Note: This course is not available in 2025.
Course overview
- Description
Environmental planning is essential to ensuring the sustainability of places, communities, habitats and regions. Environmental planners ensure that development proposals and resource users conform with legislation and underlying principles of sustainable management. This course provides students with knowledge of these key concepts and their application to a wide range of contexts, both in the natural and human environment. The course develops students' ability to apply their skills in both theoretical and practical settings, with an emphasis on the development of professional experience through teaching activities and work placements.
- Course title
- Master of Environmental Planning (coursework or coursework and dissertation)
- Award abbreviation
- MEnvPln
- Course code
- 13550
- Course type
- Master's degree by coursework or by coursework and dissertation
- Status
- Not available in 2025
- Administered by
- Social Sciences
- CRICOS code
- 103501M
Course details
- Intake periods
- Beginning of year and mid-year
- Attendance type
- Full- or part-time (Student visa holders should read Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 for more information.)
- Articulation
- The Master of Environmental Planning has the following exit awards: 12250 Graduate Certificate in Environmental Planning (24 points) (24 points), 12350 Graduate Diploma in Environmental Planning (48 points) (48 points)
- Credit points required
- 96
A standard full-time load is 24 points per semester. - Standard course duration
- 1.5 years full-time (or equivalent part-time) comprising 72 points of taught units and 24 points of admission credit, as recognised and granted by the School
- Maximum course duration
- 2 years full-time (or equivalent part-time) comprising up to 96 points of taught study (see Rule 5 for further information)
- Time limit
- 4 years
- Delivery mode
- Internal
- Locations offered
- UWA (Perth)
- Domestic fee type
- Postgraduate fee-paying/FEE-HELP
- Available to international students
- Yes. For information on international student fees see 'Student Procedures: Fees'. (Enquiries: https://www.uwa.edu.au/askuwa)
- Course Coordinator(s)
- Dr Linda Robson
- Fees
- Visit the fees calculator.
Prospective students should see the Future Students website for details on admission requirements, intake periods, fees, availability to international students, careers information etc.
No study plans found for this course. See study plans for more information.
Specialisations
Course structure
Key to availability of units:
- S1
- Semester 1
- S2
- Semester 2
- SS
- summer teaching period
- N/A
- not available in 2025 – may be available in 2026 or 2027
- *
- to be advised
Students without advanced standing, take up to 24 points as directed by your course advising office
Take all units (48 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | ARCT5577 | Conservation in Cultural Landscapes, Historic Towns and Urban Precincts |
| Introductory lecture: 1 x 2 hours; lectures/field work exercises/seminars: 3 hours per week |
| S1, S2 | ENVT4411 | Geographic Information Systems Applications |
| The total workload for the unit is 150 hours. This includes podcasts for viewing and reading to be undertaken prior to attending one compulsory 3-hour workshop per week where students will be contributing to interactive discussions together with practical lab work using GIS software. Completion of the practical workshop labs is necessary to enable skills for completing written unit assessment. Independent learning is required throughout the unit. |
| S1, S2 | ENVT4421 | Fundamentals of Environmental Management |
| |
| N/A | GEOG4003 | Fundamentals of Planning | None | Video presentations - up to 20 x 20 minutes Virtual fieldwork - 3 days |
| S2 | GEOG5411 | Regional Development in the Global Context |
| 40 (teaching blocks: 12 x 2 hours 45 minutes; field trip: 1 x 7 hours) |
| S2 | LACH4421 | Australian Landscapes | None | seminars: 3–4 hours per week |
| NS, S1, S2 | SVLG5001 | McCusker Centre for Citizenship Internship |
| Internship experience: approximately 100 hours; McCusker Centre attendance: approximately 8 hours |
| S1 | URBD5803 | Sustainability and Cities | None | 1 hour lecture; 2 hours tutorial per week |
Take all units (24 points):
Note: Students taking a dissertation should take all units from this group.
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1, S2 | GEOG5011 | Dissertation (Geography, Planning, Environment and Development) Part 1 |
| Supervision sessions with one or two supervisors over two semesters; independent research and study. Students are guided in this process through an induction program starting the week before semester. |
| S1, S2 | GEOG5012 | Dissertation (Geography, Planning, Environment and Development) Part 2 | Supervision sessions with one or two supervisors over two semesters; independent research and study. Students are guided in this process through an induction program starting the week before semester. | |
| S1, S2 | GEOG5013 | Dissertation (Geography, Planning, Environment and Development) Part 3 |
| supervision sessions with one or two supervisors over two semesters; independent research and study. Students are guided in this process through an induction program starting the week before semester. |
| NS | SOCS4100 | Social Sciences Research Skills |
| seminars: 4 hours per week |
Take all units (18 points):
Note: Students not taking a dissertation should take all units from this group.
