Planning is a dynamic activity that impinges on many aspects of everyday life in metropolitan and rural areas. Planning as a general term can mean an activity that seeks to provide an alternative to uncoordinated and ad hoc decision-making. For cities, suburbs and regions, planning targets the development, improvement, conservation and general management of the environment. There are in fact many specialist areas of planning: land use, social, transport, regional, and so on.

The GradDipPlan degree addresses many of these aspects. Core courses cover skill and knowledge areas essential for practising planners. The programs are available to suitably qualified local and international students and provide opportunities for full-time or part-time study.

Career Opportunities
Planners are employed under many different labels in many different organisations with some stake in the built environment. The major employment sectors are state and federal government departments (dealing with land use, development, transport, heritage, infrastructure, urban services etc), local councils, consultant planners, property companies, and environmental organisations. There is an increasing demand for planners and other built environment professionals with appropriate knowledge and skills that the Program offers.

The Program aims to produce high quality graduates who have acquired UNSW Graduate attributes. Graduates will be capable, through their skills, knowledge and experience, of undertaking a wide range of tasks in the planning field and may also choose to proceed to the MPlan degree.

The GradDipPlan Program is taken over two academic semesters (full-time equivalent), and requires the successful completion of 8 courses totalling 48 units of credit. The 48uoc in the Program comprise seven core courses (42uoc) and one elective (6uoc).

Admission Requirements

A relevant Bachelor’s degree in one of the following subject areas:

Built Environment subject areas
Social, economic and environmental science subject areas
Law/Jurisprudence
Environmental and Civil Engineering subject areas

Applicants with Bachelors degrees in other subject areas but who have been working in an urban planning environment (either as a planner or planning-related field) for one year or more may also be considered.



Advanced Standing
Some advanced standing may be granted for completed or partially completed postgraduate awards from UNSW or from another institution. When considering the granting of advanced standing on the basis of previous postgraduate study at another institution, the program authority will take into account the quality of the institution and the quality, level and content of courses previously undertaken.

Upgrading and Articulation
The GradDipPlan Program is part of an articulated coursework Planning degree. A postgraduate coursework student enrolled in an articulated program may apply to progress from the Graduate Diploma to Masters level with full credit for courses completed in earlier programs in the sequence provided that they have achieved a credit average or above and that the earlier awards are not conferred. Applications for progression through a particular articulated program will be refused if six years have elapsed since completion for the earlier award.

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