This statement is primarily intended for the providers of planning education and for those involved in the monitoring, development and evaluation of that provision, including employers.
Contents
- Section 1: Background
The RTPI
Purpose of this document - Section 2: Introduction to initial planning education
What is accreditation
Why the discipline of town planning is important
The concept of initial planning education
What is a planning school
What is a Chartered Town Planner
What does an accredited degree cover - Section 3: Information for providers
How to become a planning school accredited by the RTPI
Being an ‘Effective Planning School’
What qualifications does the RTPI accredit
Content of accredited qualifications
Learning Outcomes for accredited qualifications
Supplementary information on accreditation
Accredited qualifications and becoming a Chartered Town Planner - Section 4: Glossary of terms
Section 1: Background
The RTPI
1.1 The Royal Town Planning Institute is a leading membership organisation and a Chartered Institute responsible for maintaining professional standards and accrediting world class town planning courses nationally and internationally. We are the voice of the profession. We engage with governments, experts, advocates and international bodies to promote good planning, lead on policy development and research, and promote planning in the long-term public interest. We support our members to deliver outstanding placemaking that creates inclusive, healthy, prosperous, sustainable and happy communities. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive profession and we have a dedicated action plan setting out how we will achieve this. We are also committed to advancing the art and science of planning. Through our corporate strategy, we work for the long-term common good and wellbeing of current and future generations.
Purpose of this document
1.2 This statement is primarily intended for the providers of planning education and for those involved in the monitoring, development and evaluation of that provision, including employers. The policies in Section 2 provides a summary of the key elements of initial planning education. The policies in Section 3 set out the RTPI’s requirements for accredited planning schools and accredited planning programmes. A glossary of terms can be found in section 4.
1.3 Those students and graduates who successfully complete the key elements of initial planning education can apply to become Chartered Town Planners. Importantly, to become professionally qualified, practitioners must complete the 'Assessment of Professional Competence' (APC) which requires a period of structured experience in the workplace and culminates in a formal assessment process.
1.4 The policy statement was first adopted in 2003 and undergoes periodic review to ensure it remains fit for purpose in relation to the core elements of knowledge, skills and awareness of values for planning practice. All policies within the statement apply.
1.5 The RTPI continues to provide supporting guidance and resources explaining the requirements of the APC and the responsibilities it places on planning schools, graduates who wish to be considered APC candidates, and employers.
Section 2: Introduction to initial planning education
What is accreditation
2.1 Accreditation, in the context of university degrees in the UK, refers to the formal recognition that a degree or other academic qualification has met the required standards set by a professional membership body or accrediting organisation within a specific field. It can be considered the “distinct act of accrediting teaching provision or a learning supplier which typically involves inspection and review of that provision through a visit or through regular scrutiny of learning materials and methods” as well as “taken to mean a form of qualifying status or individual registration that is awarded by a membership or regulatory body”[1]. The RTPI considers planning education to begin with the former - in terms of academic planning qualifications - and end with the latter, given that the professional qualification of a Chartered Town Planner is awarded after a successful submission to the ‘Assessment of Professional Competence’ (APC). This policy statement only sets the knowledge, skills and values that academic planning qualifications should deliver. The RTPI then administers the APC process to ensure the initial learning of those knowledge, skills and values are applied in the workplace as professional competencies[2].
Why the discipline of town planning is important
2.2 Planning is more than the operation of any statutory land-use system, or the broader historical concepts of town and country, or urban and regional planning, although it certainly embraces all of these. Specifically, the RTPI does not regard planning as a purely governmental activity whose legitimacy depends wholly on statute or regulation, nor does it have any in-built economic or social or environmental privilege. Instead, we consider planning as an activity that is necessary and inevitable within any society with aspirations beyond subsistence and which, because of its richness and complexity, calls for people with expertise to facilitate it. The United Nations has identified ‘town/urban planning’ as one of five subjects and careers to support the achievement of its global Sustainable Development Goals. You could also look at RTPI | Why plan for further information about why planning is important.
