Master of Urban Planning

The Master of Urban Planning is a professional program for graduates who want to practice as urban planners.
Urban planners manage the development of cities and regions. They anticipate the impact of the development and use this knowledge to develop and implement urban and regional management strategies.

Urban Planning is of increasing importance as cities and regions grapple with the challenges associated with sustainability, social equity and economic development. These challenges are leading community groups, environmentalists and economic policy makers to re-think established approaches to planning. Developing new responses requires recognition of the interrelated aspects of most planning problems, which calls for an interdisciplinary skill set, along with capacity to address the tension created by the intersection of global, national and local interests at particular locations, through specialised skills. These elements are captured in the core specialisation and elective structure of the Master of Urban Planning.

• Introduce students to the operation and debate about the planning system.
• Provide opportunities, through specialised units, to explore the implications of different perspectives on urban planning and practice
• Provide opportunities, though subjects with an applied focus, to learn the way planning decisions impact on real world situations.
• Provide a research opportunity so students can follow a supervised and self-directed learning path on a planning issue.

Core Subjects (100 points)

These subjects should be taken in the sequence described. Course structure may be varied with the permission of the course coordinator, particularly in the case of advanced standing students.

Selectives

SStudents choose 100 points of selectives. Of these selectives, three (totalling 37.5 points) must be chosen from within the same specialization, and must include the compulsory subject (the first named) and two others. The remaining 62.5 points of selectives must be drawn from across three of the other specializations, so that students have completed at least one subject in four of the five specializations.

Specialisation: Social and Community Planning

Specialisation: Economic Planning

Specialisation: Urban Design

Specialisation: Environmental Planning

Specialisation: Transport Planning

Recommended Sequencing

Submission of a personal statement of no more than 1000 words outlining relevant prior study and work experience, and motivation to undertake the course; and
A three-year undergraduate degree in any area with a weighted average of at least 65% in the final two years, or equivalent

NB: Students who have completed relevant prior study and/or at least two years of documented relevant full-time professional work experience, or equivalent, may be eligible for advanced standing.

Application Closing Dates

• 30 November for commencement in Semester 1 (March)
• 31 May for commencement in Semester 2 (July)
• International applicants should apply by 30 April for commencement in Semester 2 (July)

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

Many Master of Urban Planning graduates enter the public sector and work in government departments and agencies, or for local councils in cities and regions. The private sector offers an increasing range of employment opportunities, including urban planning and design consultancies, major development and investment companies, large corporations, and utility companies.
There are also international opportunities in tertiary education and research. Urban planners work with teams of related professionals such as architects, landscape architects, engineers, environmental scientists, economists, property valuers, real estate developers, lawyers and sociologists.

Graduates of the MUP will be eligible for membership of the Planning Institute of Australia.

• Advanced understanding of the changing knowledge base, skills and techniques used in urban planning;
• An advanced understanding of the international context and sensitivities of urban planning questions through the incorporation of international examples in the curriculum;
• An ability to evaluate and synthesise the research and professional urban planning literature as a result of design, conduct and reporting of original research assignments, and the research thesis;
• An appreciation of the ways in which advanced knowledge of urban planning debates equips the student to offer leadership in the specialist area, developed through group work and oral presentations to clients in planning applications subjects;
• An understanding of the significance and value of their knowledge of urban planning issues to the wider community (including business and industry), though participation in knowledge transfer activities of the teaching staff.