Skip to menu Skip to content Skip to footer

You're viewing this site as a domestic an international student

You're a domestic student if you are:

  • a citizen of Australia or New Zealand,
  • an Australian permanent resident, or
  • a holder of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa.

You're an international student if you are:

  • intending to study on a student visa,
  • not a citizen of Australia or New Zealand,
  • not an Australian permanent resident, or
  • a temporary resident (visa status) of Australia.
You're viewing this site as a domestic an international student
Change

 

Call us

We have the answers to your postgraduate questions.

 

 Send an enquiry

Email us, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Enquire now

 

Find an agent

Find a UQ agent near you.

 

How to apply How to apply

 

How to apply

It’s easy, but there are a few things to consider.

Learn how to apply

Ready to apply?

Start today. Save for later if you need to.

Start application

 

Call us

We have the answers to your postgraduate questions.

 

 Send an enquiry

Email us, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Enquire now

 

Find an agent

Find a UQ agent near you.

 

How to apply How to apply

 

How to apply

It’s easy, but there are a few things to consider.

Learn how to apply

Ready to apply?

Start today. Save for later if you need to.

Start application

Beautifully shaped steel building

Graduate Diploma in Urban and Regional 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 Diploma in Urban and Regional 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 provide a preparation for entry into a masters program.

For your one 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.

Graduates from UQ's Urban and Regional Planning program 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.

Location
External, St Lucia
Duration
1 Year full-time (or part-time equivalent)
Start Semester
Semester 1 (24 Feb, 2025), Semester 2 (28 Jul, 2025)
Program Code
5116
AQF
Level 8
Location
External, St Lucia
Fees
A$47200
Duration
1 Year full-time
Start Semester
Semester 1 (24 Feb, 2025), Semester 2 (28 Jul, 2025)
Semester dates for 2026 are yet to be confirmed
Program Code
5116
CRICOS Code
025980G
AQF
Level 8

Program highlights

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 together as a group and with external bodies to address real planning challenges.

1 in Australia for environmental sciences

QS World University Rankings 2024

1 in Queensland for geography

QS World University Rankings 2024

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
  • Development assessment officer
  • Urban designer
  • Land-use planning coordinator
  • Heritage conservation officer
  • Transport planner
  • Regional development officer
  • Spatial planner
  • Commercial and industrial development officer
  • Strategic planner

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

To be eligible for entry, you'll need:

  • a bachelor's degree or above in any discipline, except qualifications accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia. 
You must have a grade point average (GPA) of 4.5 or above on a 7-point scale in your previous qualification.
  • a bachelor's degree or above in any discipline, except qualifications accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia. 
You must have a grade point average (GPA) of 4.5 or above on a 7-point scale in your previous qualification.

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.

Learn how to meet the English language requirements

Student visas

International students who are accepted into full-time study in the Graduate Diploma in Urban and Regional 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.

Learn more about student visas

Fees and Scholarships

Indicative annual fee

Approximate yearly cost of tuition (16 units). Your fees will vary according to your selected courses and study load. Fees are reviewed each year and may increase.

$8,948

2024

Fee information for 2025 is not yet available. Fee information displayed is for 2024.

$8,948

2025

Learn more about postgraduate fees

Approximate yearly cost of full-time tuition (16 units). Your fees will vary according to your study load. Fees are reviewed each year and may increase.

AUD $47,200

2024

Fee information for 2025 is not yet available. Fee information displayed is for 2024.

AUD $47,200

2025

Learn more about postgraduate fees

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.

Learn more about financial aid

HECS-HELP

Domestic places in the Graduate Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning are Commonwealth Supported. 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.

HECS-HELP is an Australian Government loan scheme to assist eligible students with the cost of their student contribution amounts.

Learn more about HECS-HELP

Centrelink support

Scholarships

You may be eligible for more than 100 scholarships, including:

How to apply

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.

To learn more about UQ dates, including semester start dates, view the Academic Calendar.

Important dates

The closing date for this program is:

  • Semester 1 - Monday before semester 1 commences. Contact School for details.
  • Semester 2 - Monday before semester 2 commences. Contact School for details.

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 Unit.

Contact the ATSIS Unit

Explore other programs

Geographic Information Science

Graduate Diploma in Geographic Information Science

St Lucia, External
1 Year full-time (or part-time equivalent)1 Year full-time

Express yourself. And your interest.

They say choosing a degree is hard, which is why we've made it easy. Register your interest and we'll send you everything you need to know about applying to UQ.

Sign up for updates

Select your country and then enter your mobile phone number.

We will use your information to keep you informed about UQ programs, news, events and scholarships. By submitting this form, you consent to the terms of UQ's Marketing consent and privacy notice.