Bachelor of Planning (Honours)
Undergraduate | LAT-PLN-DEG | 2024
Planning and policies for people and places
Plan spaces and places across urban, regional and rural environments. You’ll build professional skills for comprehensive planning. Navigate governance and policy issues. Think sustainably. Design for inclusion. Develop your expertise and work as a planner.
- Study method
- 100% online study with practicum placement
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Applications close
- 14 July 2024
- Credit available
- Yes
- Duration
- 4 years full time or part time equivalent
- Total subjects
- 30
- Price from
- $43,932
- Available loans
- Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
- CSP available
- Yes
Bachelor of Planning (Honours)
About this degree
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Apply the skills required for professional planning practice in diverse urban, regional and rural settings.
- Utilise a range of spatial concepts and methodologies to understand, analyse and solve complex social, economic and environmental processes on different scales.
- Critically identify, frame and analyse problems to urban, regional and rural governance and policy developments in order to design innovative solutions.
- Comprehend the complexity of creating sustainable towns and cities, and understand how to influence and communicate the change of local and global processes.
La Trobe’s Bachelor of Planning (Honours) gives you a comprehensive planning and design skillset, ranging from environmental strategies and assessments through to infrastructure and transport planning. Gain the foundations for a successful career developing sustainable and inclusive communities.
Discover ways to improve how humans interact with natural environments through areas like policy planning and urban design. Build the expertise required to navigate complex regulatory frameworks at local, state and federal government levels.
Explore how global warming, urbanisation and land use impact food, water and environmental security. Find out how urban design, community engagement, and public and private sector partnerships work to address these issues and drive the sustainable growth of cities.
Gain a career advantage by developing sought-after industry skills in professional communication, mediation, negotiation and community relations, as well as technical skills in design and social and demographic analysis. Then, boost your industry experience and professional network by completing a work placement in your third year.
You’ll also have the opportunity to engage directly with communities through real-world projects and regular field trips. Previous students have participated in a range of field trips, from country towns in rural Victoria to metropolitan cities in Asia and Europe.
Graduate ready to shape the sustainable towns and cities of the future.
You'll learn:
- Professional planning practice
- Develop planning skills for working in urban, regional and rural environments, such as understanding places, people and policies.
- Planning policy and law
- Learn how to interpret and apply planning policies and frameworks to promote sustainability and social equity.
- Sustainable development principles
- Understand key development principles and learn how to create sustainable towns and cities.
- Urban design
- Explore the role of planning in driving economic development, culture and innovation across Australia, Europe, North America, Asia and the Pacific.
- Professional planning practice
Recommended study pattern
This degree is an Open Access pathway course, which means there is a recommended series of subjects that, once successfully completed, can be credited towards this degree. To commence the pathway for this degree, simply select subjects identified within the Entry requirements field.
Students who wish to enrol in a part time load are recommended to enrol in two subjects per study period. Please refer to theLa Trobe University Handbook to review the full structure.
Students who are studying and want to take a break (minimum one study period) must submit a leave of absence covering the relevant dates.
Students who have been accepted in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) are required to complete the following 2 modules in their first study period as a CSP student:
LTU0AIM Academic Integrity Module
ABS0WOM Wominjeka La Trobe: Indigenous Cultural Literacy for Higher Education
Award requirements
To qualify for the award of Bachelor of Planning (Honours), students must complete 30 subjects (480 credit points) as follows:
- 26 core subjects
- 4 elective subjects
Students who have been accepted in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) are required to complete the following 2 modules in their first term as a CSP student:
LTU0AIM Academic Integrity Module
ABS0WOM Wominjeka La Trobe: Indigenous Cultural Literacy for Higher Education
Degrees are usually made up of core subjects and electives. Some degrees include a choice of majors, so you can focus your studies on a specialisation.
This list is a general overview. Download the full Degree Guide for more information.
The third university established in Victoria, La Trobe University has a diverse community of more than 38,000 students and staff. Its commitment to excellence in teaching and research prepares students to make a bold and positive impact in today's global community. La Trobe provides Open Universities Australia with its core tenets, entrepreneurship and sustainability.
Learn more about La Trobe University.
Explore La Trobe courses.
