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Nick Rintoul
In my role at the DSE, I managed the preparation and passage of water legislation. I also provided advice on legislation and regulatory issues to assist with the implementation of policy programs relating to water. I particularly enjoyed contributing to the achievement of outcomes that have had positive impacts for Victorian communities and the environment. In the future I hope to move from primarily working in legislation, to a strategic policy role. "
URBAN PLANNING'S TERRAIN IS THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND THE PUBLIC INTEREST. URBAN PLANNERS ARE CONCERNED WITH THE INTERACTION BETWEEN PEOPLE, THE PLACES THEY LIVE IN AND THE POLICIES AND PLANS THAT SHAPE SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND LIVEABLE COMMUNITIES. URBAN PLANNERS WORK TO POSITIVELY INFLUENCE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, ECONOMIC INNOVATION AND SOCIAL EQUITY IN URBAN CENTRES.
COURSE OVERVIEW
The Master of Urban Planning prepares students to be professionals who address pressing urban issues, both locally and internationally. We do this through a mix of lectures, debate and discussion, seminars, studios and independent research.
Students are encouraged to:
Think in a critical and reflective manner
Respond creatively to the issues they confront
Understand and manage the complexity inherent in planning problems
Understand cities in an international comparative context
Develop research skills
Develop areas of specialisation
Work in multi-disciplinary teams
The Master of Urban Planning:
Introduces students to the operations of, and debates about, planning systems
Encourages students to explore different perspectives on urban problems, policies, planning and practices
Provides opportunities to learn the way planning decisions impact on real world situations
Creates research opportunities so students can follow a supervised and self-directed learning path on a planning issue
The Master of Urban Planning comprises 'core' (required) subjects, 'electives', a research thesis and the development of a specialisation. The core subjects provide students with the knowledge and technical skills needed to generate, evaluate, and implement plans as well as insight into economic and environmental change in cities.
The electives are premised on planning being inherently and necessarily a multi-disciplinary pursuit, and provides an interdisciplinary toolkit. Students can select subjects from within the Melbourne School of Design. Additionally, students are encouraged to draw electives from a diverse and prestigious campus community and subjects in economics, engineering, public health, development studies, social work, law, and other subjects of their choosing are available
The research thesis enhances a student's critical thinking and analytic ability; knowledge of and ability to implement research methods; skills in interpreting a complex policy environment; understanding of ethics associated with knowledge acquisition and usage; and report writing skills. The thesis provides students with the opportunity to develop their intellectual and career interests
The specialisations provide differentiated learning options, reflect career choices and provide the expertise to seek employment in Australia and elsewhere in the world.
Finally, we encourage students to attend professional conferences and seminars in order to increase their knowledge of planning issues, to grow their professional networks and to share their findings with the scholarly community.
CAREER OUTCOMES
Many Master of Urban Planning graduates enter the public sector and work in government departments and agencies, or for local councils and regions.
The private sector and civil society, within Australia and internationally, offers an increasing range of
employment opportunities, including urban planning and design, environmental and transport planning consultancies, property development companies, and housing and community advocacy. There are also opportunities in tertiary education and research.
Urban planners work with teams of related professionals such as architects, landscape architects, engineers, environmental scientists, economists, property valuers, real estate developers, lawyers and sociologists.
PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION
The Master of Urban Planning is accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) and undergoes a regular review process for quality assurance.
Date created: 1 October 2009 Last modified: 09 May 2012 Authoriser: General Manager, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning Maintainer: Web and Multimedia Manager, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning
