Expand+How To Apply

Applications for admission to full-time undergraduate courses at Queen’s should normally be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Full information can be obtained from the UCAS website at: www.ucas.com/...

Hide-How To Apply

Applications for admission to full-time undergraduate courses at Queen’s should normally be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Full information can be obtained from the UCAS website at: www.ucas.com/apply.

When to Apply

UCAS will start processing applications for entry in Autumn 2017 from 1 September 2016.

The normal closing date for the receipt of applications is 15 January 2017.

Applicants are advised to apply as early as is consistent with having made a careful and considered choice of institutions and courses.

Earlier applicants normally receive decisions more quickly, however, UCAS accepts that some applicants, especially those from outside the UK, may find this difficult. Late applications are, in practice, accepted by UCAS throughout the remainder of the application cycle, but you should understand that they are considered by institutions at their discretion, and there can be no guarantee that they will be given the same full level of consideration as applications received by the advisory closing date.

Take care to enter the details of the institutions and courses clearly and correctly on the application. For Queen's, the institution code name is QBELF and the institution code is Q75. These should be entered in the Choices section of your UCAS application. A Campus Code is not required.

Queen’s University Belfast Terms and Conditions 2017 Entry
The terms and conditions that apply when you accept an offer of a place at the University on a taught programme of study.

http://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/TermsandConditions/

Expand+Selection Criteria
In addition to the entrance requirements below, it is essential that you read the How We Choose Our Students pdf prior to submitting your UCAS application.

Entrance Requirements
A-level: BBB + GCSE Mathematics grade C

Irish...

Hide-Selection Criteria
In addition to the entrance requirements below, it is essential that you read the How We Choose Our Students pdf prior to submitting your UCAS application.

Entrance Requirements
A-level: BBB + GCSE Mathematics grade C

Irish Leaving Certificate: H3H3H3H3H4H4/H3H3H3H3H3 + if not offered at Higher Level then Ordinary Level grade O4 in Mathematics

BTEC Extended Diploma: a BTEC Extended Diploma with 100 credits at Distinction and 80 credits at Merit + GCSE Mathematics grade C

International Students
For information on international qualification equivalents, please click on Your Country in the International Students website.

If you are an international student and you do not meet the entrance requirements, you should consider a preparation course at INTO Queen's University Belfast, which will prepare you for successful study on these degree courses. INTO at Queen's is based on the University campus and offers a range of courses including the International Foundation in Engineering and Science.

For students whose first language is not English
An IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent acceptable qualification, details of which are available at: http://go.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, our partner INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability to entry to this degree. Please click the links below for more information:
•English for University Study - an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
•Pre-sessional English - a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.

Expand+Learning and Teaching
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 pote...

Hide-Learning and Teaching
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 the BSc. in Environmental Planning 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 BSc. in Environmental Planning 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.

Expand+Planning is about changing the places within which we live. How we can transform and improve our cities, towns, villages, neighbourhoods and communities. It affects our everyday lives and is an extremely exciting discipline to study at university.

...

Hide-Planning is about changing the places within which we live. How we can transform and improve our cities, towns, villages, neighbourhoods and communities. It affects our everyday lives and is an extremely exciting discipline to study at university.

A planning degree provides students with the knowledge and skills to be able to make decisions that shape the processes of growth and development. We currently face many major challenges – attracting investment, creating jobs, protecting the environment, energy policy, housing supply, transport links, providing local amenities – and planning affects how these things happen. Therefore, as future planners you will have a very important role to play in shaping the future.

Planning is a broad subject matter and planners perform many different roles relating to the natural, physical, economic, social and cultural environments that we live in. Given this, planning offers a wide spectrum of employment opportunities. Studying planning will equip you with the knowledge to understand how cities, towns, villages, communities and neighbourhoods function and operate, and then have the skills to make decisions that shape how they grow and prosper.

Expand+Course Content (including module information)

The general aims of this degree are to develop the professional skills necessary to work in the broad field of planning practice and development management, while providing an understanding of related ...

Hide-Course Content (including module information)

The general aims of this degree are to develop the professional skills necessary to work in the broad field of planning practice and development management, while providing an understanding of related economical, ethical, social and political dimensions. Graduates will have the skills to enable them to participate in the design and development of the built environment, and a range of other related professions.

In providing an accredited pathway to the planning profession (worldwide), the degree develops knowledge on a wide range of themes such as the economic, social and political context within which planning operates. Furthermore, a range of transferable skills, such as mediation, advocacy, communication and IT skills, are developed which can be applied in a range of international careers.

Level 1
Level 1 assumes no prior knowledge of planning and provides an overall introduction to the key issues, processes and professional skills required for planning practice, plus the history and evolution of planning as a profession and academic discipline. This includes projects that promote group working, oral presentations, academic writing, design skills and the use of specialist software.

Level 2
Level 2 provides a more detailed appreciation of planning, with modules examining topics such as economics, sustainable development and planning theory. It includes two key projects, one that develops skills in spatial planning policy, and another that promotes understanding of the development control process. Students are also given an opportunity to further develop skills in design issues and are introduced to the social aspects of planning activity.

