The BSc in City Planning and Environmental Policy bridges topics of concern to built environment professionals and those interested in the broader natural environment.  The programme integrates disciplinary knowledge from several subject areas to deepen and broaden students’ understanding of spatial, environmental, social and economic issues.  Particular focus is given to planning and policy responses to such issues. The programme promotes a knowledge-based and evidence-based approach to creative problem-solving that supports the realisation of a more equitable and sustainable world.

The programme provides a learning environment that encourages a balance of teamwork and individual projects that develop the students’ capacity to critically reflect on how people interact with their environments and understand the improvements needed to enhance their quality of life.  Policy studios are an important element of the programme and are complemented by lectures, seminars and computer laboratories.  The programme employs case study learning, group work projects, planning and policy analysis/formulation, critical writing as well as student presentations to create an effective and constructive learning environment that maximises student engagement with the programme’s content.  

1 - Demonstrate comprehension of planning and environment policy as both individual bodies of knowledge, and as interrelated fields of research.
2 - Critically evaluate concepts, challenge assumptions and synthesise a broad array of perspectives.
3 - Appreciate the importance of socio-spatially orientated research in developing creative solutions.
4 - Work with established methods in gathering, analysing and evaluating various forms of data pertinent to planning and environmental policy research.
5 - Show competence in communicating research and articulating new concepts.
6 - Work successfully both on an individual basis and as a collaborating team member.
7 - Display capacity for the context sensitive analysis of the multidimensional issues pertaining to the geographic areas in which and on which they work.
8 - Apply the knowledge and skills learned to creatively develop context sensitive problem-solving strategies across a range of planning and environmental policy issues.
9 - Exhibit aptitude to assess challenges and formulate workable solutions across various contexts and scales, from site design to the international policy arena.
10 - Understand and critically reflect on the ethical implications of existing, proposed and potential activities across the fields of planning and environmental policy.
11 - Have a broader awareness of, and appreciation for related bodies of knowledge and fields of activity.

The final step towards your career as a planner, urban designer or environmental policy analyst is to complete a one-year specialist Master’s in Planning at UCD: The Master of Regional & Urban Planning, the Master of Urban Design & Planning or the Master of Environmental Policy. This will ensure you gain the necessary professional accreditations, including that of the Irish Planning Institute and the Royal Town Planning Institute. 

Graduates find employment in:

• Government and local authorities


• Planning and environmental consultancies


• Local and regional development organisations


• Private companies (marketing/location/real estate/infrastructure)


• Non-governmental organisations (environmental/heritage/ international development)

Check out the UCD Career Neworks career guide for the College of Engineering & Architecture for details on the career supports available to UCD students.

The BSc City Planning & Environmental Policy programme is a 3-year BSc programme (Level 8). Stage 1 comprises 55 credits of Core modules all students must take, along with 5 credits of Additional Options where students have a choice. ***Note: Students may apply to Study Abroad on exchange in respect of their third year of study and if approved they will study overseas for one year, and return to complete the content of Stage 3 at UCD in their fourth year of study. And in this mode, their programme will become the 4-year BSc City Planning & Environmental Policy (International) programme. Students intending to study abroad on exchange for their third year of study must have this approved by the Programme Director and the Governing Board during Stage 2.

The BSc City Planning & Environmental Policy programme is a 3-year BSc programme (Level 8). Stage 2 comprises 50 credits of Core modules all students must take, along with 10 credits of Additional Options where students have a choice. ***Note: Students may apply to Study Abroad on exchange in respect of their third year of study and if approved they will study overseas for one year, and return to complete the content of Stage 3 at UCD in their fourth year of study. And in this mode, their programme will become the 4-year BSc City Planning & Environmental Policy (International) programme. Students intending to study abroad on exchange for their third year of study must have this approved by the Programme Director and the Governing Board during Stage 2.

The BSc City Planning & Environmental Policy programme is a 3-year BSc programme (Level 8). Stage 3 comprises 50 credits of Core modules all students must take, along with 10 credits of Additional Options where students have a choice. ***Note: Students may apply to Study Abroad on exchange in respect of their third year of study and if approved they will study overseas for one year, and return to complete the content of Stage 3 at UCD in their fourth year of study. And in this mode, their programme will become the 4-year BSc City Planning & Environmental Policy (International) programme. Students intending to study abroad on exchange for their third year of study must have this approved by the Programme Director and the Governing Board during Stage 2.

The BSc City Planning & Environmental Policy (International) programme is a 4-year BSc programme (Level 8). Where a student is approved to Study Abroad on exchange for a full year in respect of Stage 3 (Third Year) of the BSc City Planning & Environmental Policy programme, their programme becomes the BSc City Planning & Environmental Policy (International) programme and upon completion of their study abroad year, students complete Stage 4 in UCD. Stage 4 is identical to Stage 3 of the BSc City Planning & Environmental Policy and comprises 50 credits of Core modules all students must take, along with 10 credits of Additional Options where students have a choice.

