Takes an integrated and cross-disciplinary approach to critically examine, understand and address the grand challenges cities and their transport systems face today and in the future.

Study a unique programme that transcends the traditional disciplinary boundaries typically encountered in both academic and professional settings.

Gain the skills necessary for flexible career options in transport planning, urban planning and development.

Manchester serves as a living laboratory, showcasing numerous examples of how transport and urban land use planning intersect.

The MSc Transport and Urban Planning is a unique course that brings together two interconnected disciplines, breaking intellectual discourse and practice boundaries typically encountered in both academic and professional settings. It takes an integrated and cross-disciplinary approach to critically examine, understand and address the grand challenges cities and their transport systems face today and in the future. The programme is research-led and practice-oriented and designed to equip you with knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to make a significant contribution to tackling the global challenge of creating towns and cities with better and fairer accessibility and more equitable and sustainable mobility.

You will be exposed to the latest thinking and debates in sustainable place-making, sustainable transport and mobility and complex systems analysis, and build a solid foundation to effectively function as transport and planning practitioners in various international contexts, for public, private and third sector organisations. With the transdisciplinary view of transport and spatial planning, and the strong global perspective you will develop, you will be able to work in project teams dealing with complex urban systems interventions in different planning and socio-economic contexts, and at multiple scales (neighbourhood, city, regional and global). You will develop the ability to think critically and enact solutions to help create more sustainable, efficient, and liveable urban environments with equitable transport systems.

This course is aimed at candidates interested in interdisciplinary work. Prospective students may come from diverse backgrounds, including transport planning, engineering, urban planning, or geography. The programme is well-suited for graduates aiming to pursue careers in either the transport planning or urban planning sectors, both within the UK and internationally, and across public, private, or civil society organizations.

Career opportunities

The course prepares you for employment in professional practice in the fields of transport planning and urban planning in the UK or overseas and will provide you with the academic knowledge and professional skills for employment in the private (consultancy, development industry) and public (local authorities, development agencies) sectors.

More generally, graduates are popular with employers, particularly in consultancy, where the ability to analyse and propose policies and implement strategies is vital.

After London, Manchester hosts the largest number of planning, transport and development consultancies in the UK.

Our graduates have gone on to successful careers in areas including transport planning, urban planning and design, urban and regional development policy, central and local government, real estate development, environmental management and consultancy, international development, energy and water, non-governmental organisations.

Graduate employers include:

AECOM

Arup

Atkins

WSP

BP

EDF Energy

The Environment Agency

Jacobs

Rolls-Royce

Transport for Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Local Authorities across the UK

several other international consultancy companies and agencies.