This two-year professional planning degree develops the requisite conceptual knowledge and practical skills required by planners in this increasingly complex environment. Students will develop an understanding of the administrative, legal and policy frameworks in which spatial planning operates and the social, political, economic and environmental challenges facing planning. In addition students develop practical skills for plan and policy making, including environmental assessment, retail assessment, public participation methods, development and project management, and GIS. Students will also engage with understanding the role of planning in public policy and sustainability.

The UCD School of Architecture, Planning & Environmental Policy has an established international track record as a leading research center in spatial planning and is in the Top 150 QS World University Rankings by subject area. The School is a member of the Association of European Schools of Planning and has an exchange program with the University of Illinois in Chicago.