Key facts

Domestic students course information.

Entry requirements

Guaranteed ATAR: 72.55

Entry is based on recent secondary, higher education (GPA), VET study, or work experience.

Entry is based on Australian Year 12 equivalence. English language requirements must also be met.

View full entry requirements
Duration
  • Up to 2 or up to 4 years part-time
Number of Units (Subjects)
  • 8 units (48 credit points)
View course structure
Fees
  • Commonwealth Supported Place (quotas apply)
  • International
View more fees information
Start Dates and Campus
Trimester 1 – February 2024Trimester 2 – June 2024Trimester 3 – October 2024
OnlineOfferedOfferedOffered
Armidale CampusOfferedOfferedNot Offered
Sydney CampusNot OfferedNot OfferedNot Offered
OnlineOfferedOfferedNot Offered
Armidale CampusNot OfferedNot OfferedNot Offered
Sydney CampusNot OfferedNot OfferedNot Offered

Course information

Download course brochure
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Designed to provide an opportunity for first-time university study, UNE's Diploma in Town Planning will open doors to a career in planning with employment potential across all Australian regions. This online course provides you with foundation knowledge and skills to put you on track for a career in town planning, including rural planning and urban development, that aims to help communities work and thrive. As a pathway to university study, this diploma is also your springboard to further study and career development.

Why study the Diploma in Town Planning with UNE?

As an introductory course and career enabler, the Diploma in Town Planning is right for you if any of the following matches your position right now:

  • looking at widening your employment prospects
  • seeking a career change and interested in planning
  • a local government employee wishing to develop skills and career prospects
  • completed a TAFE Cert IV (in any area)
  • currently working in the planning system in a clerical/administrative capacity
  • an unqualified planning assistant.

If you are already working in a local government planning office and looking to further your career, this course will deliver what you’re aiming for. Even without related work experience, UNE’s Diploma in Town Planning will put you on track for a career in town planning with potential to work across a range of areas and workplaces.

By successfully completing this Diploma at UNE, you’ll earn credits towards the Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning if you choose to progress you career as a professional planner.

Consider UNE as your partner in education: We share your goals and we work by your side to overcome challenges.

What makes our course different?

Our Diploma in Town Planning is your pathway into university study, with minimum entry requirements, thereby offering you potential to progress your career as a professional planner. The course comes with opportunities to:

  • Choose to study full time or part time, either on campus in Armidale, or fully online with the flexibility to suit your lifestyle.
  • Integrate your academic knowledge into your real world of work.
  • Choose your own pace to complete your studies in either one year (full-time) or up to four years (part-time).
  • Earn credit from your Diploma’s core units to progress your career with UNE’s Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning.

By choosing UNE, you’ll be studying with an industry leader in the provision of online lifelong learning. Year after year, students award us the maximum 5-star ratings for Overall Experience and Student Support in The Good Universities Guide.

Study online

Most of our students choose to study online across three study periods with 24/7 tutor support* and fit study around work and family commitments. Uniquely, our online students are mostly over 30 and bring valuable experience with them. They form a community of adults juggling the same challenges and priorities and who bring their life and work experience together at UNE in order to become future-fit and better respond to a rapidly changing world.

Study on campus

Many of our students choose to take advantage of the on-campus lifestyle in Armidale, in the beautiful New England region, with access to unparalleled support, accommodation and sporting facilities. These students are often starting their first degree and have left school recently. Through access to academic and career support they get a fantastic start to their careers.

* 24/7 tutor support includes: essay feedback (within 24 hours); live chat 24/7 for generic feedback on academic writing; and subject-specific help at a foundation or first-year level for subjects including mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, business, accounting, microeconomics, macroeconomics and statistics. There are also a wide range of workshops, resources and courses available in academic skills support to assist your and help you to succeed.

Entry requirements

Select the option that best describes you.

This course is not currently available for this mode of study.

Please note: all admissions are subject to UNE’s Admission, Credit and Enrolment Policy. Please read and familiarise yourself with the details of the policy. See our Glossary for help with university terms.

You can check your overseas qualifications in our Admission Country List and Qualifications table. If you can't find your qualifications in this list, simply submit your application and UNE's International Admissions team will assess them for you.

When applying you may be required to show how you satisfy the English Language Requirements for this course.

International applicants, please note: You may also need to show evidence of your English language proficiency to the Department of Home Affairs if you are applying for a Student Visa.

These requirements are in addition to the entry requirements above.

