A planning course will qualify you for jobs as an urban, regional, town or city planner. Here are online planning courses from Australian universities. Majors include town planning, urban and regional planning, and urban design.
To be a town planner, urban designer or similar, you should do a planning course. Which course is not always clear as most jobs simply ask for university qualifications in a relevant field. Generally, you benefit from acquiring a university degree.
A Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning is the standard qualification for urban planning. For urban design, a bachelors in architecture (or landscape architecture) is also a common degree to earn.
Postgraduate qualifications are also valuable in these competitive fields. The shortest course is a Graduate Certificate in Urban Planning and Design. You can complete this over 8 months of part-time study. The online course is a pathway to a masters degree in urban planning or urban design.
Diploma in Town Planning
UNE Diploma in Town Planning
The University of New England has a pathway course for students interested in an urban planning degree. The 8-subject Diploma in Town Planning online course is open to anyone with at least a Certificate IV qualification in any discipline. The diploma counts as credit towards UNE’s bachelor of urban planning degree. Subjects include plan making, local environmental infrastructure, urban living, introduction to architectural design, and economic change and urban development.
Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning
UNE Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning
The University of New England has a 4-year course in Urban and Regional Planning that leads to accreditation by the Planning Institute of Australia. Students are given a general education in all major areas of planning and urban design. On-the-job training is an important aspect of the urban planning degree, giving UNE graduates a career head start.
USQ Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning
The University of Southern Queensland offers a career-focused degree in Urban and Regional Planning. The 4-year professional course equips students with job-ready skills and knowledge. Students use modern mapping technologies and learn about planning laws and community consultation. The Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (Honours) is accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA). Graduates may seek Planner registration.
Graduate Certificate in Urban Planning and Design
A Graduate Certificate in Urban Planning and Design is a short course that gives you a university qualification. You can complete the 4-subject course over 8 months of part-time, online study.
The graduate certificate is embedded within a masters program. Each subject counts as credit towards a graduate diploma or masters degree.
In urban planning and design, the graduate certificate is a foundation and pathway course. You gain basic skills and knowledge while positioning yourself for further studies.
UTS Graduate Certificate in Urban Planning and Design (Online)
The 100% online Graduate Certificate in Urban Planning and Design is designed for aspiring urban planning and urban design professionals who want to gain the foundational knowledge and skills to become effective planners and/or designers of sustainable urban environments. This course welcomes candidates from various professional backgrounds, providing a pathway into a dynamic and rewarding career in urban planning and urban design. Through industry-informed content and real-world case studies, students will gain the practical skills and experience they need to enter the worlds of urban planning and urban design.
What You Learn in an Urban Planning Course
An urban planning course teaches you about the intelligent organisation of buildings, infrastructure and landscapes. Urban planning students learn how to structure developments to achieve the best overall outcome – subject to resource, technical and legal constraints.
An urban planning program develops your understanding of how cities and sites are constructed physically, socially and environmentally. You develop communication skills, reasoning ability and analytical processes to contribute to policy, technical and regulatory aspects.
In a good planning course, students discover how to bring principles and knowledge together to formulate effective plans. You learn how to:
- find project-relevant information
- analyse problems and generate creative solutions
- access new technologies and acquire new skills
- communicate to diverse audiences.
Urban planning courses prepare students to be professional planners. Students learn important concepts and become familiar with the breadth of planning considerations.
Graduate Diploma in Urban Design
Specialist urban design courses look quite different from urban planning courses. A large percentage of the curriculum should be allocated to design studio projects. Students need to develop their drawing, analytical and design skills.
Urban design programs are often postgraduate. To support working professionals, you can complete urban design courses online on a part-time basis. Qualifications include a graduate diploma and masters.
UTS Graduate Diploma in Urban Design (Online)
The UTS Online Graduate Diploma in Urban Design is for professionals with a background in areas such as architecture, strategic planning or environmental science, who want to develop their practical design capabilities. Through industry-informed course content and studio-based projects, students learn to design resilient and creative solutions that enhance the lived experience at any urban scale. This course is delivered 100% online, enabling you to continue working full-time. To qualify for the Graduate Diploma, you need to complete 8 subjects from the masters program.
Urban Design vs Urban Planning: Spaces and Policies
Career Opportunities
In Urban Planning and Design, common job titles include town planner, planner and urban designer. Demand for graduates is strong, with employment of Urban and Regional Planners projected to grow by 19% to 16,000 over the 5 years to 2027.
To give you an idea of the career opportunities in Australia, here are randomly selected job ad outlines.
Snippets from jobs ads. Random sample.
Graduate Town Planner – Narrabri NSW
Looking to kick-start your career in Town Planning, Environmental Planning, Urban and Regional Planning? This is a great opportunity for a recent graduate or candidate nearing completion of study in a Town Planning or related qualification. You will assist in delivering quality development assessment and compliance services.
Trainee Town Planner – Albury NSW
Trainee Town Planner (Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning). You will assist in the delivery of customer focused, professional Town Planning service to our community which includes, the provision of development advice, assessment of applications and creation of strategic policy for the future development of the City.
Town Planner – City of Greater Geelong
You will work in the Statutory Planning team to provide an effective and efficient service to facilitate the assessment and issue of permits and approvals for all forms of proposed developments. You will also provide a professional and customer focused advisory service. To be successful in this role, you will have: Tertiary qualification and/or experience in Town Planning or Urban Studies.
Urban Designer – Architectus
We're an architecture and design studio specialising in public, commercial, education, interiors, residential, transport, urban design, and planning. We’re seeking a talented, driven individual to join our Melbourne team. You have: Qualifications in Urban Design, and/or background in Architecture or Landscape Architecture.
Urban Designer – Sydney NSW
We’re seeking a skilled and motivated urban designer to join our Strategic Planning and Urban Design Unit. You will provide urban design advice on projects including land use planning, transport and public domain project. You will have tertiary qualifications in Urban Design, Architecture or a related discipline.
Town Planner (Ongoing) – Queanbeyan NSW
The Town Planner is responsible for town planning services to do with acquiring new and existing facilities in the Queanbeyan-Palerang area. This is an exciting stage of economic development with numerous development projects planned and currently underway.
Planner - Development Services – Moreton Bay
You will provide technical advice and do assessments of low complexity development matters relating to land use impacts of development to meet the needs of the community. As well as a degree in Town Planning OR having experience in a Development Planning role, you have a working knowledge of urban design and placemaking.
Town Planner – HAYS
Major regional NSW municipality requires a Town Planner on an immediate contract. You will ensure that development applications are in line with the council strategic long-term vision. What you'll need: A tertiary qualification in Town Planning or a related discipline.
