Handbook

Overview

Planning is an exciting, varied and progressive profession which plays a pivotal role in decisions shaping the future of cities and regions. Planners need to see the whole picture: we need to be good thinkers, good analysts and good communicators. We work with stakeholders across the spectrum of interests - from global developers to local communities - to foster feasible, equitable, sustainable and progressive outcomes. Sydney and NSW provide a fantastic laboratory to help understand the crucial role played by planners in addressing complex challenges, systematically placed in its global context through critical analysis and drawing upon best practice. The Master of City Planning degree is designed for students with an undergraduate qualification in a related discipline seeking to move into a planning or planning-related field. It is also tailored for professionals working in other sectors, especially those whose work may intersect with the planning system, or requires involvement with planning agencies. The degree comprises core courses that strengthen disciplinary foundations and help develop advanced and specific knowledge and skills; elective options which can be structured to pursue a specialist pathway (city development and renewal, healthy sustainable communities, history and theory, city design); and a capstone project, delivered in conjunction with City Futures 'Australia's leading urban research centre' in which students undertake a piece of primary research in their selected area of interest.

The MCP aims to produce high quality graduates who have acquired UNSW Graduate attributes and are capable, through their skills, knowledge and experience, of undertaking a wide range of tasks required of a qualified planning practitioner. As well as preparing for the profession, a planning degree provides lifelong analytical, collaborate and communication skills much in demand more widely.

Course offered in the MCP program are aimed to satisfy they key competence areas required of a qualified planner by the Planning Institute of Australia.

Program Structure

Students must complete 96 UOC when taken as a standalone program.

Capstone Courses - 18 UOC
Core Courses - 54 UOC
Prescribed Electives or Optional Specialisation - 24 UOC

Optional Specialisation

Capstone Courses18 Units of Credit:

Students must take 18 UOC from either the Thesis or Studio options below.

Thesis

Studio

If taking this option, students must complete one of UDES0004, UDES0006, or UDES0009 (6 UOC), plus UDES0002 (12 UOC).

One of the following

UDES0002 Urban Design Studio 2

Core Courses54 Units of Credit:

Students must take 54 UOC of the following courses.

Core Courses

PLAN7140

6 UOC

Land & Environment Law

PLAN7141

6 UOC

Land Use Policy & Practice

PLAN7142

6 UOC

City Equity & Wellbeing

City Building - Infrastructure Planning

PLAN7146

6 UOC

City Economics, Urban Development & Finance

PLAN7147

6 UOC

Planning Techniques & Analysis

PLAN7148

6 UOC

Strategic Spatial Planning

One of the following:

Prescribed Electives24 Units of Credit:

Students must take at least 24 UOC of the following courses.

BEIL6000

6 UOC

Contemporary Issues in Urbanism

BEIL6001

6 UOC

International Planning

BEIL6002

6 UOC

Urban and Regional Design

BEIL6007

6 UOC

International Study Tour

BEIL6008

6 UOC

International Design Studio

Street Life Studies: Cambodia

Urban Data Visualisation

Healthy Built Environments

BENV7728

6 UOC

Geographical Information Systems and Urban Informatics

Infrastructure Planning, Procurement and Finance

CVEN9405

6 UOC

Urban Transport Planning Practice

PLAN6000

6 UOC

Planning with Indigenous Peoples

PLAN7156

6 UOC

Housing Policy and Finance

REST0004

6 UOC

Property Investment and Finance

REST0006

6 UOC

Property Development and Feasibility Analysis

SUSD0009

6 UOC

Environmental Auditing

SUSD0010

6 UOC

Managing the Sustainable Built Environment

UDES0004

6 UOC

History and Theory of Urban Development and Design

UDES0006

6 UOC

Case Studies in Urban Development and Design

UDES0009

6 UOC

Urban Landscape and Heritage

Enrolment Disclaimer

Please note that this Handbook is a comprehensive catalogue of our offerings and includes courses that can be taken to satisfy program requirements irrespective as to their availability for a particular year. Availability of courses is best checked using filters on this site or on the class timetable site.

You are responsible for ensuring that you enrol in courses according to your program requirements and by following the advice of your Program Authority. myUNSW enrolment checks that you have met enrolment requirements such as pre-requisites for individual courses but not that you are enrolling in courses that will count towards your program requirements.