Intensive Schools

Mandatory intensive schools on campus may be a requirement of some of the units in this course. Please see the UNE Course Handbook for the specific requirements of each unit.

Visa Information

On-Campus study
If you would like to study full-time in Australia at one of UNE's campuses, you will need to have a visa that allows you to study. For most international students this visa will need to be a Student Visa. The Australian Department of Home Affairs has further information about visa eligibility and conditions.

If you are an international applicant who wants to study online (overseas or in Australia):

You will need to meet both the Academic and English Language Requirements to gain admission into this course. Meeting academic requirements means we review what you have already studied to see if you have the results needed for admission to your preferred course.

To meet the entry requirements for this course you must have completed, at minimum, an Australian Year 12 qualification or overseas equivalent.
If you are admitted on this basis, you will be eligible for admission under standard entry. Please see the Course Structure (Program of Study).

Please note: all admissions are subject to UNE’s Admission, Credit and Enrolment Policy. Please read and familiarise yourself with the details of the policy. See our Glossary for help with university terms.

You can check your overseas qualifications in our Admission Country List and Qualifications table. If you can't find your qualifications in this list, simply submit your application and UNE's International Admissions team will assess them for you.

When applying you may be required to show how you satisfy the English Language Requirements for this course.

International applicants, please note: You may also need to show evidence of your English language proficiency to the Department of Home Affairs if you are applying for a Student Visa.

These requirements are in addition to the entry requirements above.

Intensive Schools

Mandatory intensive schools on campus may be a requirement of some of the units in this course. Please see the UNE Course Handbook for the specific requirements of each unit.

Visa Information

Online study in your own country
If you would like to study online with UNE while you reside outside of Australia you do not need a Student Visa. If your course requires you to visit Australia to attend any mandatory study requirements, you would need to explore Visitor Visa options for a short-term stay.

Some courses require you to provide documentary evidence, or interviews to support your application. The following documents are required to support your application:

  • Any supporting documents related to your admission pathway. For example, if you apply based on previous study, upload evidence of your study so we can assess eligibility.
  • Proof of identity and citizenship. This can be a certified/notarised copy of the photo page of your passport, or another form of official photo identification that lists your full personal details including name and date of birth; for example, a foreign government identity card.
  • Evidence of English Language Requirements satisfied. If you have completed a UNE-approved formal English test within the last two years, you must provide a copy of the test results with your application. Please see UNE’s English Language Requirements above for further information.

Advanced Standing is credit or recognition of your previous study, work and/or life experience. This can reduce the cost and length of your studies.

Individual Unit Advanced Standing
If you are admitted into this course and believe you have already completed the equivalent of one or more of the units in your Course Structure (Program of Study) within the last ten years, you can apply for Individual Unit Advanced Standing.
> Learn how to apply for Individual Unit Advanced Standing

Select the option that best describes your experience.

You are currently studying Year 12 (school or TAFE) or have done so within the past 2 years.

Guaranteed ATAR
72.55

If you are admitted on the basis of your ATAR, you will be eligible for admission under standard entry. Please see the Course Structure (Program of Study).

Please note: all admissions are subject to UNE’s Admission, Credit and Enrolment Policy. Please read and familiarise yourself with the details of the policy. See our Glossary for help with university terms.

These requirements are in addition to the entry requirements above.

English Language Requirements

When applying you may be required to show how you satisfy the English Language Requirements for this course.

Intensive Schools

Mandatory intensive schools on campus may be a requirement of some of the units in this course. Please see the UNE Course Handbook for the specific requirements of each unit.

You have studied at UNE or other higher education institutions, completed or otherwise.

You can apply for this course if you have undertaken any of the following qualifications with an appropriate Grade Point Average (GPA):

  • Undergraduate Certificates
  • Diplomas
  • Advanced Diplomas/Associate degrees
  • Bachelor degrees
  • Postgraduate degrees

If you are admitted on this basis, you will be eligible for admission under standard entry. Please see the Course Structure (Program of Study).

Please note: all admissions are subject to UNE’s Admission, Credit and Enrolment Policy. Please read and familiarise yourself with the details of the policy. See our Glossary for help with university terms.

These requirements are in addition to the entry requirements above.

English Language Requirements

When applying you may be required to show how you satisfy the English Language Requirements for this course.

Intensive Schools

Mandatory intensive schools on campus may be a requirement of some of the units in this course. Please see the UNE Course Handbook for the specific requirements of each unit.

You have undertaken VET study through a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), e.g. TAFE.

