1. Handbook
  2. Majors, Minors and Specialisations
  3. Urban Design and Planning

Urban Design and Planning

MajorYear: 2026

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Overview

THE COURSE STRUCTURE BELOW ONLY APPLIES TO RE-ENROLLING STUDENTS WHO COMMENCED THEIR STUDIES PRIOR TO 2016.

Urban Design and Planning is founded upon the social, environmental, political, aesthetic and economic importance of design in the public realm, serving the public interest. It focuses on the intersections between architecture, landscape architecture, planning and geography. Students who have a desire to learn about and engage in the design of urban places will explore two strongly related fields of environmental practice: urban design as the shaping of urban space and urban planning as the strategic and regulatory mediation of urban change.

Careers and Further Study

Completion of the Urban Design and Planning major will provide a basis for practice in the field and to apply for one of the two-year graduate programs, the Master of Urban Planning or the Master of Urban Design, or for the three-year Masters programs in Architecture or Landscape Architecture. For more information on the Masters programs, please visit the Melbourne School of Design web site: msd.unimelb.edu.au

Intended learning outcomes

By the end of a three year Bachelor of Environments degree with an Urban Design and Planning major, students will have developed a strong base of design competence and knowledge across a wide range of urban design and planning issues.

Last updated: 19 November 2025