Graduate Diploma in Planning

Note

This is an exit-only course. There is no direct admission to it. Current UTS students may be able to submit an Internal Course Transfer (Graduating) application to exit with this course. See the Course transfer page for further details.

The Graduate Diploma in Planning provides a new career path for design, planning and property professionals, equipping graduates with a broad understanding of planning issues alongside the negotiation skills and creative thinking required to resolve them.

Whereas planning has often been seen as an approval process, UTS approaches the discipline as a critical task, one that connects communities with governments, institutions and developers.

Property development and planning students study a common first year, which develops a mutual understanding of how to balance private and public interests in urban development.

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Course aims

Through this course, students proactively engage with policy, environmental and demographic frameworks to understand how planning decisions shape the urban environment over the long term. This engagement is multidisciplinary, spanning planning, urban design, property, architecture/landscape architecture, economics, spatial analysis, law and urban ecology.

The degree has both a strong sustainability focus and an emphasis on the property development cycle. Students learn about land markets and feasibility studies, and acquire the technical skills to perform complex and evidence-based forecasting. They also learn how to conduct large scale structure planning and design master planned developments for communities.

Students achieve these outcomes by applying theory to real-world scenarios in real-world learning environments, including peer-led, multidisciplinary teamwork and discussions, case studies and field trips, with opportunities to travel internationally.

Study plan

An example program is below.

Please make a selection:

First year

Autumn session	Subject Code	Credit PointsA credit point is the unit of measure of workload for individual subjects.
Sustainable Urban Development	15146	6
Urban Design	15222	6

Spring session	Subject Code	Credit PointsA credit point is the unit of measure of workload for individual subjects.
Property Development Process	15142	6
Planning and Environmental Law	17700	6

Second year

Autumn session	Subject Code	Credit PointsA credit point is the unit of measure of workload for individual subjects.
Urban Economics and Infrastructure Planning	15241	6
Spatial Analysis in Planning and Property	15251	6

Spring session	Subject Code	Credit PointsA credit point is the unit of measure of workload for individual subjects.
Group Project B: Greenfields Development	15144	6
Development Negotiation and Community Engagement	15145	6

First year

Spring session	Subject Code	Credit PointsA credit point is the unit of measure of workload for individual subjects.
Planning and Environmental Law	17700	6
Property Development Process	15142	6

Second year

Autumn session	Subject Code	Credit PointsA credit point is the unit of measure of workload for individual subjects.
Sustainable Urban Development	15146	6
Urban Design	15222	6

Spring session	Subject Code	Credit PointsA credit point is the unit of measure of workload for individual subjects.
Group Project B: Greenfields Development	15144	6
Development Negotiation and Community Engagement	15145	6

Third year

Autumn session	Subject Code	Credit PointsA credit point is the unit of measure of workload for individual subjects.
Urban Economics and Infrastructure Planning	15241	6
Spatial Analysis in Planning and Property	15251	6

Course fees

For relevant fee information, please choose from the following:

Local student

In most cases, UTS offers domestic students entry to postgraduate courses on a fee paying basis.

Tuition fees are charged:

based on the particular course in which you are enrolled
based on the number of credit points in which you are enrolled
at the rates set for the current year and revised annually

Fees for future year(s) published in the online calculator, whilst unlikely to change, are estimates only. UTS makes every effort to provide up to date future year(s) fee estimates and to limit any changes, however, UTS reserves the right to vary fees for future year(s) at any time.

Tuition fees can be found in the online calculator.

A small number of postgraduate courses offer government subsidised Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP). Find out whether there are CSPs available in this course by visiting our postgraduate fees page.

In addition to tuition fees, students are required to pay a Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF). The purchase of textbooks and other course materials may also result in additional costs.

UTS Alumni save 10%: alumni.uts.edu.au/advantage

International student

Tuition fees for international postgraduate coursework students can be found using fees search.

Tuition fees must be paid in advance each session and are subject to annual increase. Fees for future year(s) published in fees search, whilst unlikely to change, are estimates only. UTS makes every effort to provide up to date future year(s) fee estimates and to limit any changes, however, UTS reserves the right to vary fees for future year(s) at any time.

For this course, the cost per credit point for 2025 is $838. The total credit points are 48.

All international students should familiarise themselves with the following documents:

Protocol on refund of fees for international students - contains the refund of fees information for international students.
Tuition Protection Service - designed to ensure that students receive the tuition they have paid for

In addition to tuition fees, students may be required to pay a Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF). Textbooks and other course materials will also result in additional costs.

UTS Alumni save 10%: alumni.uts.edu.au/advantage

For further information on costs related to your study at UTS, visit the international students' fees information page.

Careers

The degree enables professionals to change careers due to the multidisciplinary nature of the learning. Graduates are in public sector positions, including working for state and local government, and in private consulting and property development firms. There are also careers in strategic planning on major developments and projects, master planning with financial analysis, and the increasingly important area of sub-regional planning.

Course structure

Course structure explained

The course requires the completion of eight 6-credit-point subjects, totalling 48 credit points of study.

Course completion requirements

Requirement	Credit Points
STM90502 Core subjects (Planning PG)	24
STM90503 Level 2 core subjects (Planning)	24
Total	48

Additional information

Course duration

The course duration is one year of full-time or two years of part-time study.

Full time, block

Inherent requirements

Inherent requirements are academic and non-academic requirements that are essential to the successful completion of a course. For more information about inherent requirements and where prospective and current students can get assistance and advice regarding these, see the UTS Inherent requirements page.

Prospective and current students should carefully read the Inherent Requirements Statement below and consider whether they might experience challenges in successfully completing this course.

UTS will make reasonable adjustments to teaching and learning, assessment, professional experiences, course related work experience and other course activities to facilitate maximum participation by students with disabilities, carer responsibilities, and religious or cultural obligations in their courses.

For course specific information see the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building Inherent (Essential) Requirements Statement.

Articulation with UTS courses

This course is part of an articulated program comprising the Graduate Certificate in Planning (C11270), the Graduate Diploma in Planning and the Master of Planning (C04007).