You can apply for this course if you have undertaken VET studies. When assessing your application, we will look at the following factors:

  • Level and type of qualification (Certificate IV or above)
  • Graded or ungraded (competency-based)
  • Complete or incomplete.

If you are admitted on this basis, you will be eligible for admission under standard entry. Please see the Course Structure (Program of Study).

Please note: all admissions are subject to UNE’s Admission, Credit and Enrolment Policy. Please read and familiarise yourself with the details of the policy. See our Glossary for help with university terms.

These requirements are in addition to the entry requirements above.

English Language Requirements

When applying you may be required to show how you satisfy the English Language Requirements for this course.

Intensive Schools

Mandatory intensive schools on campus may be a requirement of some of the units in this course. Please see the UNE Course Handbook for the specific requirements of each unit.

You left high school more than two years ago or did not finish Year 12.

You can apply for this course on the basis of work and/or life experience via at least one of the following methods:

Professional Experience
If you have completed at least one year of paid professional experience, we can assess you for admission on this basis. Simply provide a resume and a Statement of Service from your employer/s in your application.
> Find out more about applying based on professional experience
> Learn about our Statement of Service requirements

Mature Age Special Entry
Tell us more about your work and life experience, demonstrating why you believe you will be successful in the course you are applying for. Simply complete the form and upload it in your application.
> Download the Mature Age Special Entry form (PDF)

Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)
The STAT is a test that assesses a range of competencies considered important for successful tertiary study. UNE accepts the multiple-choice component provided you have completed it within the three years prior to course commencement.
> Visit ACER for more information

If you are admitted on this basis, you will be eligible for admission under standard entry. Please see the Course Structure (Program of Study).

Please note: all admissions are subject to UNE’s Admission, Credit and Enrolment Policy. Please read and familiarise yourself with the details of the policy. See our Glossary for help with university terms.

Pathways Enabling Course
This is a free (fees exempt) and 100% online course designed to help you prepare for university. It will provide you with all the skills needed to undertake undergraduate study.
> Learn more about the Pathways Enabling Course

TRACKS (Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander applicants)
TRACKS is a preparation course run by the UNE Oorala Aboriginal Centre. Over two trimesters you will experience what university study is about and learn in a supported environment. Be part of a community of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples who share your goals and interests.
> Learn more about TRACKS

Internal Selection Program (Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander applicants)
This program is designed for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples who have professional work or community experience, or any formal VET qualifications, e.g. TAFE study.
> Learn more about the Internal Selection Program

These requirements are in addition to the entry requirements above.

English Language Requirements

When applying you may be required to show how you satisfy the English Language Requirements for this course.

Intensive Schools

Mandatory intensive schools on campus may be a requirement of some of the units in this course. Please see the UNE Course Handbook for the specific requirements of each unit.

Some courses require you to provide documentary evidence, or interviews to support your application. The following documents are required to support your application:

Advanced Standing is credit or recognition of your previous study, work and/or life experience. This can reduce the cost and length of your studies.

Individual Unit Advanced Standing
If you are admitted into this course and believe you have already completed the equivalent of one or more of the units in your Course Structure (Program of Study) within the last ten years, you can apply for Individual Unit Advanced Standing.
> Learn how to apply for Individual Unit Advanced Standing

Course structure

To qualify for the award a candidate must pass units to the value of 48 credit points.

30 credit points

Complete the following units:
Complete 18 credit points from the following units. With the permission of the course coordinator, another unit relevant to Urban and Regional Planning may be substituted for one of the units subject to candidates meeting overall course requirements and prerequisite and timetabling requirements for individual units.

See UNE Handbook for more details. The Handbook contains detailed course information designed for enrolled students, including course plans, exit awards, intensive schools, and work placement requirements.

Fees and scholarships

How much will it cost?

Estimated fees for your first year of study in this course are:

Fee typeCost
International
$30,200*
Commonwealth Supported Place (quotas apply)
$10,219*
Estimated amenities fee per year if studying full-time$351

*Annual course fees only cover the cost of tuition. They do not include other expenses associated with university study such as text books, accommodation and living expenses. If you are successful in gaining admission to study at UNE, the Offer of Admission will list the exact tuition fees you need to pay for your course. Fees quoted cover full-time tuition for two full-time trimesters only. For more information, please see fees and costs.

*The costs will depend on the units you choose to study as the cost of individual units vary. “Estimated fees” are provided as a guide only based on a typical enrolment of students undertaking a study load of 48 credit points in the first year of this course. For courses that require less than 48 credit points the fees indicated are based on the total credit points required for completion of that course. For more information, please see fees and costs. If applicable, Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) Student Contribution Fees are indicative from 2023. The 2024 CSP rates are still being finalised by the Government and we will update the information as soon as we have more details.

