Master of Urban Planning
Overview
Shape cities at the highest level—where strategy, policy and practice meet.
In a world of accelerating urban and digital change, this program equips you to step into leadership and decision-making roles that demand advanced expertise, critical thinking and ethical judgement.
Designed for professionals or recent graduates ready to advance, pivot, or formalise their impact in cities and communities, this program equips you with advanced knowledge and specialised skills to critically analyse complex urban systems, synthesise diverse evidence, and translate planning theory into confident, high-level practice.
You’ll deepen your expertise across key planning domains including transport and infrastructure planning, environmental planning, statutory planning, urban analytics, urban design and community engagement—building a skill set aligned with leadership, advisory and decision-making roles.
A strong emphasis on professional communication ensures you can influence outcomes, negotiate complexity and engage effectively with government, industry and communities.
The program’s interdisciplinary structure brings together diverse perspectives, including the knowledge and leadership of First Nations peoples, and is strengthened through meaningful collaboration with world-leading researchers and industry partners.
With flexible study options, applied projects, industry placements, international experiences, and hands-on use of cutting-edge urban data tools, you can tailor your study to fit alongside work while accelerating your career trajectory.
Program highlights
- Gain an accredited qualification from the Planning Institute of Australia, preparing you for professional planning practice and leadership.
- Choose from Environment and Sustainability, Urban Analytics, or Research in Urbanism fields of study.
- Learn from leading planning academics and experienced practitioners working at the forefront of city shaping.
- Work on authentic planning challenges alongside industry, government and community stakeholders.
How you'll learn
Your learning experiences are designed to best suit the learning outcomes of the courses you choose.
- Online study
- Research experience
- Fieldwork
- Seminars
- Studios
What you'll study
At UQ, degrees are called 'programs' and subjects are called 'courses'.
Career possibilities
Postgraduate study can take you anywhere. Here are some of the careers you could be on your way to:
- Urban designer
- Urban planner
- Strategic planner
- Urban strategist
- Research analyst
Average annual salary range
Urban Planner
seek.com.au
Next steps after graduation
Graduates of the Master of Urban Planning are well prepared for diverse and rewarding careers across public, private and non‑government sectors.
Employment pathways include roles such as statutory, strategic, environmental, transport or social planner; consultant; and positions in international development organisations.
You’ll graduate with an accredited degree by the Planning Institute of Australia and ready to step into senior roles, transition into planning practice, or extend your influence across policy, strategy and urban development.
Program accreditation
The Master of Urban Planning is accredited by:
- Planning Institute Of Australia
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Entry requirements
Entry requirements
It's possible to complete this degree in 2 years or 1.5 years depending on your qualifications and experience.
You can apply for any duration as long as you meet the entry requirements. You may also be eligible to apply for credit or exemptions to shorten your degree further. You'll graduate with the same qualification no matter how long you take to complete the degree.
2-year degree (32 units of study)
To be eligible to complete the degree in 2 years full-time (or part-time equivalent)full-time (only available as full-time study), you'll need:
a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in any discipline, except qualifications accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia
You must have a grade point average (GPA) of 4.5 on a 7-point scale in your previous qualification.
1.5-year degree (24 units of study)
If you have relevant prior learning or experience, you can reduce the number of courses you need to complete and graduate in less time.
To be eligible to complete the degree in 1.5 years full-time (or part-time equivalent)full-time (only available as full-time study), you'll need:
a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in any relevant discipline (see below) OR a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a non-relevant discipline AND 2 years full-time equivalent, relevant work experience in urban and regional planning.
You must have a grade point average (GPA) of 4.5 on a 7-point scale in your previous qualification.
Relevant disciplines for previous qualifications
Relevant disciplines: Urban and/or Regional planning, Architecture, Urban Design, Environment, Design, Engineering, Geography
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 Master of 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 (16 units). Your fees will vary according to your selected courses and study load. Fees are reviewed each year and may increase.
$10,900
2027
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.
Fee information for this program is not yet available.
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 Master of 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 Master of Urban Planning is 5789.
This program is available in multiple durations. You can apply for any duration as long as you meet the entry requirements.
When you apply, select your preferred duration. If you don't meet the requirements for your first preference, we'll automatically consider you for entry into a longer duration.
Applying online
All domestic applications should be submitted to UQ.
The program code for the Master of Urban Planning is 5789.
This program is available in multiple durations. You can apply for any duration as long as you meet the entry requirements.
When you apply, select your preferred duration. You can also ask us to consider you for a longer duration if you don't meet the entry requirements for your first preference.
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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