Graduate Certificate in Urban Planning
Overview
Graduate confident and well-prepared for work, with skills gained through a program designed in consultation with industry to provide you with the ideal balance of theoretical content and practical experience.
The Graduate Certificate in Urban Planning is designed for recent graduates in any field, and for established professionals who wish to extend their skills and expertise. It will also help prepare you for entry into a master's program.
For your half-year of full-time studies, you'll select from more than 20 courses, providing you with a high level of specialised knowledge together with valuable skills associated with your selected areas of study.
UQ graduates are sought after by employers for their ability to make environmentally, socially and economically sustainable decisions, and can expect to find employment in a variety of roles in both public and private sectors.
Program highlights
- Learn from Australia’s best planning practitioners in a program recognised by employers as delivering high-quality, job-ready graduates.
- Tailor your program to match your career goals through practical and flexible elective courses.
- Benefit from collaborative learning spaces, such as the $1.5 million Planning Studio, that allow you to integrate maps, plans and computers while working with external bodies to address real planning challenges.
How you'll learn
Your learning experiences are designed to best suit the learning outcomes of the courses you choose.
- Lectures
- Tutorials
- Workshops
What you'll study
At UQ, degrees are called 'programs' and subjects are called 'courses'. Here's a sample of the courses you could study in this program:
- Strategic Planning: Theory & Practice
- Climate Change & Environmental Management
- Community Planning & Participation
- Applied Demography
- Transport Planning
- Planning Practicum
Career possibilities
Postgraduate study can take you anywhere. Here are some of the careers you could be on your way to:
- Urban and regional planner
- Strategic land use coordinator
- Development assessment officer
- Spatial planner
- Urban design coordinator
- Heritage conservation officer
- Social planner
- Commercial and industrial development officer
- Tourism consultant
- Regional development officer
Events
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Stories
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Stories
See all storiesStudy tips
5 must-study environment and sustainability courses
8-minute read
UQ people
Meet the expert: exploring regional and town planning with Stephanie Wyeth
5-minute read
Study tips
Why choose UQ for environmental studies?
6-minute read
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
To be eligible for entry, you'll need:
- a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in any discipline, other than qualifications accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia, or
- 2 years full-time equivalent, relevant work experience in urban and regional planning.
- a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in any discipline, other than qualifications accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia, or
- 2 years full-time equivalent, relevant work experience in urban and regional planning.
Relevant work experience
Relevant work experience includes work in urban, regional and town planning related roles. This will need to be supported with evidence.
Evidence of relevant work experience should include a letter from your employer (and/or previous employers) clearly stating the following:
- That you work (or worked) within the specified organisation
- The nature of your work, detailing any relevant duties and responsibilities to the entry criteria above
- The length of time you were in your role/s (i.e demonstrating minimum length for entry) and whether this was full-time, part-time, or casual
- Any further bespoke conditions listed by the entry criteria
Letters will typically be expected to be presented on company letterhead and signed by a manager or HR representative. A CV or resume is not a sufficient document on its own and must be accompanied by a supporting letter as described above.
All applications based on work experience are subject to an individual assessment.
Related programs
Depending on your previous qualifications and current goals, you might want to consider
one of these related programs:
English language requirements
IELTS overall 6.5; reading 6; writing 6; speaking 6; listening 6. For other English Language Proficiency Tests and Scores approved for UQ
TOEFL iBT (including Paper Edition) - Overall 87, listening 19, reading 19, writing 21 and speaking 19.
PTE Academic - Overall Score of 64 and 60 in all sub bands.
BE - A minimum overall grade of 4 plus a minimum grade of C in all macro skills.
CES - Overall 176 and 169 in all sub bands.
OET is not accepted.
There are other ways to meet the English language requirements. For some programs, additional conditions apply.
Student visas
International students who are accepted into full-time study in the Graduate Certificate in Urban Planning are eligible to apply for an Australian student visa (subclass 500).
There are a number of requirements you must satisfy before a visa is granted, including the Genuine Student (GS) requirement.
Fees and Scholarships
Indicative annual fee
Approximate yearly cost of tuition (8 units). Your fees will vary according to your selected courses and study load. Fees are reviewed each year and may increase.
$5,755
2026
Approximate yearly cost of tuition (8 units). Your fees will vary according to your study load. Fees are reviewed each year and may increase.
AUD $25,016
2026
Government assistance
Financial aid
As an international student, you might be eligible for financial aid – either from your home country, or from the Australian Government.
HECS-HELP
Domestic places in the Graduate Certificate in Urban Planning are Commonwealth supported, as long as you meet all Commonwealth supported place eligibility requirements.
This means the cost of your education is shared between you and the Australian Government. Instead of tuition fees, Commonwealth supported students pay what are called student contribution amounts.
If you have a Commonwealth supported place, you may also be eligible for HECS-HELP. This is an Australian Government loan scheme to assist eligible students with the cost of their student contribution amounts.
Centrelink support
The Australian Government offers a number of income-support payments to eligible Australian university students.
Scholarships
You may be eligible for more than 100 scholarships, including:
How to apply
Applying online
All international applications should be submitted to UQ. If you prefer, you can use an approved UQ agent near you.
The program code for the Graduate Certificate in Urban Planning is 5780.
Applying online
All domestic applications should be submitted to UQ.
The program code for the Graduate Certificate in Urban Planning is 5780.
Important dates
The closing date for this program is:
- To commence study in semester 2 - May 31 of the year of commencement.
- To commence study in semester 1 - November 30 of the previous year.
Visa processing times vary. Apply and accept your offer as early as you can.
To learn more about UQ dates, including semester start dates, view the Academic Calendar.
Important dates
The closing date for this program is:
- To commence study in Semester 1 - January 31 of the year of commencement.
- To commence study in Semester 2 - June 30 of the year of commencement.
To learn more about UQ dates, including semester start dates, view the Academic Calendar.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants
For support with applying – or if you have any questions about university life – get in touch with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (ATSIS) Unit.
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