Admission Requirements

Entry Requirements

Minimum Entry Requirements

A bachelor's degree with a credit average (equivalent to a UNSW WAM of 65).

Applicants who do not meet this requirement may be able to enter the Graduate Certificate in City Planning in the first instance. This will be at the discretion of the Program Director or Academic Coordinator who will assess applications on a case-by-case basis.

Note: Graduates of UNSW City Planning (Honours), or equivalent programs accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia are ineligible for admission as they have already met the learning outcomes of this degree.

Limitations on Recognition of Prior Learning

Students with an undergraduate degree in a related field are able to apply for up to 24 UOC in advanced standing, subject to agreement of the Program Director on a case-by-case basis. This is not compulsory and students can complete the full 96 UOC, two year full-time degree if they wish.

Advanced standing may also be granted for completed or partially completed postgraduate awards from UNSW or from another institution.

Related Fields

Urban planning is interdisciplinary in nature and requires students to develop skill sets and build knowledge across multiple areas. As such, planners often enter the profession from various educational backgrounds. Four key subject areas at undergraduate level offer a strong and appropriate background for a postgraduate planning education. These may be reflected either as a degree specifically in any of these areas, but also where one (or more) of these areas are demonstrated in a substantive major of a general Arts or Liberal Arts degree.

Built Environment subject areas, in particular architecture, landscape architecture, construction, property development, urban design and urban-regional planning.
Social, economic and environmental science subject areas, in particular geography, urban studies and sociology, demography, economics, social policy and politics, communication studies, health studies, international development, environmental ecology, environmental management, environmental sustainability.
Law/Jurisprudence
Environmental and Civil Engineering subject areas, which would also encompass surveying and spatial science degrees.

For more information about admission requirements for various UNSW programs, visit the following website(s):

Domestic Students

International Student

Program Requirements

Progression Requirements

The MCP Program offers an articulated coursework Planning degree. Students commencing their studies in the Program at the Grad Cert or Grad Dip level will be able, subject to satisfactory performance, to progress to the next stage within the articulated program with full credit for courses already completed. Students who wish to exit the Master's program early may nominate to transfer to and graduate from the Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma provided the requirements for the program have been met. Grad Cert to Grad Dip 24UOC> 48UOC Pass (WAM 50+). Grad Cert to MCP 24UOC>96UOC Pass (WAM 50+). Grad Dip to MCP 48UOC>96UOC Pass (WAM 50+).

For more information on university policy on progression requirements please visit Academic Progression

Associated Programs

Similar Program

Master of Construction Project Management - MCPM8121 - Construction Project Management

Master of Property and Development - MPD8127 - Property and Development

Master of Landscape Architecture - MLArch8136 - Landscape Architecture

Master of Environmental Management - MEM8623 - Environmental Management

Postgraduate Pathway

Doctor of Philosophy - PhD1120 - Built Environment

Nested Postgraduate Program

Graduate Diploma in City Planning - GDCP5148 - City Planning

Graduate Certificate in City Planning - GCCP7148 - City Planning

Professional Outcomes

Accreditations

Planning Institute of Australia

Career Opportunities

The Master of City Planning [MCP] degree provides an excellent platform to take up planning and urban policy-related opportunities across all tiers of government (federal, state, local), private sector consultancies, property development, and indeed the breadth of built environment professions where planning skills are required. The specialist pathways taken as part of the MCP may direct students towards more specialist areas, for example in housing, urban renewal, environmental management, heritage or urban design related professions. The interdisciplinary skill sets developed through the degree also enable graduates move into wider policy, research, analytical, creative and community roles both in Australia and overseas.

Recognition of Achievement

Award with Excellence

Current Students Award with Excellence

For more information, please visit:

The Award with Excellence is awarded in coursework masters programs, including Masters (Extension) but with the exception of Masters (Extended) such as JD and MD, when a Weighted Average Mean (WAM) of at least 80% has been achieved and at least 50% of the requirements of the award are completed at UNSW. All eligible programs will award 'with Excellence' except in special circumstances where approval of Academic Board has been given for a program to opt out.

Program Fees

At UNSW fees are generally charged at course level and therefore dependent upon individual enrolment and other factors such as student's residency status. For generic information on fees and additional expenses of UNSW programs, click on one of the following:

Domestic Students

Commonwealth Supported Students (if applicable)

International Students