Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (Honours)

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning at RMIT University equips students with the knowledge and skills to shape sustainable and equitable cities and regions. Through a combination of theoretical and practical learning, including industry-relevant projects and a potential semester abroad, graduates are prepared for careers as policy and planning leaders in various sectors, including urban planning, environmental management, and social planning.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Join the ranks of successful urban planners when you undertake the Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning – the only degree of its kind in Victoria. Urban and regional planning is more than just creating physical environments; it’s a way of sustainably changing and shaping the world. In this degree, you will focus on sustainability and its place in urban planning policy, equipping you with the knowledge and skills you need to pursue a career as a policy and planning leader. Not only will your studies cover urban planning in Melbourne and its regional surrounds, you will also be introduced to planning practices across the world. You are encouraged to complement this knowledge with a semester abroad at one of RMIT’s sister universities, and get to know urban and regional planning in a global context. This degree emphasises the benefits of practical learning. By participating in industry-relevant, real-life projects, you will be introduced to leading practitioners in the field, learn best practice methodologies, and graduate job-ready – with industry connections, and a degree that is accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA). Professionally, planners collate, analyse and present information that will help shape strategies and plans for the future. This degree will help you to effectively communicate with stakeholders in a way that will help to create successful, socially responsible planning outcomes. If you are passionate about urban design, geography and history, environmental studies, or politics and economics, this degree will pique your interest. You will learn to understand and critically engage with the many factors and processes that shape the way we live, work, play and commute. In this degree you will be encouraged to think creatively about what role planning can play in creating equitable and livable cities and regions.

Outline:

Year 1

By studying Australian society, politics and economics, you will better understand the foundations of urban and regional planning. You will also cover the origins and development of planning principles and practices.

Year 2

You will focus on contemporary planning policies, as well as social science research methods, social planning, urban design and transport planning. Many students opt to study overseas for a semester in second year.

Year 3

Year 3 You will specialise in different areas of practice: planning law, regional planning, climate change adaptation, urban economics, natural resource management, and planning at local government level.

Year 4

In your final year you will undertake a 30- to 60-day work placement, in addition to studying planning theory, planning research methods and structure planning. You will finish by writing an individual thesis or a major professional report on a chosen topic.

Assessment:

• essays
• reports
• reflective pieces
• policies
• oral and graphic presentations
• practice-based assessments

Teaching:

This degree is taught in various formats designed to provide meaningful engagement with staff, industry and peers and provide for access and use of spaces where learning can be applied and active, including an array of specialised equipment. Most RMIT courses do not include passive large-scale classes such as lectures, instead the content traditionally provided in lectures is made available online. This may be in the form of readings, videos or other on-demand learning materials. This content will also support the basis of interactive learning that takes place in on-campus classes.

Careers:

As cities continue to grow, so does the need for planners. Urban and regional planning graduates readily secure jobs, and have ample opportunity for early career promotions. Our graduates have high rates of success in achieving full time employment after completing their degree. Many start in local or state government, or with private sector planning consultancies and property developers. Graduates can also build careers in areas such as urban design and placemaking, community health and social planning, environmental and climate change policy, as well as housing and transport planning. Many RMIT graduates also work overseas. Career options Throughout your career, you might undertake roles such as:

• urban planner
• statutory planner
• town planner
• social planner
• environmental planner
• subdivisions planner
• civil urban planner
• urban designer
• transport planner
• environmental manager
• strategic planner