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Master of Urban Planning (MC-URPL) // Attributes, outcomes and skills
About this course
Professional accreditation
It is expected that graduates of the Master of Urban Planning will have completed the academic requirements for membership of:
- Planning Institute of Australia (PIA)
Intended learning outcomes
The Master of Urban Planning degree provides professional training in urban planning. The program recognises the importance of interdisciplinary learning and, in addition to a wide array of electives, includes interdisciplinary studio options. The program also recognises the importance of being able to carry out and communicate research on planning policy and practice, including a compulsory analytical methods subject and a minor research thesis.
The MUP will:
- Equip students so that they are sought-after practitioners and researchers of urban planning in Australia and internationally;
- Provide students with a choice of electives to enable them to develop their intellectual and career interests;
- Encourage an environment in which theoretical and applied planning knowledge is developed;
- Recognise and build upon the range of prior skills and knowledge students bring to the program;
- Engage students with key contemporary planning ideals, ethics and debates, including debates surrounding the creation of equitable and sustainable human settlements; and,
- Provide research opportunities allowing students to undertake supervised and self-directed learning.
Generic skills
The Master of Urban Planning degree prepares students to step up as leaders, to address the world’s urban problems and to maximise opportunities, now and in the future. We do this through a pedagogical mix of lectures, debate, discussion, seminars and student presentations, local and travelling studios, and independent research. Students are encouraged to attend and contribute to conferences and seminars in order to increase their knowledge of planning issues, grow their professional networks and to share their findings with the scholarly community.
Students are taught to:
- Understand theory and think in a critical and reflective manner;
- Develop core planning knowledge and skills;
- Respond creatively to the issues they confront;
- Understand and manage the complexity inherent in planning problems;
- Understand cities in an international comparative context;
- Develop research skills;
- Develop areas of specialisation; and,
- Work in multi-disciplinary teams.
Graduate attributes
The variety of planning roles – working in government, for the private sector, in public-private partnerships and in civil society is becoming more complex. The variety of planning specialisations – including land-use development control, transport planning, environmental planning, strategic planning, advocacy and community development, and urban design is increasing. The Master of Urban Planning degree equips planners with basic knowledge and skills that allow them to excel in the workplace. More importantly, the Master of Urban Planning teaches students to think critically and strategically, with a sound understanding of relevant theories, and with a view to ensuring the ability to adapt to and to lead these changes.
This teaching includes considerable emphasis on global changes in planning practice and governance and equips graduates to practice internationally.
Last updated: 20 June 2024