strategy and direct planning. The programme prepares students to conduct inquiries and to carry out project management, work management and process management, within urban and regional planning. It provides opportunities for exchange visits and work placements, and qualifies students for subsequent postgraduate education.

Aim

National Qualifications according to the Swedish Higher Education Act

Knowledge and understanding

For a Degree of Master (120 credits) the student shall

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding in urban and regional planning, including both broad knowledge of the field and a considerable degree of specialised knowledge in certain areas of the field as well as insight into current research and development work, and
• demonstrate specialised methodological knowledge in urban and regional planning.

Competence and skills

For a Degree of Master (120 credits) the student shall

• demonstrate the ability to critically and systematically integrate knowledge and analyse, assess and deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations even with limited information
• demonstrate the ability to identify and formulate issues critically, autonomously and creatively as well as to plan and, using appropriate methods, undertake advanced tasks within predetermined time frames and so contribute to the formation of knowledge as well as the ability to evaluate this work
• demonstrate the ability in speech and writing both nationally and internationally to clearly report and discuss his or her conclusions and the knowledge and arguments on which they are based in dialogue with different audiences, and
• demonstrate the skills required for participation in research and development work or autonomous employment in some other qualified capacity.

Judgement and approach

For a Degree of Master (120 credits) the student shall

• demonstrate the ability to make assessments in urban and regional planning informed by relevant disciplinary, social and ethical issues and also to demonstrate awareness of ethical aspects of research and development work
• demonstrate insight into the possibilities and limitations of research, its role in society and the responsibility of the individual for how it is used, and
• demonstrate the ability to identify the personal need for further knowledge and take responsibility for his or her ongoing learning.

Content

The master’s programme in Strategic Urban and Regional Planning comprises two years of full-time study (120 credits). The content of the programme relates to four overarching challenges that society is facing: a changed climate, a globalised world, an urbanised world, and a digitised world. New IT infrastructure within energy and transport systems, segregation and the relationship between urban and rural areas, new patterns of social inclusion and health, and adaptation to climate change are just a few examples of challenges that urban and regional planning must react to and manage with a long-term perspective. These challenges permeate the programme and are integrated into its courses.

The programme is characterised by both knowledge and skills within strategic urban and regional planning. The progression within knowledge of the subject is achieved by ensuring that the fundamental knowledge about the four overarching challenges gained during the first term is covered in depth during the second term. The second term concludes with a course to prepare for writing a thesis in strategic urban and regional planning. The intention of this course is to enable the student to demonstrate evaluation skills and approaches that are central within strategic urban and regional planning. Within the programme, the student is to demonstrate the ability to make well-founded assessments of planning questions and problems, based on various scientific, societal and ethical aspects.

During the first year, the programme consists of compulsory courses (60 credits) within the principal field of study: urban and regional planning. The purpose of these courses is to enable the student to demonstrate the ability to plan and carry out advanced tasks within a specified schedule, by identifying and formulating the issues in a critical, independent and creative manner, and by evaluating, selecting and using appropriate methods.

The first courses present fundamental knowledge within strategic urban and regional planning, and introduces students to academic writing, including regulations citation and referencing. Students are to demonstrate the ability to describe and discuss the conclusions they have reached both orally and in writing, and to defend them in dialogue, with respect to both Swedish and international contexts. They must be able to apply the skills required within strategic urban and regional planning in order to subsequently to deepen their knowledge during the programme.

The program offers in-depth knowledge within central areas of urban and regional planning. The focus is placed on giving students the opportunity to deepen their ability to critically evaluate and use information in relation to the four societal challenges that the programme addresses. The courses given gradually introduce methods and tools within strategic urban and regional planning. In these courses, students are to be able to evaluate and assess various challenges, and to manage the tools and methods required to analyse and meet these challenges. The term concludes with a methods course in which students are to demonstrate in-depth knowledge and abilities in applying relevant methods that are central to strategic urban and regional planning. The methods course prepares students for writing their theses.

During Term 3, students can choose between elective courses and study abroad. It is possible to select courses within urban and regional planning or courses within other principal fields of study relevant to the programme. The contents and nature of the courses make possible studies that are at greater depth and/or greater breadth within contemporary areas of research and development. For elective courses, a minimum of 5 students is required. If students choose a work placement to be credited as an elective course, the students arrange their placements themselves, subject to approval by the course examiner.

During Term 4, the students write a master’s thesis (30 credits). The master’s thesis is to provide a specialisation in strategic urban and regional planning.

The skills and abilities that are defined in the programme objectives are developed through repeated exercises, with a continuously increasing degree of difficulty during the programme. This involves, among other things, requirements for increased analytical ability, independence, the ability to understand and apply models and theories, the ability to apply a scientific and critical approach, and communication skills.
 

The heading “Curriculum” contains a list of courses included in the programme. The course syllabuses for these describe in more detail the contents, teaching and working methods, and examination.

Teaching and working methods

The education is problem-focussed, and most of the courses take overarching issues as their starting point, and these issues are subsequently broken down and applied in various projects. Teaching methods include lectures, seminars, excursions, project work, computer exercises, and tutorial supervision. During the programme, students get to improve their oral and written communication skills. A recurrent component of most courses is that students are to learn to use digital tools to visualise and communicate knowledge and processes that are relevant for urban and regional planning. Example of such tools are geographical information systems (GIS), visualisation, and scenario-based methods. The programme also contains several exercises in the field of strategic physical planning.
 

The course syllabuses describe in more detail the contents, teaching and working methods, and examination.

Entry requirements

• Bachelor's degree in urban and regional planning or other relevant subject area equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen
• English corresponding to the level of English in Swedish upper secondary education (Engelska 6)
  Exemption from Swedish

Threshold requirements

For admission to courses within the programme, see the respective syllabus for specific entry requirements

Degree requirements

To be awarded a degree from the programme, students must achieve a passing grade in all courses.
 

Course requirements to achieve a degree can be found in Appendix 2 to the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100). Precise requirements for general degrees at first-cycle and second-cycle level can be found in LiU's current regulations.

A degree certificate will be issued by the faculty board on application by the student. A diploma supplement will be included as an appendix to the degree certificate.

Degree in Swedish

Filosofie masterexamen med huvudområde Samhällsplanering

Degree in English

Degree of Master of Science (120 credits) with a major in Urban and Regional Planning

Specific information

Teaching language

The language of instruction is English.
 

Transferred credits

Decisions about transferring credit are taken by the faculty board, or by a person designated by the board, after application from the student.

Other information

If special circumstances prevail, the vice-chancellor may in a special decision specify the preconditions for temporary deviations from this programme syllabus, and delegate the right to take such decisions.