Urban

and Regional Planning

2011 Experience. The Difference.

C

Why plan your future at UniSA?

» UniSA’s Urban and Regional Planning program commenced in February 1949 and is the longest
established town planning program in Australia. In 2009 we celebrated 60 years of Urban Planning
at UniSA
» UniSA’s planning programs are fully accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia, the national
body that maintains professional standards for planning practice and represents professional
planners throughout Australia
» The School of Natural and Built Environments is committed to supporting Australian and State
Government imperatives to foster and promote sustainable development through our teaching
and research. UniSA aims to equip our graduates with the skills and knowledge to proactively
respond to climate change caused by carbon emissions and human activities
» UniSA’s innovative new Global Experience program is designed to give you an edge in today’s
competitive world. The program will equip you with the professional skills, networks and
experiences to launch yourself into the global market place as a UniSA graduate. For further
information, please visit the website unisa.edu.au/globalexperience

Front cover: Rundle Mall, the main shopping centre in Adelaide, South Australia was opened as Australia’s first pedestrian street mall in
September 1976 and features more than 600 retailers.
 1

Experience.
Urban and Regional Planning

Our landscape is a mosaic At UniSA, we encourage our Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning 2
of cities, towns, suburbs, students to challenge and
neighbourhoods and rural question the way in which our Entry Requirements 4
areas. The practice of urban cities and regions are currently
and regional planning is designed and managed with a
essentially about designing view to recognising what aspects
and managing the shared should be maintained and what
spaces in which people live. should be improved. It is these
attributes that make graduates
Planners have the social of our program in high demand
responsibility of setting the by prospective employers.
policy framework within which
land use is managed and For more information please
development takes place. This visit: unisa.edu.au/nbe
important role aims to make
our cities, towns and regions
visually appealing, ecologically
sustainable, socially inclusive,
efficient and economically
productive. A particular emphasis
is placed upon ensuring that
areas cater for different groups
and individuals in an equitable,
ethical and inclusive manner and
that our cities, towns and regions
provide a high quality of life and
a range of opportunities for all.

For the most up-to-date and detailed information visit unisanet.unisa.edu.au/programs and enter the four-letter UniSA program code.
2

Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning

Open Day will be held on Sunday 15 August 2010, City West »» Equip students with the The Environmental Planning
campus. Visit unisa.edu.au/openday professional knowledge and option prepares students
An Information Session will be held on Sunday 12 September, skills to work effectively as for a career specialising in
2010, City East campus. To register, visit unisa.edu.au/infosessions urban and regional planners environmental aspects of
Drop-In Times will be available from 6-10 December 2010, from in a variety of agencies. planning and is particularly
9.00am – 7.00pm at Campus Central, City East campus. relevant to some branches
An additional Information Session will be held on Tuesday 14 What will I study? of state government or to
December, 2010, at 6.00pm, City East campus. To register visit Courses on sustainability set the private sector consultancy.
unisa.edu.au/infosessions context for much of the planning
program. Students learn methods The Social and Community
and techniques for analysing Planning specialization prepares
trends in urban development, for students for a career in the
SATAC code 414161 predicting the future form and social aspects of planning and
UniSA program code IBPG requirements of our communities is particularly relevant to work
CRICOS code and for ensuring that these in local and state government
(international students only) 024219E communities are well designed. departments, non-governmental
TER (February 2010 cut-off) 65.05 Workshop courses address the agencies and consultancies.
Program length 4 years development and management
Prerequisites None of real places and scenarios, What does it take?
Assumed knowledge None introducing students to practical In order to make a useful
Home campus City East skills and situations which are contribution to the management
Accepts Special Entry (STAT) Yes valuable in the workplace. of cities and regions, planners
External study available No need to be interested in analysing
Part-time study available Yes Third year students are required and understanding the ways
TAFE credit available Yes to complete a 70 day planning that places change over time;
Honours study available Yes field placement. Prior to the be willing to challenge and to
Program fees Commonwealth supported placement, students study question the way our cities and
Program fees planning law and development regions are presently designed
(international students only) (A$) $21,000 per annum assessment issues as practical and managed; be perceptive
Scholarships available unisa.edu.au/scholarship preparation. The placement enough to recognise what needs
ensures that students develop to be maintained, modified or
Program overview »» Create awareness of the a sound understanding of the changed; be creative enough
The Bachelor of Urban and physical, economic, social and professional requirements of to seek out effective ways of
Regional Planning is the only environmental factors that working in the planning industry, putting ideas into practice;
undergraduate planning degree strongly influence the practice increasing their employment and be capable of fostering
in South Australia to introduce of urban and regional planning. prospects and strengthening collaborative and consensual
students to the concepts of »» Provide students with their professional networks. approaches to planning.
sustainable development, an understanding of the
spatial planning, urban design, principles and operation of the High-achieving final year Who will employ me?
environmental management, planning system in Australia students have the opportunity to Planning graduates from
land economics, property and in other countries. graduate with Honours, which UniSA have found employment
markets, regional planning, »» Give students the knowledge provides a distinct recognition with federal, state and local
social and community planning, and confidence to question of outstanding academic government bodies, private
and community consultation. and, where necessary, to achievement through the planning consultancies and as
challenge current planning writing of a final year thesis. advisors to property development
The Bachelor of Urban and wisdom, and the creativity firms. Private consultancies vary
Regional Planning aims to: to develop alternative Opportunities to specialize in nature: smaller local firms
»» Provide students with a planning proposals. are also available through two provide planning advice to local
broad understanding of the »» Engender in students the options for majors in the final authorities and individuals,
forces and processes shaping respect and commitment year: a major in Environmental while larger firms may have
cities, regions and the built necessary to make effective Planning or a major in Social interstate and overseas offices
and natural environments in community consultation and and Community Planning. and may be engaged in
Australia and other countries. interdisciplinary collaboration regional development projects
crucial to planning practice. in Asian or Pacific countries.

Planning graduates also work
in national park planning,
coastal protection and heritage
conservation. A number
of graduates have found
employment interstate within
Australia and there are also
many international opportunities
for planning graduates to
work overseas, especially
in the United Kingdom.
The median starting salary for
Urban and Regional Planning
graduates is A$47,000 according
to the Graduate Careers
Australia website, GradsOnline.
Professional recognition
The Bachelor degree in Urban
and Regional Planning is
recognised by the Planning
Institute of Australia.
Honours
The degree may be awarded
with Honours. Students selected
for the Honours stream will
enrol in the courses Planning
Research Project (Hons) 1 and 2.
Majors
The degree can be taken with
a specialization in the form of
either a major in Environmental
Planning or a major in Social
and Community Planning.
Planning Electives
The degree has three planning
electives in the final year.
Students can choose from a
large suite of discipline specific
courses within the School of
Natural and Built Environment
which, with the final year project
or study, allows considerable
freedom to specialise or broaden
one’s planning education.
International options
The degree offers an optional
study visit to Malaysia as a
Year 4 Planning Elective. An
international student exchange
option is available and UniSA
has partnered arrangements
for a half year exchange with
various universities around
the world. The international
3
options are subject to
conditions and availability.
Program requirements
FIRST YEAR
Understanding Cities
and Regions
Geospatial Information Science
Introduction to Planning
Environment:
A Human Perspective
Infrastructure Workshop
Planning Heritage Workshop
Land Use Planning
Sustainable Development:
A Global Perspective
Tom Kasauskas
SECOND YEAR
Social and Community Planning
Analytic Methods for Planning
Urban Design Workshop Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning
Undergraduate Elective
Introduction to Property ‘I was really interested in the way we use land,
Economics especially when it comes to environmental
Planning Policy
sustainability, and UniSA offered a focused
Planning Information
Management approach to town planning, rather than trying to
Development and Design Studio combine it with other fields.
While learning about planning for people with
THIRD YEAR
disabilities, we were given wheelchairs to push
Planning Law
Social Planning Techniques
each other around the city. It was really hard to
Regional Planning Workshop tackle some walkways and this gave us a really
Policy and Development different perspective on planning that we could
Assessment Workshop only get from experience.’
Planning Field Placement A
Planning Field Placement B
FOURTH YEAR
Planning and Professional Ethics
Planning Project 1
or Planning Research Study
(Honours) 1
Comparative Planning
Planning Elective 1
Planning Project 2
or Planning Research Study
(Honours) 2N
Planning Elective 2
Planning Elective 3
(08) 8302 2376 or 1300 UNINOW
study@unisa.edu.au
4

