Master of Planning

Program Overview

The Master of Planning program at the University of Tasmania provides students with the knowledge and skills to plan for diverse communities and sustainable futures. The program is grounded in Tasmania's rich heritage of environmental and social justice and offers a range of core and elective units that cater to a diverse range of interests and backgrounds. Graduates of the program are in high demand by local and state governments, planning consultancies, and community organizations in Australia and around the world.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

In the professionally accredited Master of Planning, you will gain knowledge and skills in planning for diverse communities, and just and sustainable futures. Your learning experience is grounded in Tasmania’s rich heritage of environmental and social justice. If you are looking to progress to the next stage of your career, or you want to contribute to tackling local, regional and global challenges, this accredited course will take you there. Planning is an ideal study option for a diverse range of interests and backgrounds, including:

• Ecologists, environmentalists, and conservationists, who may be in operational and front-line roles and want to apply their passion for the environment at greater scale.
• Engineers and similar technical experts, who want a change of profession but still want a career that crosses different disciplines and allows them to draw on their existing skills, and
• Commerce and business students or graduates, who want to apply their corporate knowledge and skills in a way that directly benefits people and communities, often through an environmental and sustainability lens.

Outline:

• Year 1
• Core Units
• KGA511 Critical Planning: Theory, Processes and Applications:
This unit provides a theoretical and conceptual foundation for advanced studies in urban and environmental planning. The unit covers the diverse functions and purposes of planning.
• KGA512 Statutory Land Use Planning:
This unit will give you an insight into the legal basis of planning in Tasmania. We cater to people wanting to practice as planners and also those wishing to become more informed citizens by better understanding the key legal principles…
• KGA521 Urban Planning and Design:
The principles and practices of urban planning and design shape the physical spaces and social lives of our towns and cities. In this unit, you will learn about the historic and theoretical context of urban design and planning, including Aboriginal traditions.
• Core Option Unit(s) (Choose one 25 credit point unit or two 12.5 credit point unit)
• KGA517 Protected Area Planning and Management Systems:
This unit provides students with a practical understanding of key systems for protected area planning and management. Terrestrial, freshwater and marine protected areas are considered. The global context of protected areas is analysed, including issues of definition, scope and governance.
• KGA532 Reserve System Planning:
In this unit you will develop the knowledge and skills needed to undertake planning for protected area systems. We will explore the frameworks, processes and methods used to identify areas for inclusion in national reserve systems.
• KGA581 Environmental Impact Assessment:
This unit introduces legal, administrative, scientific, and social aspects of environmental impact assessment (EIA) using case studies. The unit emphasizes the practical aspects of environmental impact assessment in Tasmanian contexts, but environmental impact assessment processes and legislation are similar in many countries.
• KGG539 Fundamentals of Spatial Information:
This unit is designed to provide students studying at the graduate level with a comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of spatial information. This unit will introduce students to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and basic remote sensing analysis, with a focus on environmental applications.
• Year 2
• Core Units
• KGA705 Climate Change: Economics, Politics and Planning:
Climate change is an unprecedented crisis that is impacting the places where we live and work. We are experiencing physical impacts such as shifting weather patterns, coastal inundation and increasing risk of natural disasters. These are reconfiguring economies, politics and planning approaches at multiple scales from the local to the global.
• KGA709 Professional Placement:
Students in this unit will undertake the equivalent of an unpaid, professional placement of 80 hours duration, which gives them a work integrated learning experience – providing intended learning outcomes that could reasonably be expected from a placement within a relevant industry, government agency or not-for-profit organisation.
• Choose from Professional or Research Pathway
• Professional Pathway
• KGA703 Professional Research Methods:
This unit focuses on learning research methods to solve real problems. You will come to understand how to design research, define an argument in response to the problems, use scholarly databases, consider ethical issues in data collection, generate field data, and prepare and present a research report.
• KGA704 Professional Research Practice:
This unit provides postgraduate students with the skills and knowledge to undertake policy-based research - a key transferable employability skill. Practical skills development focuses on undertaking research to inform evidence-based policy positions for a topical real-world issue. Upon completing this unit you will have gained competency in skills including research proposal development, literature review and synthesis, project management, quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, and clear, effective scientific communication.
• Research Pathway
• KGA742 Research Thesis A:
The research thesis is normally a substantial piece of original work in a specific field of study or discipline. The thesis must demonstrate the candidate’s capacity for independent and critical research and scholarship, originality and critical independence, research design, synthesis and analysis, research methodology, and effective communication in written form and other approved means.
• KGA743 Research Thesis B:
This unit normally consists of a thesis based on research carried out under the supervision of the thesis supervisor. It represents the results of an extended research program in a specific field of study or discipline.

Teaching:

• You will benefit from our close ties with the planning profession, including work placement opportunities and guest lecturers, plus our low student-teacher ratios maximise opportunities for academic interaction and support as you study.

Careers:

• As a professional planner, you will be in demand by local and state governments, planning consultancies and community organisations in Australia and around the world.
Planners are professionals who work closely with engineers, architects and environmental consultants, providing multi-disciplinary expertise to ensure projects are appropriately investigated and strategically developed. Graduates of our professionally accredited course find fulfilling careers as professional planners, managers and policy makers, in a variety of roles including.
• Town or Urban Planner: Town planners focus on the development and sustainability of urban areas.
They work within government and industry to make decisions about the changes we make to the built and natural environments. Statutory planners are involved at the level of individual applications, and strategic planners look at the bigger picture of planning our towns and urban areas. Town planners consider the location, design and suitability of developments such as stadiums, hotels, parks, and the full spectrum of residential requests.
• Regional planner: A regional planner is like an urban strategist, outlining land use, transportation, and infrastructure for a specific area, creating sustainable communities by considering population trends and environmental factors.
They work with governments, communities, and experts to develop policies for balanced regional growth and improved quality of life.
• Environmental Planner: Working within local governments, the Parks and Wildlife Service, and other consultancies, environmental planners specialise in environmental considerations.
They work to minimise the negative ecological impacts of developments, projects, and policies, and promote sustainable practices. These planners are vital in preserving natural resources, expanding green spaces, and mitigating the effects of climate change.
• Transportation Planner: Transportation planners focus on designing efficient and sustainable transportation systems.
They analyse traffic patterns, public transit options, and alternative modes of transportation to improve mobility and reduce congestion. By promoting accessible and environmentally friendly transportation, they contribute to creating more liveable and interconnected communities.
• Housing and Community Development Planner: Housing and community development planners address issues related to affordable housing, social services, and community revitalisation.
They develop strategies with governments, non-profit organisations, and developers to ensure that all residents have access to safe and affordable housing, as well as essential services and amenities.