The concept of initial planning education
2.3 The RTPI recognises that, as an essential organising idea, initial planning education should seek to promote critical thinking about space and place as the basis for action or intervention. This concept as a basis for planning education is not intended to be static, in the sense that it closes debate about what planning is. Instead it can and should adapt to changes in the operating context of planning. We can explain those four elements in more detail in the following way:
- Critical thinking: planning is both an art and a science, but also more than the sum of those; it is about achieving outcomes, not just operating a set of procedures; and achieving those outcomes involves processes which are qualitative as well as quantitative, and informal as well as formal. Planning is therefore both a creative skill and a logical process. It is about getting the right results, not just following steps. To get those results, planning involves looking at evidence and ideas, and using formal methods, learning expertise, lived experience and listening to others.
- Space: Planning deals with spatial relationships, and competing claims to spaces; and it deals with how sectoral and spatial relationships affect each other. In so doing it has real effects on how economies and their infrastructures function; on how communities achieve cohesion and social inclusion; on environmental capacity and ecological impact; and on cultural identity. Planning is therefore about how we use and organise spaces, and how different people or groups want to use the same spaces. It also looks at how different areas or sectors of life (like business, transport, and housing) affect each other. The way we plan spaces can change how economies work, how communities come together, how we protect the environment, and how we express our culture and identity.
- Place: Planning focuses on the outcomes that determine the quality, form and identity of places which people experience, whether they stay there or are just passing through. Planning is therefore about shaping the look, feel, and character of places, making them enjoyable or meaningful for people, whether they live there or just visit. It is all about how a place is designed and how people experience it.
- Action or intervention: Planning is a process of deliberation that focuses on what could and should be done, and thus a process concerned with ethics and values as well as facts. It is an active process (although it recognises that sometimes the best course is no action), which requires management skills appropriate to securing results. And it requires sensitivity to the time dimension of decisions – how time affects decision-making, how it affects differentially the interests of the parties involved, and how decisions inevitably trade off present and future. Planners themselves need to be able to make good quality decisions, often based on imperfect information, and to help shape decision-making processes in contexts where others will make the ultimate decision. Planning is therefore a process where people think carefully about what should or could be done, and it involves not just facts; it is an active process, although sometimes doing nothing might be the best option.
What is a planning school
2.4 The term ‘planning school’ refers to higher education providers i.e. universities that offer initial planning education. The RTPI recognises that planning education can be delivered through a variety of organisational arrangements, not of all which might be located in a single university.
2.5 The RTPI expects planning schools to design initial planning education provision that provides a broad understanding of the main principles of sustainability, and of ways in which such principles can be applied in practice. Emphasis should be placed on the integration of relevant knowledge, skills and values so as to produce a rounded appreciation of spatial planning and its potential outcomes for communities and the development and use of land and buildings.
26 In curriculum design, planning schools should give thorough consideration to how the RTPI Learning Outcomes and policy requirements outlined in this document might best be achieved in a manner consistent with their own educational philosophies. The RTPI is keen to broaden access to the profession and welcomes the development of alternative delivery mechanisms to full-time education, including part-time, mixed-mode, in-service and blocked time courses along with distance learning and other forms of flexible provision. Specialist planning knowledge should be introduced to explore ideas, perspectives and debates to a considerable degree of depth in one distinct area of planning. Therefore, planning schools should ensure students and graduates benefit from the breadth offered by a spatial planning programme by the inclusion of in-depth study.
What is a Chartered Town Planner
2.7 A Chartered Town Planner is a Chartered Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. The professional letters MRTPI demarcate this status. This professional qualification is the hallmark of professional expertise and integrity; a recognition of high-quality skills; an achievement that is recognised around the world; and a way to increase your employability.
2.8 Only the RTPI can award the professional title of Chartered Town Planner under its formal ‘Royal Charter’.
What does an accredited degree cover
2.9 The RTPI asks planning schools to avoid superficial treatment of too wide a range of material and aim instead to facilitate integrated understanding of broad matters of principle that reveal and connect:
- Social science as an analytical framework
- The interplay between land use and transportation
- Design and the realisation of place
- Economic issues relating to development
- Environmental challenges
- Legal and institutional frameworks[3].