Entry requirements

For Undergraduate
Bachelor Degrees and
Associate Degrees
Applicants are required to
have one of the following
qualifications:
» Qualified for SACE; and
– Recorded achievement in five
SACE subjects taken at stage 2
level; and
– Included at least four Stage
2 subjects which are approved
Higher Education Selection
Subjects (HESS); and
– Obtained a competitive TER
» Completed interstate or
overseas qualifications that
the University considers
equivalent to the SACE
» Completed the International
Baccalaureate Diploma
» Completed or partly completed
a recognised higher education
program at a recognised
higher education institution
» Completed at least four Open
Universities Australia (OUA)
courses at the appropriate level
» Completed an award from
TAFE or from another registered
training organisation at AQF
Certificate IV or above
» Qualified for Special
Entry and completed the
Special Tertiary Admissions
Test (STAT). A personal
competencies statement and/
or employment experience
may also be considered
» Completed the University
Foundation Studies program.
Please note that some
programs have prerequisites.
Applicants should check all entry
requirements before applying.
For some programs, applicants
may also be required to attend
an interview or present a folio.
For more information on
entry requirements, visit
unisa.edu.au/future
Participation and Access
UniSA offers various programs
and services to assist rural and/or on to higher education. Students
socio-economically disadvantaged from rural and remote areas
students, Indigenous Australians
and people with a disability. For
more information, contact (08)
8302 2376 or 1300 UNINOW
or email study@unisa.edu.au
UniSA Advantage
UniSA Advantage is a bonus
points scheme that encourages
participation in education as
well as rewards achievement in
selected Year 12 subjects that
better prepare students for
university study. The scheme
includes two strands –
Achievement and Aspire.
Achievement bonus points
will automatically be awarded
if students score 10 or more in
Year 12 subjects relevant to their
intended UniSA program. Find
out more here www.unisa.edu.
au/future/year12/bonuspoints
Aspire bonus points are awarded
automatically to students who
attend a school recognised by
UniSA as ‘under represented’
with respect to students going
are also eligible for automatic
bonus points while those
students on School Card (or
state equivalent) and/or Youth
Allowance, and who do not
attend a recognised school,
can apply for bonus points by
downloading an application
form at www.unisa.edu.au/
future/year12/bonuspoints
For more information, visit www.
unisa.edu.au/future/year12/
bonuspoints. You can also
contact Future Student Enquiries
on phone (08) 8302 2376 or
1300 UNINOW (local call cost)
or email study@unisa.edu.au
Student contributions
Student contributions are the
amount you pay towards the cost
of your program. The University
determines the amount that you
contribute within a range set by
the Australian Government. The
contribution that applies depends
on which courses you choose
to study and the contribution
band in which those courses
are classified. The amount of
your student contribution also
depends on the unit value
of your courses of study (the
equivalent full-time student load
(EFTSL) value of the course).