- QS Ranking 2024:
- 17
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 18
Entry requirements
Successful completion of two of the following four Open Access Pathway subjects:
- PLA1ELE Exploring Living Environments
- PLA1ISP Introducing Plan Making
- GEG1SPP Society, People and Place
- GEG1MAV Mapping, Analysing and Visualising data
Demonstrate proficiency equivalent to Year 12 prerequisites.
Satisfy the academic requirements by completing the STAT multiple choice if you:
• are not currently studying an Australian Year 12 (or equivalent)
• have no prior secondary school (Year 12), VET studies, HE studies or relevant work experience that can be considered for entry, or
• do not meet the minimum academic requirements for the program.
Refer to the La Trobe University STAT page for further information.
La Trobe University will consider applications for advanced standing, or credit for prior study. Credit may be applied to a current degree if you have undertaken previous tertiary study and completed and passed subjects similar in content and standard to those offered at La Trobe, from either another recognised tertiary institution or a different La Trobe course.
Note: Applications for credit will not be considered until you have successfully been admitted to a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) in a La Trobe course offered through OUA.
Assessing whether you should apply for credit for subjects in your course:
Credit may be granted for relevant subjects. The following steps will help you to decide which subjects you wish to apply for:
- Identify subjects within your course that you think align with subjects you have already studied and have completed within 8 years of your La Trobe University course commencement year.
- Provide subject outlines with detailed information for each subject that you wish to submit for assessment for credit, identifying which subject within your course that you have identified as a match. Include subject learning outcomes/objectives and subject content for each subject.
- Provide your academic transcript for your previous studies.
*Note that a subject studied can only be used once for credit
Study method requirements
Students are required to undertake 200 hours of supervised professional placement.
Career opportunities
After graduation, you could work in the planning and environment management departments of local and state governments, regional bodies, research organisations and the private sector.
Possible roles include:
- Senior strategic planner
- Take a leading role in the long-term planning of towns, cities and natural land.
- Planning compliance manager
- Create and manage development compliance policies and programs. Ensure organisations meet their governance and regulatory requirements.
- Town planner
- Lead the design of developments and growth strategies. Balance liveability, access to services and environmental considerations.
- Urban designer
- Shape the cities of the future by planning urban development, including public spaces, housing, transport and community service design.
- Environmental planner
- Ensure built environments are environmentally sustainable or protect natural resources through strategic planning.
Professional recognition
The Bachelor of Planning (Honours) is accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA). Graduates of the Bachelor of Planning (Honours) are eligible for membership with the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA). Professional membership may require an application to the professional body and may have additional or ongoing requirements beyond the completion of the degree. Please contact the relevant professional body for details.
Career outlook
- Urban and Regional Planners:
- $93K to $120K
Degree FAQs
That's up to you! Because we let you choose when to study online, you can actually pick up and pause study when it suits you. Many universities have a set time you need to complete your degree within. For some this is up to 10 years, and for others there is no limit.
There are some degrees that are stricter about when you can take breaks, and about how many years you can take to complete your degree. Please always check with your uni what the limits are.
As a general guide, Commonwealth supported place students have 10 years to finish their undergraduate degree through OUA, However, if you're studying with Griffith University, there's a limit of 8 years to complete your studies. If you want to take a break that lasts more than two study terms, you'll need to apply for a leave of absence. You can apply for a leave of absence for up to 12 months, as long as you complete your studies within the maximum time allowed for your degree.
If you're studying with Macquarie University, with the exception of certain degrees, there's no limit to how long you can take. But, please check with Macquarie Student Administration to be sure.
If you're studying with the University of Adelaide, you have up to 9 years to complete your undergraduate degree and graduate.
If you're studying with La Trobe University and want to take a break of minimum 1 study term, you must apply for leave of absence to avoid being inadvertently withdrawn from your degree.
Through OUA, you can study all year round, so it's possible to fast-track and finish up sooner than studying at a traditional uni would allow. That said, you need to spend around 12 hours a week on each undergraduate subject you do, so taking on extra work to finish ahead of time can be challenging.
You may be eligible for a HELP loan from the Australian government, depending on your citizenship status and where you'll be living during your studies. You can also pay upfront with your credit card.
Payment options are explained in Fees, and you can contact a student advisor for more information.
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We connect you with subjects and degrees that are taught by leading Australian universities. You can complete single subjects, or follow a degree structure to work towards a specific qualification. Subjects are offered in several study terms throughout the year, so you can choose to study part-time or full-time, continuously or with breaks.
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You can enrol without entry requirements
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