Section 3: Information for providers
How to become a planning school accredited by the RTPI
3.1 You will need to comply with the RTPI Guide to Accreditation and ensure planning programme(s), either at undergraduate or postgraduate level, meet all the 14 Learning Outcomes set by the RTPI. Planning schools will be deemed ‘effective’ where there is both a strong academic community within the planning subject and a supportive institutional context within which initial planning education can flourish. To remain accredited, you will need to comply with the RTPI Guide to Partnership. This will be tested[4] using six criteria:
- Clear Planning Focus,
- Clear Planning Leadership,
- Clear Practice Focus,
- Quality Assurance,
- Institutional Support & Resourcing, and
- Equality, Diversity & Inclusion.
Being an ‘Effective Planning School’
Clear Planning Focus
3.2 The planning school will need to demonstrate how its programmes promote critical thinking about space and place as the basis for action or intervention and how its students are prepared for entry into the profession. This should include production and publication of planning research, and dissemination to the policy and practice community.
3.3 Each planning school must provide a route to professional membership by providing at least one planning programme[5] that meets all the 14 Learning Outcomes set by the RTPI.
3.4 An up-to-date and clear Statement of Educational Philosophy focusing on the distinctive characteristics of the planning school should be available. This Statement of Educational Philosophy should articulate the aims and objectives for the particular programme(s) and in doing so, will help schools determine any particular aspects of specialist knowledge and ‘unique selling point’ it offers students, graduates and employers. It should emerge from a process of debate and discussion amongst teaching staff and the student body and also reflect on the interface between secondary and higher education.
Clear Planning Leadership
3.5 There must be a core recognisable planning team that forms the teaching ‘unit’ and, in addition, the planning school should promote the profession and planning as a career e.g. through careers fairs and outreach activities.
3.6 A significant proportion of staff (full- or part-time) should be Chartered Town Planners, or Associate Members of the RTPI[6].
3.7 Those directing or leading accredited courses, including the Heads of planning schools, should have an active engagement in and understanding of planning policy and practice.
3.8 The Head of the school (discipline leader) should be a member of the executive of the academic governance unit of which the planning school is part.
Clear Practice Focus
3.9 Links with planning practice and with other allied professions working in the planning field should be demonstrated. The ways in which local RTPI members contribute to initial planning education should be fully explored.
3.10 Mechanisms should be in place so graduates have a clear understanding of the practice and process of planning; and are prepared for the world of work. This should consider site visits and practical projects integral to their studies and students are supported in finding placements, internships or work experience to support their learning and career development where possible.
Quality Assurance
3.11 At least one External Examiner will be expected to be a Chartered Town Planner. There are advantages in having both an academic and a practitioner examiner if institutional arrangements allow. It is acknowledged that an “External Examiner” system may not operate in all countries and that final responsibility for the evaluation of students may rest within the university (often with the Head of School). In such situations, an independent, informed and external view of student effort and quality, as well as an overview of the programmes, is important and should be achieved in some other way and agreed with the Institute.
3.12 Submission of data to the RTPI on registered students and graduates is an important aspect of partnership and should be made available by the planning school.
3.13 Evidence should be provided that course student surveys are undertaken, and results are assessed and acted upon. Opportunities for student meetings, in-person and/or online, with the RTPI are arranged.
Institutional Support & Resourcing
3.14 Evidence should be provided to demonstrate that the planning school is adequately resourced to deliver initial planning education including academic staff, support staff, learning resources, and accommodation.
3.15 Payment of the annual accreditation fee to the RTPI must be received.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
3.16 The planning school must demonstrate how it is seeking to achieve diversity of student intake and how the programmes are designed to reflect the diversity within communities. University policies must ensure equal access to the course, e.g. widening participation schemes and that inclusive planning and ethics is taught.
What qualifications does the RTPI accredit
Accredited for the Licentiate pathway
3.17 At undergraduate level, RTPI accreditation may be given for Integrated Planning Programmes of four academic years in length, or equivalent[7], leading either to a Masters’ level degree or equivalent qualification, or to a Bachelors’ degree at Honours level or equivalent qualification worth generally 480 credits (240 ECTS). At least 75% of student learning shall be devoted to demonstrating the RTPI Learning Outcomes[8]. A significant element of individual investigative work, leading to the submission of a dissertation, major project or equivalent must be included. The word ‘planning’ shall be included in the title of the qualification.
