MA Urban Regeneration and Development: The University of Manchester

Course description

With a burgeoning interest in the development and delivery of successful urban renaissance, the programme aims to present a coherent body of knowledge and skills in relation to the realisation of successful urban regeneration programmes and projects, and to provide students with a range of intellectual and professional skills for practice in urban regeneration and development in both public and private sectors (local authorities, regional development agencies, regeneration partnerships, regeneration consultancies, private developers).

The programme's objectives are:

• to provide students with a framework for knowledge creation in the field of urban development and regeneration, and to prepare them for professional practice or for further research activity at the forefront of contemporary thinking.
• to provide an understanding of the principal academic discourse relating to processes of urban development and change, and to engage in professional and inter-professional debate on the nature, purpose and methods of implementing successful urban regeneration programmes and projects.
• to provide an understanding of the relationship between critical awareness of theory relating to the process or urban development, and its application to specific practice settings and questions.
• to help students analyse, synthesise and evaluate both established and emerging policy and practice ideas, and to appreciate alternative methodologies associated with delivering successful urban regeneration programmes and projects.
• to identify and define urban problems at a variety of scales and to provide the knowledge base to enable students to devise appropriate solutions utilising a variety of professional skills and methodologies.  to provide students with the transferable skills and the confidence necessary to engage in collaborative problem solving.

Career opportunities

With the skill deficiencies in the field identified by the Urban White Paper (2000) and the Egan Review (2004), the programme meets the needs of a buoyant job market in central and local government, regeneration partnerships, consultancies and non-governmental organisations.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview: Entrants are expected to have a good first degree, normally an Upper Second or First class honours degree (or its international equivalent) from a recognised University. With such a vocationally oriented programme however, all applicants are interviewed, and appropriate professional experience may additionally be taken into account. Whilst applications are welcome from students just about to graduate, applicants with relevant working experience post-graduation are particularly welcome.

English language: Students whose first language is not English require IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL 600 (paper based) or 250 (computer based).