Master of City Planning

The Master of City Planning is a two-year full-time degree. It involves 14 courses plus a capstone project.
 

Full program structure
 

Each university year at UNSW has three terms and an optional summer study period. The Master of City Planning involves 14 courses and one capstone project.
 

You can study full-time or part-time. Depending on how you plan your study load, you can fit two or three courses into a term and one course in a summer term.
 

Below is a summary of what you will study in a standard two-year, full-time study plan:

• 1 Capstone project

• 9 Core City Planning courses

• 4 Prescribed electives.  
   

Capstone Project
 

In your final year of study, you'll devise and independently undertake a major capstone project, where focus on a particular area of specialised interest and build further depth and expertise to the critical ideas and knowledge you have already gained.
 

This means you’ll graduate with advanced skills and a specialised project that will set you apart as you kick-start your career.

To gain entry into the Master of City Planning, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree with a credit average or above (Weighted Average Mark 65+).
 

If you have an undergraduate degree in a cognate discipline, or you’ve partially completed a relevant  postgraduate program, you can apply to have this study recognised via Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). If your prior study is recognised, credit for certain subjects will be counted towards the Master of City Planning.
 

What is a cognate discipline?
 

City and urban planning are interdisciplinary in nature, which is why we recognise the benefits that students from diverse academic backgrounds bring to this program. If you’ve studied any of the following subject areas in your undergraduate degree, you may be eligible for RPL.
 

• Built environment subject areas, including: architecture, landscape architecture, construction, property development and urban design.

• Social, economic and environmental science subject areas, including: geography, urban studies and sociology, demography, economics, social policy and politics, communication studies, health studies, international development, environmental ecology, environmental management, environmental sustainability.

• Law/Jurisprudence

• Environmental and civil engineering subject areas, including surveying and spatial science degrees.
   

RPL for these study areas will be limited to 24 Units of Credit (UOC), which is normally the equivalent of 4 subjects. 
 

Applicants will be assessed on a combination of higher school academic results, portfolio submission and an interview.

You may be asked to provide evidence of your English proficiency to study at UNSW depending on your educational background and citizenship. English language skills are vitally important for coping with lectures, tutorials, assignments and examinations - this is why UNSW requires a minimum English language competency for enrolment.

If English is not your first language, you’ll need to provide proof of your English proficiency before you can be given an offer to study at UNSW. You can do this by providing evidence that you meet one or more of the following criteria:
 

• English language tests and university English courses

• Prior study in the medium of English

• Other qualifications
   

UNSW Global offers courses and programs designed to help you reach the English language level required for entry into your chosen degree. Different options are available depending on your current English language level. 

IELTS 7.0 overall (min. 6.0 in each subtest)

TOEFL 94 overall (min. 25 in writing, 23 in reading, listening and speaking)

2022 Indicative First Year Fee

$40,705*
 

2022 Indicative Fee to Complete Degree

$82,130*

• Strategic Planner

• Local Government Planner 

• Social and Community Planner 

• Environmental Planner  

• Urban Consultant 

• Urban Policy Analyst 

• Urban Policy Officer

• Transport Planning 

• Urban Designer

• Heritage Officer 

• Property Developer