3.18 At postgraduate level, RTPI accreditation may be given for Conversion Planning Programmes of at least one calendar year in length[9] (or part-time or mixed-mode equivalent) leading to a Masters’ level degree or equivalent postgraduate qualification worth a minimum 180 Credits (90 ECTS)[10]. In the region of 90% i.e. 160 Credits (80 ECTS) of student learning shall be devoted to demonstrating the RTPI Learning Outcomes. A significant element of individual investigative work, leading to the submission of a dissertation, major project or equivalent must be included. The word ‘planning’ shall be included in the title of the qualification.
3.19 The RTPI will also recognise existing ‘3+1’ Planning Programmes which consists of a postgraduate qualification that is linked to the provision of an undergraduate ‘Introductory Planning’ qualification[11].
Accredited for the Associate pathway
3.20 At undergraduate level, RTPI accreditation may be given for Introductory Planning Programmes of three academic years in length, or equivalent, leading to a Bachelors’ degree or equivalent undergraduate qualification generally worth 360 credits (180 ECTS).
3.21 At postgraduate level, RTPI accreditation may be given for Specialist Planning Programmes leading to a postgraduate qualification in the range of 60-180 credits (30-90 ECTS).
Accreditation of Top-up qualifications
3.22 The RTPI will work with providers if they wish to develop additional qualifications to postgraduate level, or equivalent, in order to allow graduates from an accredited planning school to ‘top-up’ their knowledge and skills and demonstrate all 14 Learning Outcomes for the Licentiate pathway[12].
Accreditation of PhDs and related qualifications
3.23 The RTPI is open to discussing the level of accreditation for PrD/DProf, MPhil, PhD and other appropriate planning research qualifications, on a case by case basis, with providers. If planning schools request it, supporting information may be issued.
Content of accredited qualifications
3.24 The RTPI does not specify a detailed or prescribed curriculum for initial planning education. Instead, it expects planning schools to develop their own ideas and initiatives in constructing programmes that enable students to acquire necessary knowledge, skills and awareness of values. This requires the structure, content and objectives of individual programmes to be clear and well worked out. It should be remembered that initial planning education represents the first stage in what should be a life-long programme of development and acquisition of knowledge and skills. Thus, it is about providing a platform of understanding of the broad principles that govern planning operations, rather than about meeting an ever-widening set of specific requirements.
3.25 The RTPI endorses the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Subject Benchmark Statement for Town & Country Planning[13] as a general guide of use and interest to all planning schools, not simply those based in UK. As a general rule, the RTPI would expect planning schools to validate all levels of qualifications with reference to this QAA Subject Benchmark Statement. In not doing so, the planning school might inadvertently be indicating to students, graduates and employers that it does not consider the programme to be primarily ‘planning’, but another academic discipline.
3.26 The essential concern of planning with managing competing uses for space and creating places valued by people has generated a diversity of practices including regeneration, urban design, community planning, transport planning, strategic planning, environmental planning and many more. No one planner can claim expertise across the increasingly varied range of planning activities either at graduation or throughout their career. It should therefore be recognised that the opportunity to specialise may subsequently be developed to a much higher level through professional experience, further in-depth study or lifelong learning. Although the RTPI would not wish to restrict what might qualify as a specialist planning knowledge, 'regeneration', 'environmental management', 'urban design', ‘transport planning’ and 'planning research' are examples of the topic and coverage expected.
3.27 As the Learning Outcomes below suggest, planning practitioners require knowledge of how relationships in ‘place’ and ‘space’ both change and develop over time in a way that has positive outcomes for communities. This demands understanding of social, economic and environmental relationships within different political and cultural contexts. In practice, planners also need to be well equipped with diverse skills, some of which are particular to the planning task and some of which may be considered more generic or transferable in nature.
3.28 Since both planning knowledge and skills are necessarily fashioned within a particular set of social and professional values, it is essential that graduates are aware of how values affect planning decisions and acquire the lifelong habit of reflecting upon their own values and the effect of these upon their own planning work.
Learning Outcomes for accredited qualifications
3.29 Planning schools should provide graduates with the following planning knowledge, skills and awareness of values:
- Explain and reflect on how spatial planning operates within the context of political, institutional and legal frameworks.
- Generate integrated and well substantiated responses to spatial planning challenges with particular reference to the development and use of land and buildings.
