Key information
- Level
- Postgraduate Taught
- Delivery type
- Full Time, Part Time
- Degree qualification
- MSc
- Mode of delivery
- On-Campus
- Duration
- 1 year
- Location
- Edinburgh
- Start date
- September
MSc Spatial Planning and Real Estate Development will provide you with the foundational knowledge and skills needed to work as a development surveyor or planner. It has been designed to align your skills to the educational requirements of the industry’s professional bodies and upon completion, you will be able to work either in the public or private sectors, advising on the complexities of property development to occupiers, investors, developers, and planning authorities.
During the master’s programme, you’ll build a deep understanding of the complex interactions and uncertainties of the development process, and learn the essential components of economics, valuation, planning, law, and regeneration and sustainability principles. You’ll develop an appreciation of the skills and tasks inherent in development projects, including community participation, satisfying the statutory planning considerations, undertaking the necessary financial appraisals, and achieving funding to make it happen.
The career-focused master’s programme will set you up to pursue a career as a chartered development surveyor or planner with a specific focus in land and property markets. Such opportunities are available with a range of employers in the private and public sector, including local development and regeneration agencies.
As a graduate you’ll be able to:
-
offer a holistic approach to sustainable development
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demonstrate sophisticated intellectual and research skills proficient for a professional career
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evaluate complex problems and formulate solutions associated with planning and development issues
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have a respect for diversity and an appreciation of social inclusion as a goal of planning
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have an awareness of the role that values and attitudes play in managing change in the built environment
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have an interdisciplinary perspective that draws on the range of disciplines that contribute to the programme
Your student experience
Your learning will be informed by the expertise of our research-active academics from The Urban Institute and the Institute for Social Policy, Housing, Equalities Research (I-SPHERE) which sit within the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS). EGIS is one of the United Kingdom’s leading institutions for multidisciplinary research and teaching in areas critical to economic development and societal equity. Our teams work closely and have links with industry, and practitioners are regularly invited as guest lecturers in most courses.
Go Global
With Go Global, Heriot-Watt's global student programme, you can carry your studies to new places and experience new cultures, expanding your horizons on the way. You'll discover what it means to be a true global citizen and emerge prepared for wherever your career journey will take you.
Inter-Campus Transfer
Course content
September Intake - Edinburgh
Mandatory September
- Spatial Planning
- Urban Economy and Property Markets
- Real Estate Appraisal and Finance
- Strategic Spatial Vision Project
Mandatory January
- Real Estate Development
- Environmental Planning
- Governance, Participation and Community Planning
Optional January
- Real Estate Management and Sustainability
- Real Estate Investment Analysis
- Social Sustainability
Mandatory May
- Research Dissertation (Urban Studies)
Fees and funding
| Status | Full Time | Part Time |
|---|---|---|
| UK | £10,528 | £5,264 |
| International | £19,816 | £9,908 |
- Status: Your residency status is usually defined as the country where you have been ordinarily resident for the three years before the start of your course.
- International: 'International' includes applicants from European Union countries who do not hold Pre-Settled or Settled status in UK. (This does not include students from the Republic of Ireland - see above).
Scholarships and bursaries
British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) Planning Scholarship
This scholarship, jointly administered by the British Chamber of Commerce as well as the RTPI, fully funds the full tuition fee for one student with a UK Fee status on the MSc Spatial Planning and Real Estate Development programme in September 2025.
Future Planner Bursaries
The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) will be offering ten £5,000 RTPI Future Planners bursaries, to a selection of students who choose to enrol on an RTPI fully accredited Planning Masters in Scotland for this coming academic year.
Entry requirements
We have standard entry requirements for all of our courses that you will have to meet.
A minimum of honours degree at 2:2 or non-UK equivalent in any academic subject provided that it includes evidence of essay writing and a statement of purpose showing interest in Spatial Planning & Real Estate Development.
Why Heriot-Watt
We're the top university in Scotland for graduate outcomes which means that more of our graduates are employed or in postgraduate education than any other institution in the country and we ranked 5th in the UK.
We're also rated number one in the UK for CEO or MD roles, meaning more of our graduates go on to become CEOs or MDs than any other university in the whole of the UK. On top of that, we have beautiful campuses, across the globe, so you'll get a truly international education. Our Edinburgh Campus is home to Oriam, Scotland's National Sports Performance Centre combined with plenty of wellbeing resources, prioritising fitness and mental health for all students. Our Global Research Institutes look at solving real world issues such as climate change and saving our oceans as well as working on the next medical technological breakthrough and the future of AI and robots.
Employability
With strong professional links and a focus on up-to-date industry-relevant content, this course equips graduates with the knowledge and skills to quickly and effectively contribute to the success of their working environment. On completion of this course graduates will be able to have a comprehensive and integrated understanding of the property market context and the nature and theory of spatial planning and sustainable development. Graduates can work in a variety of roles in the private and public sectors, both in the UK and abroad or continue research through completion of PhD study.
Student life
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