What our students say

Robert Richardson, UK (2017-18)

'I studied geography as an undergraduate where my dissertation looked at the management of public space. After working in an unrelated field for a few years, I decided I wanted to return to pursue my academic interests, to use them in my career. I chose to study at Glasgow because I knew it would be an exciting place in which to study the built environment. As well as being a fascinating city full of powerful history, culture and a fun place to live and study, it provides a great real-life backdrop for seeing processes associated with planning, real estate and regeneration unfold. I also knew that the University had an excellent reputation, especially for its courses within Urban Studies and I knew I would benefit significantly from being part of the department and the work occurring there.

My main interests were in planning and spatial issues, but I believed the real estate courses would help me develop my abilities in areas in which I had less experience, including quantitative and more commercially-oriented skills. The programme is accredited by both the RTPI and RICS, so I was attracted by a degree that would allow me flexibility to pursue different options within my future career.

One of the best things about the programme has been the other people. Students on the real estate, planning and regeneration degrees come from such a wide variety of backgrounds, from all over the world. I have gained a lot from working with people with very different skills and experiences to my own, and, in a programme which emphasises collaboration and sharing knowledge, this has been a real strength.

I have also really enjoyed the diversity of material across the different courses. I had the opportunity to develop skills to which I had no previous exposure. For example, the Designing places course taught me to think graphically and to be comfortable using drawing techniques, while the Real estate valuation and appraisal course enabled me to understand and handle property data and valuation techniques. I really enjoyed the variety of moving between such different skills, as well as the balance between professional skills and the more traditional humanities-based courses which allowed me to build on ideas I had studied as an undergraduate.

Glasgow is a great city in which to live and study. It is easy to get around and there is a huge amount to see and do. I was especially attracted by the city’s sporting and music scene, as well as the depth of its history and culture. Glasgow is really well-connected to the rest of Scotland and I have loved exploring this incredible country. As a student of the built environment, Glasgow is a fascinating city as a place with rich architectural heritage and witness to major social and physical change. The University’s location in the West End means it is next door to a wide array of cafes, pubs and restaurants and is also just a short subway ride away from the city centre - there is always somewhere new to discover.

I would strongly recommend the programme to anyone interested in pursuing a career as a planner or surveyor. It has equipped me with the knowledge and skills I need to work in these professions and has opened my mind to be able to consider the environment around me in a completely new way. Studying in Glasgow has been a brilliant experience and, as a place to learn about the built environment, I couldn’t recommend the city and the University highly enough. Having decided I want to keep learning about the urban environment, I am continuing on to study a PhD at the University of Glasgow, first undertaking a year’s research training through the MRes in Urban Research. I am very much looking forward to continuing my studies at the University of Glasgow, to spending more time in this city, and ultimately, for my work to make a positive contribution to the built environment.'