What are the course fee payment options?

A Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) is a government subsidised place in a university course. The government pays part of your tuition fees, and you pay the remainder.

If you have a CSP in either an undergraduate or postgraduate (coursework) degree, you may be eligible for a HECS-HELP Loan, which allows you to defer payment of your fees until you are earning above the threshold.

UNE scholarships are open for all to apply and offer financial help while you are studying. There are scholarships for students with high academic achievement, from rural areas, studying specific degrees, in disadvantaged groups, experiencing financial hardship, who excel at sport or want to live in a UNE residential college.

UNE scholarship applications are free and confidential. You may apply for more than one scholarship.

Scholarships

UNE offers bursaries and scholarships that can help you with the costs of studying and living in Australia.

The UNE International Bursary reduces the published annual tuition fees for international students by up to 20%. These bursaries are available for international students commencing coursework studies at UNE in 2024. View detailed Bursary information.

UNE also offers a number of substantial research scholarships to postgraduate students studying research-based degrees.

Your career

Career outcomes

Our Diploma in Town Planning is an entry-level qualification that opens doors to the profession and further tertiary study and qualifications. Career opportunities as a graduate include positions in:

  • federal, state and local government offices
  • private consulting firms
  • development companies.

Areas of employment focus could include:

  • urban design and place-making
  • regional and rural planning
  • development assessment and land use
  • environmental planning and natural resource management
  • social and community-based planning
  • heritage and conservation.
Other career information

Your knowledge and skills will be in demand in busy planning offices across the public and private sectors.

The Diploma in Town Planning can lead to work in local, state and federal government departments across a range of focus areas including development planning, the environment, architecture, and heritage.

Your qualification will open doors to varied employment opportunities into the future.

Course outcomes

The Diploma of Town Planning seeks to provide a formal qualification at tertiary level in the area of urban and regional planning and is designed to broaden knowledge and provides a pathway for further university study.
  1. demonstrate a technical and theoretical body of knowledge in urban and regional planning, including deep understanding in some areas of the discipline;
  2. demonstrate cognitive and technical skills to analyse and evaluate approaches to land-use and built-environment problems in a range of changing social, economic and environmental contexts;
  3. demonstrate knowledge and skills to identify, synthesise and act on the diverse sources of information used by professional planners in the governance of different urban and regional contexts; and
  4. demonstrate initiative and judgement in addressing particular planning problems, capacity to work independently and collaboratively, and ability to communicate specialised information via written, oral and graphical forms.
Knowledge of a Discipline

Graduates will possess coherent knowledge about land use planning and its place in contemporary society locally and internationally. Graduates will understand how planning influences society and space in a variety of urban and regional contexts. This knowledge will be delivered through various teaching platforms, in the classroom and online, via a variety of materials ranging from critical readings to maps, plans and statistics. The development of knowledge in the discipline will be monitored through assignments within each unit of the course.

Communication Skills

Graduates will possess skills to communicate in forms essential to the discipline. This will include the ability to communicate through oral communication, report writing, statistics, maps, plans and other graphical forms. It will also include skills to constructively engage with various participants in urban and regional planning. These skills will be taught and practised in lectures, tutorials and online activities and assessment tasks throughout the course.

Problem Solving

Graduates will possess skills to identify problems and develop solutions in urban and regional planning. This will include capacity to interpret urban and regional environments, their composition and social impacts, and to contribute to the improvement of those environments through professional decision-making techniques. The course will provide the graduate with broad skills in general methods of urban and regional planning.

Information Literacy

Graduates will have the ability to identify information requirements in a variety of planning situations, and skills in sourcing, using and representing that information for planning practice. This will include assembling information from primary and secondary sources, and evaluating the significance of that information for a given context. These skills will be taught throughout the course, and exercised through a variety of guided assignment tasks.

Ethical Conduct and Social Responsibility

Graduates will have awareness of the professional and ethical responsibilities of the planning profession in urban and regional contexts. Graduates will have skills to engage appropriately with various participants in the planning discipline, and to be appropriately responsive to various social and cultural influences in planning interactions.

Lifelong Learning

Skills and knowledge developed during the course will foster intellectual curiousity, creativity, and critical thinking in the graduate. Cognition of planning concepts and practices developed through the course will provide a foundation for lifelong intellectual engagement with the discipline.

