Program

Planning - 3360

This Program is no longer accepting new enrolments

Program Summary

Faculty: Built Environment

Contact: Built Environment

Campus: Sydney

Career: Undergraduate

Typical Duration: 5 Years  

Typical UOC Per Semester: 24

Min UOC Per Semester: 6

Max UOC Per Semester: 24

Min UOC For Award: 240

Domestic Entry Requirements: See Domestic Entry Requirements

International Entry Requirements: See International Entry Requirements

Award(s):

Bachelor of Planning

View program information for previous years

Program Description

From 2016 this program will be replaced with 3362 Bachelor of City Planning(Hons)

Program Summary:
The Bachelor of Planning program provides academic education and applied learning leading to professional qualifications in planning. The program is of four years full time duration with an additional mandatory year of work experience, normally taken after completing Semester 1 of Year 3.

Planning has as its focus the management and development of urban and rural areas; ranging from small local precincts to metropolitan areas and regions. The planner's task is often to integrate and coordinate the aims and actions of a large number of government and private organisations and individuals to provide an equitable and efficient distribution of resources. Working at the interface of development and the environment, this involves collecting and analysing information; identifying needs and options; making forecasts; preparing policies, plans and programs for implementation; exercising development control; investigating development proposals; and evaluating results, communicating outcomes and consultation.

Program Objectives and Graduate Attributes

The objectives of the program are to create an awareness of the context in which planning operates, impart knowledge of how planning can influence the community and the physical environment, equip students with the competence to apply this knowledge at different levels in a wide range of situations, create an understanding of the contribution other disciplines can make to planning and vice versa, and develop skills in policy formulation, land use allocation and control, design and communication.

The program is structured to allow students to study a secondary specialisation in a particular area or to sample a wide range of educational experiences from across the University.

Program Structure

Year 1

Semester 1
  • GEOS1701 Environ Systems. & Processes (6 UOC)
  • PLAN1011 Urban Society (6 UOC)
  • PLAN1101 Understanding Design (6 UOC)
  • PLAN1241 Planning Theory and Practice (6 UOC)

Semester 2
  • PLAN1042 Local Planning (6 UOC)
  • PLAN1122 Development Processes (6 UOC)
  • PLAN2801 GIS for Built Environment (6 UOC)
  • Open Electives (6 UOC)

Year 2

Semester 1
  • PLAN2032 Urban Design (6 UOC)
  • PLAN2041 Integrated Planning 1 (6 UOC)
  • PLAN2152 Resources, Planning & Nat. Env (6 UOC)
  • General Education (6 UOC)

Semester 2
  • PLAN1052 Quantitative Methods (6 UOC)
  • PLAN2111 Economics of Planning & Dev. (6 UOC)
  • PLAN2122 History, Heritage & Built Env (6 UOC)
  • General Education (6 UOC)

Year 3

Semester 1

Semester 2

Year 4

Semester 1

Semester 2
  • Interdisciplinary Learning Course* (6 UOC)

Year 5

Semester 1
  • Interdisciplinary Learning Course* (6 UOC)
  • Open Electives (6 UOC)

Semester 2
  • Specified Planning Electives (6 UOC)
NOTE: The 12UOC of Interdisciplinary Learning Courses can be undertaken at any stage from the end of Year 2 to the end of Year 5 including summer terms.

Additionally, students are not required to undertake the other elective and general educaton requirements in the exact order as indicated in the above program structure. This structure provides a suggested order for the completion of these elective and general education requirements, however a student can choose to do them in a different sequence. For example, a student may choose to complete an open elective in S2 of Yr 2 and undertake the 6 UOC of general education in Yr 5.

A list of 2015 Interdisciplinary Learning Courses is below:

Summer Semester:
Semester 1:
Semester 2:
Students are required to choose 2 courses from the suite of Built Environment Interdisciplinary courses to complete a minimum of 12 UOC of BEIL courses.

An indicative List of Specified Planning Electives is below:

Majors Available in this Program
Bachelor of Planning Master of Environmental Management
PLANH13360

Honours

Honours are awarded in the Bachelor of Planning degree on the basis of quality of performance throughout the whole program and in accordance with current faculty policy. For the purpose of calculating Honours at graduation, the Honours value of each course is indicated by the units of credit associated with that course. Units of credit generally reflect the workload required of students in courses in which grades are awarded. Honours grades are Class 1, Class 2 Division 1, or Class 2 Division 2.

Academic Rules

1. The degree of Bachelor of Planning is awarded at either Pass or Honours level after the successful completion of a minimum of 240 units of credit.

2. To fulfil these requirements, students must complete:

Depth Component
  • All specified core courses defined by an PLAN prefix and GEOS prefix in the progam structure (150 UOC)
  • 48 units of work experience normally undertaken in 2nd semester of Year 3 and 1st session of Year 4 as prescribed in the Faculty regulations for this program.
  • 12 UOC of FBE Electives from the list of Interdisciplinary Learning Courses (see list above)
  • 6 UOC of specified Planning Elective

Breadth Component
  • 12 units of open (free) electives selected in accordance with the Faculty regulations for undergraduate study in the Faculty of the Built Environment.
  • 12 units of General Education in accordance with University requirements (see below).
3. The standard duration of the program is 5 years, consisting of 8 semesters of full-time study plus 2 semesters of required work experience, with each semester worth 24 units of credit.

General Education Requirements

FBE Electives
FBE Electives must be chosen from elective courses offered by the Faculty of Built Environment they are identified by a BENV prefix.

Open (free) Electives
Open electives can be chosen from any courses offered by any Faculty at UNSW for which the student meets prerequisite or other enrolment requirments. The exceptions are those specific General Education GEN prefix courses which cannot be counted as open electives. Open electives do not need to be taken outside the Faculty, students can choose FBE electives as open electiives.

Work Experience
During the program, students must undertake 48 weeks of approved employment related to the program. The program assists with placements in state government agencies, planning consultants, private firms, and local councils. This is normally undertaken in the twelve months following Semester 1 of Year 3 as indicated in the Program Schedule. Work experience requirements must be completed prior to graduation. The type of employment proposed must be submitted to the Program Head for approval.

Progression

Courses are to be taken in the year sequence listed above, except with the permission of the Head of the Planning and Urban Development Program.

Fees

For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website:  UNSW Fee Website.

Professional Recognition

The Bachelor of Planning Degree is recognised by the Planning Institute of Australia as an academic qualification for Corporate Membership after at least one additional year of practical experience following graduation. Corporate Membership of the Planning Institute of Australia confers reciprocal recognition in many countries.

Area(s) of Specialisation