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Handbook Postgraduate

Master of Urban and
Regional Planning PDF

Urban & Regional Planning

Course Duration (full time):

Commencing semesters:

Master degree: 1.5 years full time (72 credit points)
Graduate Diploma degree: 1 year full time (48 credit points)
Graduate certificate: 6 months full time (24 credit points)

Semester 01
Semester 02

What is this course about?

The Urban and Regional Planning program teaches strong foundations in urban and regional planning theory and practice. Students have the opportunity to develop specialised knowledge in emergent fields, such as strategic planning and environmental design, planning systems and principles and international urban development.

Urban and regional planners are increasingly involved in formulating policies and guiding urban and environmental initiatives that underpin the process of planning and ‘place making’. A key outcome of the program is to provide graduates with the skills, knowledge and tools to better manage the social, environmental and economic impacts and consequences of development. The program emphasises students learning appropriate communication, reasoning and analytical skills so as to make a valuable contribution to the planning profession including urban design. There is also an opportunity to specialise in the Heritage Conservation stream.

Display educational aims and learning competencies? ...

Educational aims and learning competencies
Teaching in the urban and regional planning program is directed towards a range of educational aims and learning outcomes. A fundamental aim is to teach planning as a scholarly and professional activity. Academic and vocational aims are entwined and mutually reinforcing, as indicated under the goals and objectives of the Faculty’s Strategic Plan.

Aims
The aims of the Urban and Regional Planning Program are:
1. To provide students with opportunities to study a range of relevant subjects and prepare for a variety of careers in planning practice, research and related areas.
2. To provide an educational program that engenders critical and reflective planning practice, and fosters competence in performing key planning tasks.
3. To equip students so they can respond flexibly to a wide range of situations and adapt to changing contexts.
4. To inform students about urban planning systems in Australia and other countries, and related procedures involved in urban development and managing the environment.
5. To enable students to meet the challenges of working in a multicultural and pluralistic society.
6. To instill ethical professional behaviour and probity.
7. To promote an ethical approach towards planning and managing the environment, while striving for social justice.
8. To promote the objectives of environmentally sustainable urban and regional development.
9. To promote competent and innovative investigations of and responses to planning issues, policies and outcomes.

Learning Outcomes
Learning outcomes cover the key competencies that students will have achieved on completion of the Urban and Regional Planning Program. Graduates will be able to demonstrate the following:
1. A critical approach to the definition of planning issues and ability to discern how they are framed and addressed.
2. Skills using alternative modes of analysis and innovative research methods.
3. Competence in independent, self-directed learning.
4. Skills enabling learning from practical experience and application of ideas drawn from past practice to new situations.
5. A coherent understanding of planning as a professional activity operating within a complex context. In particular, students will achieve a knowledge of the following elements:

Roles and basic structures of government,
Planning procedures and legal requirements,
Types of planning and policy instruments,
Roles of private and public agencies,
Management of change in the built environment,
Human activities and systems operating within the built environment.

6. Knowledge of the scope of environmental planning in both the natural and built environments.
7. Skills in preparing basic planning discourses, including:

Planning proposals and instruments,
Planning studies, including impact, community, and economic,
Development applications and approvals.

8. Competence with using key forms of information, methods and reasoning that are basic to planning practice.
9. Developing skills with working in groups, especially with listening, negotiating, and organising team work.
10. Developing skills in interpreting and understanding of planning issues and their contexts, and in making sound, appropriate responses.
11. Knowledge of key concepts in planning literature (history, theory, methods and law) and ability to draw upon this knowledge in responding to specific planning issues.
12. Developing a high level of competence in computer applications in planning, including internet and web based resources. Mandatory units and specialisations.

Who should take this course?
This course is aimed at professionals in urban and regional planning wishing to further develop their skills and knowledge base, or people looking to career change and move into the challenging area of urban and regional planning.

Professional membership
The program is accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA). Masters graduates are eligible, subject to professional experience requirements, for corporate membership of PIA.

Program Director: Dr Paul Jones

Admission Requirements

Masters applicants should hold a bachelors degree with a credit average. Graduate Diploma applicants should hold a bachelors degree. Graduate Certificate applicants should hold a bachelors degree or possess experience which is considered to demonstrate the knowledge and aptitude required to undertake the course. Students enrolled in either the certificate or diploma can apply to upgrade if they satisfy the requirements of their degree with a weighted average mark of 70.

Applications for Postgraduate studies can now be completed easily online.

Please visit the Admissions page for more information on how to get started.