Independence and Collaboration

The various learning activities undertaken during the course will provide the graduate skills to work independently and collaboratively in planning situations. Graduates will have a confidence in their grasp of planning knowledge, and skills to inclusively negotiate planning outcomes with a variety of stakeholders. These skills will be developed through on-campus and online interactive activities, ranging from self-directed learning to collaborative projects.

A five-star experience

2024 Overall Experience Good University Logo

Five Stars,
18 Years in a Row

UNE is the only public uni in Australia awarded 18 straight years of five stars for Overall Experience

Good Universities Guide 2007-2024
2024 Student Experience Good University Logo

No.1 in NSW for
Student Experience

QILT (government-endorsed) ranks UNE as the top public NSW uni for Student Experience

QILT Student Experience Survey
2024 Teaching Quality Good University Logo

Five Stars for
Teaching Quality

UNE rates among the top 20 per cent of universities in Australia for Teaching Quality

Good Universities Guide 2024
Woman studying online at home

Studying online

At UNE we know it takes more than just being online to be a great online university. It takes time and experience. We pioneered distance education for working adults back in the 1950s, so we’ve been doing this longer than any other Australian university.

We understand the challenges faced by busy adults studying at home. We know that a vital part of online study is your engagement with the learning community. Communication with your classmates, teaching staff and university support staff will enhance your study experience and ensure that your skills extend beyond the subject matter. UNE’s teaching staff are experts in their field which is why UNE consistently receives five stars from students for teaching quality, support and overall experience.*

*The Good Universities Guide

A five-star experience

2024 Overall Experience Good University Logo

Five Stars,
18 Years in a Row

UNE is the only public uni in Australia awarded 18 straight years of five stars for Overall Experience

Good Universities Guide 2007-2024
2024 Student Experience Good University Logo

No.1 in NSW for
Student Experience

QILT (government-endorsed) ranks UNE as the top public NSW uni for Student Experience

QILT Student Experience Survey
2024 Teaching Quality Good University Logo

Five Stars for
Teaching Quality

UNE rates among the top 20 per cent of universities in Australia for Teaching Quality

Good Universities Guide 2024
Woman studying online at home

Studying online

At UNE we know it takes more than just being online to be a great online university. It takes time and experience. We pioneered distance education for working adults back in the 1950s, so we’ve been doing this longer than any other Australian University.

As an international student you can take advantage of flexible online study from overseas or while you are studying in Australia on a visa other than a student visa. You can’t study fully online on a Student Visa.

To study online from overseas you need to consider that you may need to travel to Australia to attend a UNE campus for some mandatory intensive schools.

Studying on Campus

Whether you are an undergraduate student coming to study in Australia for the first time, a PhD student coming to live here with your family, or you only need short-stay accommodation whilst in Armidale for Intensive Schools, we have the perfect accommodation option for you.

Find out more about studying on campus

Stay connected

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Why study with us?

Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning graduate Shili Wang in pink jacket at home

I chose UNE based on the overall academic environment and, more importantly, the support I could get as an international student.

Shili Wang, Strategic Planner, Armidale Regional Council

Why study with us?

UNE student poses at Booloominbah

UNE has been such a welcoming place for me as an international student. The staff has provided me with the profound knowledge and support that I needed to feel connected and comfortable in this advent

Yihong Zhu, UNE graduate

How to apply

Applying to UNE is quick and easy. If you are an
you can apply at any time. Apply now and we'll get you started in the next possible intake.

Preparing to apply

You should always provide the details of past or current studies in your application. You may also need to include documents to support your application.

The kind of documents you need will depend on:

  • Your preferred course/s
  • Your personal circumstances
Applying to UNE is quick and easy. If you are applying as a
, the application process may be a little different depending on who you are and what you want to study.

Preparing to apply

You should always provide the details of past or current studies in your application. You may also need to include documents to support your application.

The kind of documents you need will depend on:

  • Your preferred course/s
  • Your personal circumstances

Important Dates

Different application methods and courses can have different closing dates. To find your correct application method click the Apply Now button below. Please check the appropriate application website for opening and closing dates.

If you are applying online direct to UNE please see below for application dates.

IntakeApplication Closing DateTrimester Start Date
Trimester 116 February 202426 February 2024
Trimester 214 June 202424 June 2024
Trimester 311 October 202421 October 2024

Important Notice for Prospective Students

For accurate, up-to-date details on entry requirements, course structure, and other essential information, please consult the UNE Student Handbook before applying or enrolling. The Handbook provides comprehensive guidance to assist in your decision-making process. We apologise for any inconvenience.