Module ID	Module Title	Trimester	Credits
Stage 1 Core Modules
AESC10010	Land Use and the Environment	Autumn	5
ENVP10030	Environmental Economics	Autumn	5
LARC10110	Understanding Landscape I	Autumn	5
PLAN10010	Introduction to Spatial Planning	Autumn	5
PLAN10020	History of City Planning	Autumn	5
PLAN10030	Urban Design	Autumn	5
ENVP10010	Environment Change & Policy	Spring	5
PLAN10040	Research methods	Spring	5
PLAN10080	Planning and Development Studio	Spring	10
SSJ10060	Inequality and Social Justice in Irish Society	Spring	5
Stage 1 Core Modules
Stage 1 Options - A)MIN0OF: Students must register to a minimum of 55 Programme Credits (Core/Options). Students may register to 5 Elective Credits or select Option Modules from the list below, in order to fulfill their Stage requirements. These modules should be selected to balanced workload of 30 credits per trimester.
ECON10040	Economics and Society	Spring	5
GEOG10100	People, Places, Regions	Spring	5
Stage 1 Options - A)MIN0OF: Students must register to a minimum of 55 Programme Credits (Core/Options). Students may register to 5 Elective Credits or select Option Modules from the list below, in order to fulfill their Stage requirements. These modules should be selected to balanced workload of 30 credits per trimester.
Stage 2 Core Modules
ENVP20020	Case Studies Environmental Pol	Autumn	10
PLAN20020	Introduction to GIS	Autumn	5
PLAN20070	Smart Cities	Autumn	5
PLAN20090	Socio-Spatial Dynamics	Autumn	5
PLAN20010	Community Development and Planning	Spring	5
PLAN20030	Local Planning Studio	Spring	10
PLAN20040	Urban & Regional Economics	Spring	5
PLAN20080	Rural Change, Dev.& Plan.	Spring	5
Stage 2 Core Modules
Stage 2 Options - A)MIN0OF: Students must register to a minimum of 50 Programme Credits (Core/Options). Students may register to 10 Elective Credits or select Option Modules from the list below, in order to fulfill their Stage requirements. These modules should be selected to balanced workload of 30 credits per trimester.
ECON20060	Irish Economy	Autumn	5
DEV20130	Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals	Spring	5
GEOG20130	Cities in a Global World	Spring	5
Stage 2 Options - A)MIN0OF: Students must register to a minimum of 50 Programme Credits (Core/Options). Students may register to 10 Elective Credits or select Option Modules from the list below, in order to fulfill their Stage requirements. These modules should be selected to balanced workload of 30 credits per trimester.
Stage 3 Core Modules
ENVP30010	Environmental Management	Autumn	5
ENVP30030	Climate Policy and Politics	Autumn	5
PLAN30010	Transport, Environment & Sustainability	Autumn	5
PLAN30020	Placemaking: Urban and Rural Design	Autumn	5
PLAN30040	Planning, Society and Diversity	Autumn	5
PLAN30030	Rural & Landscape Planning	Spring	5
PLAN30060	Regional Innovation	Spring	5
PLAN30080	Energy Transitions	Spring	10
PLAN30150	Planning Law	Spring	5
Stage 3 Core Modules
Stage 3 Options - A)MIN0OF: Students must register to a minimum of 50 Programme Credits (Core/Options). Students may register to 10 Elective Credits or select Option Modules from the list below, in order to fulfill their Stage requirements. These modules should be selected to balanced workload of 30 credits per trimester.
GEOG30860	Environmental Assessment	Autumn	5
SPOL30220	Social Policy, Social Justice and the Environment	Spring	5
Stage 3 Options - A)MIN0OF: Students must register to a minimum of 50 Programme Credits (Core/Options). Students may register to 10 Elective Credits or select Option Modules from the list below, in order to fulfill their Stage requirements. These modules should be selected to balanced workload of 30 credits per trimester.
Stage 4 Core Modules
ENVP30010	Environmental Management	Autumn	5
ENVP30030	Climate Policy and Politics	Autumn	5
PLAN30010	Transport, Environment & Sustainability	Autumn	5
PLAN30020	Placemaking: Urban and Rural Design	Autumn	5
PLAN30040	Planning, Society and Diversity	Autumn	5
PLAN30030	Rural & Landscape Planning	Spring	5
PLAN30060	Regional Innovation	Spring	5
PLAN30080	Energy Transitions	Spring	10
PLAN30150	Planning Law	Spring	5
Stage 4 Core Modules
Stage 4 Options - A)MIN0OF: Students must register to a minimum of 50 Programme Credits (Core/Options). Students may register to 10 Elective Credits or select Option Modules from the list below, in order to fulfill their Stage requirements. These modules should be selected to balanced workload of 30 credits per trimester.
GEOG30860	Environmental Assessment	Autumn	5
SPOL30220	Social Policy, Social Justice and the Environment	Spring	5
Stage 4 Options - A)MIN0OF: Students must register to a minimum of 50 Programme Credits (Core/Options). Students may register to 10 Elective Credits or select Option Modules from the list below, in order to fulfill their Stage requirements. These modules should be selected to balanced workload of 30 credits per trimester.

		Award		GPA
Programme	Module Weightings	Rule Description	Description
BHARCH006	Stage 3 - 50.00% Stage 2 - 50.00%	Standard Honours Award	First Class Honours	3.68	4.20
			Second Class Honours, Grade 1	3.08	3.67
			Second Class Honours, Grade 2	2.48	3.07
			Pass	2.00	2.47
BHARCH008	Stage 4 - 50.00% Stage 3 - 30.00% Stage 2 - 20.00%	Standard Honours Award	First Class Honours	3.68	4.20
			Second Class Honours, Grade 1	3.08	3.67
			Second Class Honours, Grade 2	2.48	3.07
			Pass	2.00	2.47