Level 3
Level 3 develops a greater theoretical understanding of planning. In the first semester students have the opportunity to study for three months at a European university as part of the Erasmus programme. Students remaining at Queen’s will study, in depth, some of the key and cutting-edge planning issues and debates that currently face the planning profession. These are studied from a variety of geographical, political and cultural perspectives. In the second semester all students are required to complete an independent research project. The second semester also includes modules in law, infrastructure and transport, and conservation.

Expand+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 o...

Hide-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.

Expand+Career Prospects
Although the majority of our graduates pursue careers in planning, the knowledge and skills developed also enable them to develop careers in a wide range of other sectors both in the UK and abroad. Recently, for example, graduates h...

Hide-Career Prospects
Although the majority of our graduates pursue careers in planning, the knowledge and skills developed also enable them to develop careers in a wide range of other sectors both in the UK and abroad. Recently, for example, graduates have found employment in China, the USA and New Zealand.

Career sectors that have attracted our graduates in recent years include planning authorities (Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland), private planning practice, management, design consultants, housing authorities, health trusts, conservation and environmental organisations, teaching (particularly geography), countryside
stewardship, software development and various graduate programmes.

This degree is closely aligned to the requirements of the planning sector and draws on practitioners as guest lecturers. We regularly consult with employers, and links are further enhanced through formal partnership meetings with the bodies that accredit our courses (RICS and RTPI).

We have developed strong relationships with, for example, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, the Planning Division of the Department of the Environment, and the Department for Regional Development, and draw on such experts in the design of the degree.

Many of our graduates go on to one of our two Masters programmes to complete their RTPI accreditation, or other postgraduate training, including PhD study; see the School website for further information.

•Planning Authorities (NI/GB/ROI)
•Private Planning practice
•Management
•Design Consultants
•Housing Authorities (e.g. NI Housing Executive)
•Health Trusts
•Other public bodies (e.g. Heritage Council)
•Conservation and Environmental organisations
•Teaching (particularly geography)
•Countryside Stewardship
•Software development
•Varied graduate programmes (including banking)

Employer Links
Consultations: As well as including employers in our teaching and development of projects we value the input of practitioners on our examination panels. Our employer links are further enhanced through formal partnership meetings with our accreditation bodies (RICS and RTPI) and by providing student prizes, for example, for the best independent research project. Therefore, course development is closely aligned to the requirements of the planning sector.

Employers are often also consulted by students in the development of the independent research project. For example we have developed strong relationships in Northern Ireland with the Housing Executive, and the Planning Division of the Department of the Environment and Department for Regional Development.

As part of the support activities embedded in the degree, employers contribute to regular careers events.

Graduate Careers and Achievements: Many of our former undergraduates and postgraduates have risen to the top of their fields, for example:
•(the late) Hugh McKay, Chief Executive of Department of the Environment Planning Service
•Angus Kerr, Director of Planning Policy Division, NI
•Professor Monica Williams (former head of NI Human Rights Commission)
•Jim Wells (local politician)

Many of our graduates have also been chair of the local RTPI Irish Branch (Northern Section);
•Diana Thompson - Director Michael Burrows Associates
•Gavan Rafferty - University of Ulster lecturer

The Prospects website provides further information concerning the types of jobs that attract Environmental Planning Graduates.

Further study is also an option open to BSc graduates. Students can choose from a wide range of Masters programmes as well as a comprehensive list of research topics.

Other Career-related information: Queen’s is a member of the Russell Group and, therefore, one of the 20 universities most-targeted by leading graduate employers. Queen’s students will be advised and guided about career choice and through the Degree Plus initiative, will have an opportunity to seek accreditation for skills development and experience gained through the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer. See Queen’s University Belfast fullemployability statementfor further information.

Degree Plus and other related initiatives: Recognising student diversity, as well as promoting employability enhancements and other interests, is part of the developmental experience at Queen’s. Students are encouraged to plan and build their own, personal skill and experiential profile through a range of activities including; recognised Queen’s Certificates, placements and other work experiences (at home or overseas), Erasmus study options elsewhere in Europe and learning development opportunities and involvement in wider university life through activities, such as clubs, societies, and sports.

Queen’s actively encourages this type of activity by offering students an additional qualification, the Degree Plus Award (and the related Researcher Plus Award for PhD and MPhil students). Degree Plus accredits wider experiential and skill development gained through extra-curricular activities that promote the enhancement of academic, career management, personal and employability skills in a variety of contexts. As part of the Award, students are also trained on how to reflect on the experience(s) and make the link between academic achievement, extracurricular activities, transferable skills and graduate employment. Participating students will also be trained in how to reflect on their skills and experiences and can gain an understanding of how to articulate the significance of these to others, e.g. employers.

Overall, these initiatives, and Degree Plus in particular, reward the energy, drive, determination and enthusiasm shown by students engaging in activities over-and-above the requirements of their academic studies. These qualities are amongst those valued highly by graduate employers.