As per the Australian Government guidelines, the student contribution amounts for 2010 are:

Band Fields of study Student contribution

National priorities Mathematics, statistics, science A$4,249
Band 1 Humanities, behavioural science, social studies, education, A$5,310
nursing, foreign languages, visual and performing arts
Band 2 Computing, built environment, health, A$7,567
engineering, surveying, agriculture
Band 3 Law, accounting, commerce, administration, economics, A$8,859
dentistry, medicine, veterinary science

Note: these amounts are for 1 EFTSL in 2010. The student contribution amounts for 2011 will be advised by the Federal Government in
October 2010, and these will be available to view via unisa.edu.au/future/fees at that time.

Glossary
What will you study?
Associate degree
An award for completing
a two-year (or part-time
equivalent) tertiary program.
Direct Entry
Programs for which applications
are not processed through SATAC
but are made direct to UniSA.
Bachelor degree
A program of three or more years
duration (or part-time equivalent).
Bachelor degree programs
provide the relevant qualifications
for many professions.
Honours
An additional year of study in a
Bachelor degree during which
students specialise in a chosen
area of study. In some cases,
Honours study can actually be
done as part of the degree.
Graduate Certificate
An award for completing a
postgraduate program of at
least six months in duration
(or part-time equivalent).
Graduate Diploma
An award for completing a
postgraduate program of at
least one year in duration
(or part-time equivalent).
Master degree
A postgraduate degree
undertaken after completion
of a Bachelor degree (normally
with Honours) which focuses
on one area of specialisation.
PhD
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
programs normally extend
over three years (or part-
time equivalent) and involve
significant research work.
How does your
program work?
Major
A set of related courses which
comprises 36 units of study
within a Bachelor degree.
Sub-major
A set of related courses which
comprises between 19 and
35 units of study within a
Bachelor degree. In some
programs these may be called
‘general studies sub-majors’.
Minor
A set of related courses which
comprises up to 18 units of
study within a Bachelor degree.
In some programs these
may be called ‘cognates’.
Program
Award in which you are
enrolled, eg Bachelor of Arts.
Course
A component of study
within a program (previously
known as a ‘subject’).
Unit
A value assigned to a course
which measures the amount of
work involved in that course.
Full-time students normally
undertake 36 units of study per
year (18 units per study period).
UniSA glossary
Assumed knowledge
Some first-year courses
require knowledge of certain
SACE Stage 2 subjects.
Free Electives
A course chosen from any on
offer outside your Division,
provided that individual course
prerequisites are met. Free
elective courses are designed
to broaden your knowledge
and skills beyond your
professional field of study.
CRICOS code
Code identifying that a UniSA
program has been registered on
the Commonwealth Register
of Institutions and Courses for
Overseas Students (CRICOS).
Division
UniSA is split into four academic
Divisions – Business; Education,
Arts and Social Sciences; Health
Sciences; and Information
Technology, Engineering
and the Environment – each
offering a range of specialised
programs and courses.
Prerequisites
Are SACE Stage 2 (Year
12) subjects, or equivalent
qualifications which are required
for admission into the program.
SACE
Is the South Australian Certificate
of Education or a recognised
equivalent qualification.
D
SATAC Guide
A publication that lists every
program offered by South
Australian higher education
institutions. The SATAC Guide
provides information about the
selection process and includes
instructions on how to apply
and is available every year from
newsagents Australia-wide.
Special Entry (STAT)
Special Tertiary Admissions
Test (STAT) is an alternative
tertiary admissions test for
people who do not have a
recent Year 12 certificate.
TER (Tertiary Entrance Rank)
A ranking of all students who
have completed SACE in a
particular year. The minimum
TER required for the previous year
is often a guide to how well you
will need to perform to gain entry
into a particular program. TERs
can vary from year to year and
should be used as a guide only.
 Experience. The Difference.

Ask UniSA
Get answers 24/7 at unisa.edu.au/future
Telephone (08) 8302 2376 or 1300 UNINOW
Email study@unisa.edu.au
For information specific to international students,
please visit unisa.edu.au/international

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