- Explain and reflect on the arguments for and against spatial planning and particular theoretical approaches and assess what can be learnt from experience of spatial planning from different contexts and at different spatial scales.
- Demonstrate how efficient resource management helps to deliver effective spatial planning and planning decision making processes.
- Explain and reflect on the political and ethical nature of spatial planning and reflect on how planners work effectively within democratic decision-making structures.
- Explain and reflect on the contribution that planning can make to the built and natural environment and in particular recognise the implications of climate change for spatial planning.
- Debate the concept of rights and responsibilities and the legal and practical implications of representing these rights in planning decision making processes.
- Evaluate different development strategies and the practical application of development finance in spatial planning; assess the implications for generating added value for communities.
- Explain and reflect on the principles of inclusion and accessibility and equality of opportunity in relation to spatial planning in order to positively promote the involvement of diverse communities and evaluate the importance and effectiveness of community engagement in the planning process.
- Evaluate the principles and processes of design for creating high quality places and enhancing the public realm for the benefit of all in society.
- Explain and reflect on the theoretical, practical and ethical debates and the social, economic and environmental context specific to an area of specialist planning knowledge in the context of spatial planning.
- Demonstrate effective data collection, analysis, evaluation and appraisal skills and the ability to reach appropriate, independent, evidence-based decisions.
- Recognise the role of communication skills in the planning process including inter-disciplinary collaboration, public participation, negotiation, mediation, advocacy and leadership skills; and recognise the appropriate use of technology and other media in spatial planning, including AI.
- Distinguish the characteristics of a professional member of the RTPI, including the importance of upholding the highest standards of ethical behaviour in planning practice and a commitment to lifelong learning and critical reflection so as to maintain and develop professional competence.
3.30 These Learning Outcomes are not intended as a rigid checklist but should be introduced, consolidated and assessed throughout the curriculum design. The critical test of a well-informed planner is the ability to interrelate knowledge, skills and value awareness in a range of practical and academic tasks and to understand how quality planning can make an essential and beneficial difference to people’s lives. Planning schools should therefore integrate these Learning Outcomes through their teaching practice across modules and courses.
Supplementary information on accreditation
3.31 The RTPI may issue supporting guidance on ‘subjects’ or module ‘topics’, in consultation with planning schools on good practice, in which some or all of the Learning Outcomes are usually introduced and consolidated. Partnership Boards will keep under review the extent to which they consider the integration of these Learning Outcomes to be achieved and, where relevant, to make recommendations on how they might be delivered more effectively.
3.32 The RTPI may issue supporting guidance on ‘dual accreditation’. Cross-disciplinary or multi-disciplinary working is a factor across the natural and built environment sectors. The RTPI has a history of recognising and supporting inter-professional education for example: Architecture and Planning; Geography and Planning; Development and Planning. The overall duration of the planning element of such programmes shall need to be equivalent to that of a ‘freestanding’ planning programme.
3.33 If planning schools request it, the RTPI may issue supporting guidance on the number and type of Learning Outcomes that specific planning programmes should demonstrate. In the first instance, the RTPI will expect Integrated and Conversion programmes to demonstrate they introduce and consolidate all 14 Learning Outcomes above, whereas Introductory programmes should introduce Learning Outcomes 1 to 10.
3.34 The RTPI will expect ‘standalone’ Specialist programmes to introduce at least four of Learning Outcomes 1 to 10, and to ensure graduates are also able to:
- Engage in theoretical, practical and ethical debate at the forefront of the area of the specialism in the context of spatial planning.
- Evaluate the social, economic, environmental and political context for the area of specialism.
- Evaluate the distinctive contribution of the specialism to the making of place and the mediation of space.
- Assess the contribution of the specialism to the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change.
3.35 Depending on the structure proposed by a provider for a Top-up qualification, the RTPI would expect full coverage of those elements of Learning Outcomes 1 to 14 not covered by the Introductory or Specialist programmes that the Top-up qualification links to.
Accredited qualifications and becoming a Chartered Town Planner
3.36 An academic qualification that is accredited by the RTPI is the established route to professional status as a Chartered Town Planner. All graduates will first need to satisfy a practical experience requirement before submitting their Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) application[14]. Different academic qualifications offer different routes into the profession. There are two APC pathways which the accredited courses under this policy statement are structured: the Licentiate-APC route to chartered membership; and the Associate-APC route to chartered membership. In broad terms, the ‘Licentiate pathway’ is a single assessment process whereas the ‘Associate pathway’ is a two-stage assessment process[15].