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Course structure

Total credit points required

Course	Core units	Elective units	Total credit points
Master	48	24	72
Graduate Diploma	24	24	48
Graduate Certificate	18	06	24

SEMESTER 1		SEMESTER 2
CORE		CORE
Strategic Planning and Design	6	Planning Principles, Systems & Practice	6
History and Theory in Urban Planning	6	Planning Law	6
Planning Principles, Systems & Practice	6	Land Use and Infrastructure Planning	6
Planning Report	12	Planning Report	12
Planning Dissertation 1	12	Planning Dissertation 1	12
Planning Dissertation 2	12	Planning Dissertation 2	12
OPTIONAL UNITS FOR HERITAGE CONSERVATION STREAM		OPTIONAL UNITS FOR HERITAGE CONSERVATION STREAM
New Design in old settings	6	Conservation of Traditional Materials	6
Conservation Methods and Practices	6	History and Theory of Conservation	6
		Conservation of Modern Materials (Odd Years)	6
ELECTIVE		ELECTIVE
Resource and Environmental Management	6	Economics for Planners	6
International Urban Development Planning	6	Environmental Design and Planning	6
Social Science of Environment	6	Housing Policy and Assistance	6
		GIS Based Planning Policy and Analysis	6
		Public and Community Finance for Planners	6
		Sustainable Development	6

Students are also encouraged to choose electives from any graduate program. CURRENT CLASS TIMETABLES		Students are also encouraged to choose electives from any graduate program. CURRENT CLASS TIMETABLES

All Masters students must complete a Report or Dissertation. Students commencing in July semester should note that some units have prerequisite units offered in March semester. This may affect enrolment choice. Students should consult the student admissions coordinator () to ensure their length of candidature will not be affected.

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Career Profile

Gabrielle Phillip
What do you do?
I am now working for the Housing Policy and Strategy Directorate.

How did you get there?
After I graduated with my Masters in Planning from the University of Sydney I worked for a Local Council as a Housing Officer and as a more traditional planner. As a Housing officer I worked at preserving low income housing stock and helping the council work with developers and the State Government to create new low income housing. As a planner, I also assessed the impact of proposed development applications. Later I moved to the Department of Housing where I managed a number of housing programs including the crisis accommodation program and the community housing program. This involved a range of duties including setting budgets, providing advice to people running the programs and providing policy advice to senior staff about how these programs could be changed. Somehow I also managed to fit in finishing a Ph.D!

What is the one thing that sticks in your mind about your time studying planning?
The staff are very well qualified and professional in their approach to study and supervision. In my area of specialisation (housing), the staff are well known both locally and internationally.

Stephanie Barket, BScArch/MURP
After she graduated as an architect, Stephanie Barker worked in inner city redevelopment for a couple of years. But before too long, she decided that planning was more her style, so she returned to study for a Master of Urban and Regional Planning.

"It was a shift from client-based work to having communities as your client." said Ms Barker, who is now a senior planner with Planning NSW. "I did my master's thesis about the team that I'm now the senior planner for, basically looking at how new urban areas get created. I worked for a couple of years for Liverpool Council, which had a lot of that work going on. I'm now in a more strategic area, working on the new suburbs that cross all of Sydney.

Ms Barker is part of a new wave, trying to bring a more "sustainable approach" to urban development. "Rather that doing things as we have been with car-dependant urban sprawl, [we are] actually building new communities that have high amenity, public transport and local employment." she said.

Who employs planners?
Planners are usually employed in four areas:

Government: Planners are involved in all levels of Government from local councils to State and Federal Governments. Local Government is perhaps the biggest employer, with planners being responsible for planning and assessing development within their council areas.
Private consultants: Consultants are most often employed by developers, local residents or on contract to local councils or other government bodies in Australia and overseas.
Private Companies: An increasing number of large companies employ their own planners on staff to handle development projects for that company.
A wide variety of other professions, including engineering, architecture, education, and environmental and recreation management also employ planners.

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The Planning Research Centre

The Planning Research Centre's main purpose is to further fundamental research into physical planning and development. It also sponsors seminars in specialised fields, undertakes research and consultancy projects, runs professional development courses, and promotes the publication of research material. It has an active membership comprised of members of government and industry.

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How to apply

Ready to apply for the course?
Visit the Admissions page for more information on how to apply for this course.

Just want to study one unit of study as professional development?
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses are a range of short courses offered to professionals who are looking to update their knowledge, enhance career pathways or for personal interest. Visit the CPD page for more information on Professional Development courses.

Enquiries

For current student and application progress enquiries, please contact the Student Administration Centre:

Ph: +61 2 9351 3248.

For enquiries regarding program content and application procedures please contact:

The University of Sydney - Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning

I would like to;

Brochures;

Urban & Regional Planning

What is this course about?

Admission Requirements

Course structure

Career Profile

The Planning Research Centre

How to apply

Enquiries

Undergraduate courses;