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Graduate Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning

The information on this page applies to future students. Current students should refer to their faculty handbooks for course information.

The Urban and Regional Planning program at the University of Sydney is your pathway to the professional world of planning. The Planning Institute of Australia accredits this course, ensuring professional relevance and excellent employment opportunities.

Planners are strategic professionals that reconcile the complex demands of law, budgets and aesthetics to produce plans for vibrant, functional and desirable public spaces and cities. The planning program at the University of Sydney is recognised for its focus on the significant challenges of scale in planning. Our expertise in both Urban and in Regional planning means that when you study with us, you will be adept at working across the spectrum of planning works, whether for a population of 500 or for 5 million.

You will benefit from the expertise of our staff and our close ties with industry. Our academics are all active contributors to the profession, forging close links with state, national and international planning organisations. In 2012, the planning program celebrated its close ties with the Office of Urbanisation in Papua New Guinea through a Memorandum of Understanding. We regularly host prestigious international planning conferences, including the only UPE conference to be held in the Asia-Pacific. All of this combines to give you unparalleled access to the best teachers and a solid network of industry contacts as you complete your degree. This is consistently demonstrated in our high student-satisfaction and graduate employment surveys.

We give you flexible options to expand the scope of your degree by undertaking one of our exclusive enrichment options. Offered in Heritage Conservation or Urban Design, you can improve your employment prospects by taking these specialisations. No other program planning program in Australia gives you the flexibility to pursue these enrichment options.

Planning is an important function in many professions. You may find yourself working as a consultantalongside politicians or private companies. There is also a demand for planners by local councils and state planning authorities. Planners are allied professionals to engineers, architects and environmental consultants. They provide advice, support and their expertise in planning to ensure that proposed projects are appropriately scoped and investigated on all relevant scales. There is also an important role for planners in the development of policy, particularly in international development, where the Faculty holds expertise.

Planning is a vibrant, challenging and rewarding career. It is much more than the simple, technical evaluation of different design options. Instead, planning is infused with consideration for human welfare and social progress. The social and ecological impacts of a project are always at the forefront of a planner’s mind. Our planning program gives you the tools and approaches that will enable you towork in planning-based roles both in Australia and internationally, and cangive you this experience during your degree through our extensive exchange network.

International Connections:
The Urban and Regional Planning program has strong international connections and is recognised for its expertise in the formulation of national planning strategies. Dr. Paul Jones has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Urbanisation Office in Papua New Guinea and has been instrumental in the launch of the first national urbanisation strategy.

Students of the Urban and Regional Planning program benefit from this expertise and global connectedness. There are many exchange opportunities with institutions around the world, further expanding your understanding of urban planning in different national contexts. This all combines to give you perspectives on planning that go well beyond the classroom.

More detail on the Program including course planner, credit request forms and timetable links can be found at the Faculty of Architecture, Design & Planning homepage. http://sydney.edu.au/architecture

Units of study

For full information on Units of Study available in this course, please visit the Sydney Courses website

Unit of Study information on faculty page

Full units of study list

Further course information

Study plan

48 Credit Points: min 24 Core, 24 Elective

Course outcomes and further study

Graduate opportunities

Professionals and graduates in architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning or a closely related area, will develop and extend their professional expertise, but applicants from other disciplines are welcome. An introductory unit of study has been introduced to enable all students to participate effectively in the design studios, and to provide a basic grounding in urban design for students wishing to undertake the Graduate Certificate only.

Admission

Admission requirements

A successful applicant for admission to the Graduate Certificate of Urban and Regional Planning will hold a bachelor's degree or possess experience which is considered to demonstrate the knowledge and aptitude required to undertake the course.

Please refer to the current timetable http://sydney.edu.au/architecture/documents/CS_timetables/2013s1_DRAFT_PG_Timetable.pdf
or Faculty Handbook http://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/architecture/
to explore the delivery method of you chosen subjects.