3.37 Gaining an Integrated Planning Programme or Conversion Planning Programme allows graduates to access the Licentiate pathway. Alternatively, taking an Introductory Planning degree or a Specialist Planning degree as a stand-alone qualification means a graduate would be eligible for the Associate pathway. Graduates could opt to complete an accredited Top-up qualification after either one of those two Associate pathway degrees to access the Licentiate pathway instead[16].
3.38 Professional planning experience gained, for example, as part of an industry placement, or within or alongside a part-time course, or during a year's break from study, would normally be eligible to be counted as part of the ‘related work experience’ requirement for the APC.
3.39 Related work experience for the APC can include the preparation of plans, policy and related documents; planning implementation which include development management and decisions on applications for development; and research and monitoring.
3.40 In addition to the Licentiate-APC route and the Associate-APC route, there are two further routes to Chartered membership that are available: the Experienced Practitioner-APC route and Degree Apprenticeship-APC route. The Experienced Practitioner-APC route is available to those with at least five years’ professional planning experience. The Degree Apprenticeship-APC route is currently only available in England for apprentices on the Chartered Town Planner Apprenticeship.
Section 4: Glossary of terms
This glossary of terms accompanies the Policy Statement on Initial Planning Education:
Accreditation Board – convened to consider a submission for accreditation and decide whether a university's planning programmes meet the RTPI's learning outcomes and quality assurance criteria for institutions.
Accreditation process – the process through which a higher education provider becomes an accredited Planning School. The process involves the submission and review of required documentation by the RTPI, as outlined in the accreditation guide, and culminates in an accreditation decision.
Accredited degree - an undergraduate or postgraduate degree which meets the required learning outcomes specified in the PSIPE.
Allied professions and subjects – professions and academic subjects that are closely related to planning, for example geography, architecture, surveying etc.
Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) - the process through which members become Chartered. Candidates submit a portfolio of materials for assessment by independent assessors. If successful, members become Chartered and can use the designation MRTPI.
Associate– Associate membership is for graduates who have completed an Introductory or Specialist qualification. It is a partial professional qualification, indicating that you have achieved a certain level of knowledge and experience in your chosen planning field. Associate Members use the designation AssocRTPI to denote their status. Associate membership also provides a pathway to progressing to Chartered Town Planner via the APC.
Chartered Town Planner - a Chartered Town Planner is a Chartered Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. Planners must pass the APC to become Chartered, demonstrating that they can meet and maintain high standards of competence and can conduct themselves in a way that inspires trust and confidence in the planning profession.
Conversion planning degree – a postgraduate degree of at least one calendar year in length (or part-time equivalent) which introduces, consolidates and assesses all 14 of the RTPI Learning Outcomes, and which is accredited for the Licentiate Pathway to Chartered Membership.
Dual accreditation – a qualification that is accredited by two organisations or professional institutes at the same time.
ECTS - European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System - a tool of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) for making studies and courses more transparent. This applies a standard for credits to courses across countries in the EHEA. This is based on the courses’ defined learning outcomes and associated workloads.
Industry placement – a structured placement where a student spends part of a module/term/year working in a planning role.
Initial planning education – undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in planning.
Integrated planning degree - an undergraduate degree of four academic years in length (or part-time equivalent) which introduces, consolidates and assesses all 14 of the RTPI Learning Outcomes, and which is accredited for the Licentiate Pathway to Chartered Membership.
Introductory planning degree – an undergraduate degree of three academic years in length (or part-time equivalent) which introduces Learning Outcomes 1-10 and which is accredited for the Associate pathway to Chartered Membership.
Licentiate - Licentiate membership is for graduates who have completed an Integrated or Conversion qualification and are working towards the APC.
Learning Outcomes - the measurable skills, abilities, knowledge or values that graduates should be able to demonstrate as a result of completing an accredited planning degree. The PSIPE specifies 14 Learning Outcomes.
