European Planning

Course Content (including module information)

The first two years are shared with the BSc Environmental Planning and students will be eligible to transfer from one degree to the other at the end of the second year. In the third year, MPlan students begin to concentrate on aspects of European planning, including specialised language training. The degree includes fieldwork in Stages 1-3 and a week-long field study to Europe during Stage 3 (recent destinations have included Amsterdam, Barcelona and Krakow). The fourth year is spent at a partner university in Europe. We currently have partners in Sweden, The Netherlands and Turkey, and new partners are always added.

Stage 1

• Contemporary Issues in Urban and Rural Planning
• Design Principles in the Built Environment
• Institutional and Policy Context of Planning Practice
• Introduction to Spatial Planning
• Research Skills
• Spaces, Places and Plans

Stage 2

• Economy and Space
• Planning and Sustainable Development
• Planning Theory and Society
• Site Layout and Design
• Theory and Practice of Development Management
• Theory and Practice of Planning Policy

Stage 3

• Comparative Planning Studies
• European Languages for Planners
• European Planning Perspectives
• Legal Studies in Planning
• Planning Practice Field Study
• Themes in European Planning
• Transportation and Infrastructure

Stage 4

• Advanced European Planning Studies (i)
• Advanced European Planning Studies (ii)

and

• Independent Research Project in European Planning

or

• Work Placement in European Planning Practice

Assessment: The way in which you will be assessed will vary according to the intended learning outcomes of each module. Some modules are assessed solely through project work or other written assignments. Others are assessed through a combination of coursework, and end of semester examinations. Academic staff are active in teaching and research, have obtained teaching awards and have developed innovative learning and assessment methods. The latter might include a role-play exercise, developing social enquiry through working on a film documentary or applying theoretical ideas to discussion of a film. Details of how each module will be assessed will be shown in the Student Handbook which is provided to all students at the start of each academic year.

Feedback (general): As students progress through their course they will receive general and specific feedback about their work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, project supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study and peers. University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work. Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:

• Feedback provided via formal written comments and marks relating to work that you, as an individual or as part of a group, have submitted.
• Face to face comment. This may include occasions when you make use of the lecturers’ advertised “office hours” and "feedback days" to help you to address a specific query.
• Comments from planning practitioners contributing to lectures, field visits and 'real life' student projects.
• Online or emailed comment.
• General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.
• Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid. In some instances, this may involve revision sessions drawing on past examination papers.
• Feedback and outcomes from practical classes.
• Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as, Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.

Once you have reviewed your feedback, you are encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of your work. You will be supported in this process by your personal tutor.

At Queen’s, we aim to deliver a high quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable students to achieve their full academic potential.

On this BSc we do this by providing a range of learning experiences which enable our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners. Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this degree are:

• Lectures: introduce basic information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading. Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assignments (normally delivered in large groups to all year group peers). There are normally between 40 and 50 Planning students on the course. In some modules you will be with students from other degrees, but on the whole the planning degree will provide you with an excellent staff to student ratio.
• Studio Work: Environmental Planning is one of only a few courses at Queen’s which conducts a large proportion of its teaching in a studio environment. We use studio projects to help you develop design/technical skills and apply theoretical principles to real-life or practical contexts. For you, studio work will offer a unique and highly supportive learning experience. Most of our project work is conducted in our own dedicated studio in which you may work informally, individually or in small groups, with staff on-hand to offer guidance and support.
• E-Learning technologies: Information associated with lectures and assessments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Queen’s Online. A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree through, for example: interactive group workshops in a flexible learning space; IT and statistics components; podcasts and interactive web-based learning activities such as on-line discussion forums; opportunities to use IT programmes associated with design in practicals and project- based work etc.
• Seminars/tutorials: Significant amounts of teaching will be carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students). This will include breaking up into small groups within lectures. These sessions will provide opportunities to engage with academic staff that has specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess your own progress and understanding with the support of peers. You should also expect to make presentations and other contributions to these groups. Teaching staff will also be available on a one to one basis for tutorial sessions. The amount of time allocated to seminars will vary across modules and will be clearly outlined in the module guides provided.
• Self-directed study: This is an essential part of life as a Queen’s student when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work is carried out. Self-directed study will commonly be supported by seminars/tutorials.
• Employer/community input: Teaching will be complemented by the inclusion of contributions from those in planning authorities, professional planning practice and representatives of local communities. Such practitioners will contribute directly to lectures, field visits and practical student projects. For example, we partner with community groups to develop project ideas that are relevant to the needs of the sector. Recently this has included work on social economics, public participation, social documentary and others. Contributors have included the East Belfast Partnership, Friends of the Earth, Belfast Healthy Cities, Belfast City Council, Groundwork NI, the private sector (Turley Associates, BS Design), the BBC and many others. This will provide a significant learning and employability enhancement opportunity, draws on the strong professional and community links of teaching staff and enables professional contacts to be developed.
• Work-Related learning: Throughout the degree you will be applying theoretical ideas to real-life projects and engaging with the world of work. For example, the design stream of the degree will begin in year one with a design brief which will be consolidated with a design proposal in year two. Year two will also include a plan making exercise for a local town, and a client-based project involving a planning response and appeal. You will engage with the world of work, therefore, through engaging with practitioners as outlined above and by working on and disseminating projects with employers that draws on ‘live’ issues. For example, during year two students present their group findings on plan-making to classmates, lecturers and professional experts. In year three, there will be considerable opportunity for engagement with international, comparative topics and international practitioners during a field study module. Recent collaborators from the world of work include the Chief Architect and Town Planner from Krakow City.
• Field Trips: From the beginning of year one you will be involved in ‘getting out there’ on field trips of one day or longer. For example, a project in year one will include a visit to a local town in order to develop a design brief. In year three students will participate in a week-long stay in a European city. In recent years this has included Krakow and Barcelona. Such learning will enable you to apply your existing knowledge and research skills to a different and international setting. It will also provide an opportunity to engage with lecturers and practitioners in a more informal context. Students have told us that they value such interaction and the friendliness of lecturing staff.
• Supervised projects: In the final year, you will be expected to carry out an independent research project on a planning topic. You will receive one to one support from a supervisor who will guide you in terms of how to carry out your research and successfully complete your project.
• Personal Tutor: All students will be allocated a Personal Tutor who will meet with them on several occasions during the year to support their academic and skills development and discuss individual student’s career aspirations.
• Peer Mentoring: All level one students will have the opportunity to be mentored by Level Three Students. There will also be other opportunities for career-related mentoring as you progress.