Students may apply to upgrade at the completion of their program from the Graduate Certificate, through to the Diploma and then to the Masters by maintaining a credit average over the course of study.

Masters and Diploma students may also opt to graduate with a lower level of certification once the required units are complete.

How to apply

Domestic students

How to apply

Applications are made directly to the University and assessed by the Faculty.

Please note that students may commence studies in Semester 2, however some courses are only available in part-time capacity due to the units on offer.

Please refer to the individual course homepage to map your course of study, and note the time limits to complete postgraduate programs: Masters: 6 Calendar Years, Grad Dip: 4 Calendar Years, Grad Cert: 3 Calendar Years. http://sydney.edu.au/architecture/future_students/index.shtml

More detail on the Program including course planner, credit request forms and timetable links can be found at the Faculty of Architecture, Design & Planning homepage. http://sydney.edu.au/architecture

International students

How to apply

Overseas applicants may apply (i) directly to the University, or (ii) through a University overseas representative (education agent).

Fee disclaimer

Domestic students

Indicative postgraduate student contribution amount

Indicative postgraduate student contribution amount not available for Graduate Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning.

Annual review for postgraduate student contribution amount

Annual review for postgraduate student contribution amount not available for Graduate Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning.

Postgraduate Domestic Tuition Fee

This 2013, tuition fee for a domestic postgraduate student represents the fee that is payable by you in the calendar year you commence your course, commencing in 2012 for a standard annual full time load of 48 credit points (1.0 EFTSL). If your study load is more or less than the 1.0 EFTSL your fee will differ.

Annual review for postgraduate domestic tuition fee

Importantly, tuition fees are subject to annual review by the University, and are likely to increase each year of your period of study, effective at the start of each calendar year.

Additional incidental fees

For some courses there are incidental fees additional to the student contribution and/or course fee. Some of those fees are significant, for example, faculty-specific materials, tools, protected clothing and equipment. For further information about these additional incidental fees, please visit the University's Future Students' website.

Potential for inaccuracy

Whilst every reasonable effort has been made to include correct and up to date information in this prospectus, you are also advised to consult directly with the Student Centre for domestic students or the International Office for international students so that they can provide you with specific and up to date information about those fees.

The academic requirements that are displayed are applicable to currently available courses only, and are updated annually in October and may be changed without notice. The Faculty Handbook and the University of Sydney Calendar are the official legal source of information relating to study at the University of Sydney, and you are referred to those documents

Please note that if you are classified by the University as a Research Training Scheme student in accordance with the Other Grants Guidelines (Research) 2010, you will be exempt from the payment of any SCA or tuition fees for courses undertaken as part of a Research Masters degree and Research Doctoral degree. More information about your eligibility for this Scheme is available here.

International students

International tuition fees for postgraduate students

This 2013, tuition fee for international postgraduate students represents the fees that are payable by you in the calendar year you commence your course, commencing in 2013, for a standard annual full time load of 48 credit points (1.0 EFTSL). If your study load is more or less than the 1.0 EFTSL your fee will differ.

Annual review

Importantly, tuition fees are subject to annual review, and are likely to increase each year of your period of study, effective at the start of each calendar year.

Additional incidental fees and health insurance

For some courses there are incidental fees additional to the tuition fees. Some of those fees are significant, for example, faculty-specific materials, tools, protected clothing, and equipment. The University's Future Students' webpage has further information about these additional incidental fees for postgraduate coursework students and postgraduate research students.

In addition to the fees indicated here for the course of study, International Students studying on an Australian Student Visa must have appropriate health insurance for the duration of their studies on a Student Visa through an approved provider of the Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) scheme. This is a requirement of the Australian Government, unless otherwise exempted by the Government.

Potential for inaccuracy

Whilst every reasonable effort has been made to include correct and up to date information here, you are also advised to consult directly with the Student Centre for domestic students or the International Office for international students so that they can provide you with specific and up to date information about those fees.