The hallmark of quality for planning courses
Cara Dowson is an accreditation officer at the RTPI
The RTPI supports planning education and the profession by accrediting around 130 planning degrees at 34 accredited planning schools in the UK, Ireland and rest of the world. As the accreditation officer for the RTPI, I explore what RTPI accreditation means and why it is important.
What is RTPI accreditation?
RTPI accreditation is the hallmark of quality planning education for planning courses in the UK, Ireland, and rest of the world. It signifies that graduates of an accredited planning course have the essential knowledge, skills, and values required to enter the planning profession, and to pursue professional status as a Chartered Town Planner. Graduating with an RTPI accredited qualification will put you on the Associate or Licentiate pathway to becoming a Chartered Town Planner depending on the type of degree you hold and how it meets our learning outcomes. Alongside our other pathways to Chartership, these routes broaden the accessibility to Chartered Town Planner status, attracting diverse talent into the profession.
My role in supporting accreditation
In my role as accreditation officer, I support the 34 RTPI-accredited planning schools that deliver a total of 134 accredited planning courses. I do this by offering policy guidance and support to our member volunteers and the RTPI planning schools during the annual Partnership Board meetings as well as throughout the year. I am also the first port of call when it comes to providing advice and guidance to education providers that might be considering RTPI accreditation.
Why I think RTPI accreditation is important
RTPI accreditation broadens accessibility into initial planning education as it generates a diverse and inclusive review of planning courses. For example, RTPI accreditation offers the gold standard for planning education through partnership. It provides a variety of new perspectives on programme structure, content, and delivery, offering high quality external validation from various stakeholders who are industry and academia focussed. This championing of quality assurance and enhancement, peer review, and partnership supports planning schools in offering a diverse, inclusive and industry-supported planning course.
RTPI accreditation also broadens accessibility to Chartered membership, which generates diverse and inclusive early career planners who are suitably prepared and highly desirable to the planning profession. A benefit of RTPI accreditation is the financial support through bursaries and scholarships which are only offered to students on RTPI-accredited programmes. This year we collaborated with the British Chamber of Commerce Planning Skills Fund in rolling out a new scholarship to support graduates with their tuition fees and early careers within the public sector.
Students enrolled on RTPI-accredited programmes also benefit from the offer of free student membership, and access to local planning networks like the RTPI Young Planners and Regions and Nations.
RTPI accreditation and its support of planning education are vital to the overall health of the planning sector.
If you are interested to learn more or would like to get involved in supporting planning education, we’d love to hear from you, at education@rtpi.org.uk.