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | GEOG5411 | Regional Development in the Global Context |
| 40 (teaching blocks: 12 x 2 hours 45 minutes; field trip: 1 x 7 hours) |
| S1 | LACH4423 | Landscape and Urban Ecology | None | seminar (lectures: 1 hour per week and seminars: 3 hours per week) |
| S1 | URBD5807 | The Forces that Shape Cities |
| 1 hour lecture and 2 hour tutorial per week |
Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
Note: Students not taking a dissertation should take 6 points from this group.
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | LAWS5540 | Environmental Protection Law | None | This unit will run online with pre-reading from 29 July. Interactive classes will be held 27-29 August 2024. Attendance at these sessions is mandatory. Refer to the LMS page for further information, |
| NS | LAWS5590 | Water Resources Law |
| There will be an introductory 1 hour seminar (in person, with on-line option) in the week beginning 18 August. Students must then attend four days on campus sessions on 11-12 September and 18-19 September 2025 with all assessment work due by the end of October. Full details will be provided via LMS. |
See also the rules for the course and the Student Rules.
Rules
Note: This course is not available in 2025.
Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures
1.(1) The Student Rules apply to students in this course.
(2) The policy, policy statements and guidance documents and student procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.
Academic Conduct Essentials and Communication and Research Skills modules
2.(1) A student who enrols in this course for the first time irrespective of whether they have previously been enrolled in another course of the University, must undertake the Academic Conduct Essentials module (the ACE module) and the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module).
(2) A student must successfully complete the ACE module within the first teaching period of their enrolment. Failure to complete the module within this timeframe will result in the student's unit results from this teaching period being withheld. These results will continue to be withheld until students avail themselves of a subsequent opportunity to achieve a passing grade in the ACE module. In the event that students complete units in subsequent teaching periods without completing the ACE module, these results will similarly be withheld. Students will not be permitted to submit late review or appeal applications regarding results which have been withheld for this reason and which they were unable to access in the normally permitted review period.
English Language competency requirements
3. To be considered eligible for consideration for admission to this course an applicant must satisfy the University's English language competence requirement as set out in the University Policy on Admission: Coursework.
Admission requirements
4. To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have—
(a) a bachelor's degree, or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA;
and
(b) the equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of at least 50 per cent; or
(c) Significant work experience including at least 5 years with a material level of responsibility.
Admission ranking and selection
5. Where relevant, admission will be awarded to the highest ranked applicants or applicants selected based on the relevant requirements.
Articulations and exit awards
6.(1) This course has the following exit awards:
- 12250 Graduate Certificate in Environmental Planning (24 points)
- 12350 Graduate Diploma in Environmental Planning (48 points)
(2) A student who withdraws from the Master of Environmental Planning course before completing it, but after completing 24 points of core units, may apply to the School to be awarded the Graduate Certificate in Environmental Planning.
(3) A student who withdraws from the Master of Environmental Planning course before completing it, but after completing 48 points of core units, may apply to the School to be awarded the Graduate Diploma in Environmental Planning.
Course structure
7.(1) The course consists of units to a total value of 96 points (maximum value) which include conversion units to a value of 24 points.
(2) Units must be selected in accordance with the course structure, as set out in these rules.
(3) Students who have completed prior tertiary studies in urban, regional or development planning, or human or physical geography, or equivalent, are granted credit for conversion units up to a value of 24 points.
Satisfactory progress
8. To make satisfactory progress a student must pass units to a point value greater than half the total value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty.
9. A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module) when their progress status is assessed will not have made satisfactory progress even if they have met the other requirements for satisfactory progress in Rule 8.
Progress status
10. A student who fails to make satisfactory progress under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Excluded' unless the Faculty decides otherwise in light of exceptional circumstances.
11. A student who does not make satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 9 is assigned the progress status of 'On Probation', unless they have been assigned a progress status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' for failure to meet other satisfactory progress requirements in Rule 8.
Award with distinction
12. To be awarded the degree with distinction a student must achieve a course weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 80 per cent which is calculated based on—
(a) all units above Level 3 attempted as part of the course that are awarded a final percentage mark;
(b) all relevant units above Level 3 undertaken in articulating courses of this University that are awarded a final percentage mark;
and
(c) all units above Level 3 completed at this University that are credited to the master's degree course.
Deferrals
13. Applicants awarded admission to the course are entitled to a deferral of up to 12 months, as per the University Policy on: Admissions (Coursework).
Additional rules
Research project
14. Students who request approval to undertake a research project in this course must—
first complete SOCS5003 (or equivalent research design unit) and obtain a mark of at least 70%, prior to progressing to the 18 point dissertation units.