Partnership Board – once a university has attained RTPI accreditation, a Partnership Board is convened to oversee the Planning School's continued effectiveness, quality assure accredited programmes, consider new programmes, and support the Planning School and its students. The Board is composed of RTPI representatives (Chair, Vice Chair, RTPI education staff) and university representatives (academics from the Planning School and local planning practitioners).
Planning School - the term ‘Planning School’ refers to higher education providers, i.e. universities, that offer initial planning education, accredited undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) - the RTPI is a leading membership organisation for planners and a Chartered Institute responsible for maintaining professional standards and accrediting world-class planning courses nationally and internationally.
Specialist planning degree – a postgraduate qualification which introduces at least four of learning outcomes 1-10 plus four specialist learning outcomes. This degree is accredited for the Associate pathway to Chartered Membership.
Statement of Educational Philosophy (SEP) – a statement that describes the views, beliefs and theories regarding teaching and the way it should operate within the area of discipline at each accredited Planning School. The SEP is particular to each Planning School.
Top-up – a postgraduate qualification which is designed to top-up graduates from another accredited degree so that they can demonstrate all 14 Learning Outcomes and can then follow the Licentiate pathway to Chartered Membership.
[1] PARN, page 4 https://www.rtpi.org.uk/media/15105/accreditation-benchmarking-data-summary-report-2022-client-approved-final.pdf
[2] The competences and RTPI guidance on the APC submission can be found here: RTPI | Chartered Planner
[3] It must be emphasised that the need to relate spatial planning to legal and institutional frameworks does not necessarily require a grounding in or specific reference to any particular administrative system. Accreditation from the RTPI need not and should not carry connotations of educating for practice only in UK or Ireland. However, a grounding in how proposals for the development and use of land or buildings can be assessed within the jurisdiction that the university is located, and what governmental or other policy or technical matters might be utilised to arrive at a planning decision or recommendation in relation to sustainable development, should be covered. The relevance of the UN Sustainable Development Goals to the study of planning, and to the practice of planning, should also provide useful context.
[4] Accreditation Boards and Partnership Boards will assess effectiveness in accordance with supporting information issued by the RTPI.
[5] Or a combination of accredited programmes that meet all the 14 Learning Outcomes set by the RTPI.
[6] Accreditation Boards and Partnership Boards can consider other relevant teaching staff including sessional lecturers.
[7] The inclusion of ‘or equivalent’ here, and throughout this section, is intended to support flexibility in course delivery by providing the opportunity for Planning Schools to deliver courses, which may be either compressed or extended so long as the relevant Accreditation Board or Partnership Board is satisfied that the RTPI’s educational standards have not been compromised and the necessary Learning Outcomes have been met in full. Partnership Boards and Accreditation Boards are encouraged to take account of outputs, in terms of student learning, rather than inputs in terms of time spent studying. The flexibility also recognises accreditation should be not precluded by any relevant national framework for higher education qualifications.
[8] These proportions are intended to allow for some ‘non-planning’ electives to be taken, with the overall balance being a matter for the planning school to decide
[9] For the avoidance of doubt, one calendar year shall be interpreted as the equivalence of twelve months full-time intensive study, during which period students shall be engaged in supervised learning.
[10] It is important to note this is a minimum expectation and the RTPI is keen to support and champion postgraduate qualifications of greater length, such as two-year MPlans which a number of planning schools offer.
[11] Together these qualifications, or equivalents, would be worth generally 480 credits (240 ECTS) akin to an Integrated planning programme and so, in such a scenario, the graduate would qualify for Licentiate status.
[12] ‘Top-up’ accreditation should be clearly linked to another qualification, or specific modules, offered by the accredited planning school. ‘Top-up’ qualifications are likely to be in the range of 60-120 credits (30-60 ECTS) and based on elements of, or even an exit award to, either a Conversion programme (for those graduates from a Specialist programme) or a Specialist programme (for graduates from an Introductory programme).
[13] The current version published in April 2024 for use by universities across the UK is here: Subject Benchmark Statement: Town and Country Planning.
[14] For further information and all the relevant guidance on the APC, please consult the RTPI website.
[15] The competences and RTPI guidance on the APC submission can be found here: RTPI | Chartered Planner
[16] As stated in clause 3.19, the 3+1 Planning Programme also allows graduates to access the Licentiate pathway.