Masters (Coursework)
The Master of Community Planning and Development will see you working with communities in urban, regional and rural areas, with community development planning agencies and in an international setting. You will also work with non-government organisations and have exposure to a range of rural and regional development issues including: community development, healthy urban design, food security, child friendly and active environments, land-use planning and environmental and social policy at local, regional, national and international levels.
The qualification awarded on graduation is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) as Level 9 - Masters Degree.
Please note, the following course structure is indicative and subject to change depending on your course location, offer year or how you tailor your course with specialisations, majors, minors and electives. Structures for the following year are not normally finalised until October, so the sample provided is based on the most recently approved structure. For more information, please refer to the La Trobe University Handbook.
To qualify for the award of Master of Community Planning and Development, students must complete a total of 240 credit points across 2 years.
Year 1 requires the completion of 120 credit points including:
Year 2 requires the completion of 120 credit points including:
Core subjects are required subjects in your course. You need to complete these subjects to attain your degree.
Subject name Subject code Year Credit points ACADEMIC INTEGRITY MODULE LTU0AIM 1 0 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT PLA5ESI 1 15 GOVERNANCE, PUBLIC POLICY & LEGISLATION PLA4UGP 1 15 MOBILITIES AND TRANSPORT PLANNING PLA4MOB 1 15 NEGOTIATION, MEDIATION AND COMMUNITY CONSULTATION PLA4NMC 1 15 PLANNING THEORY URBAN STRATEGY AND DESIGN PLA5TSD 1 15 RESEARCH SKILLS HUS5ADR 1 15 SITE PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN STUDIO PLA5SPS 1 15 CITIES AND REGIONS: PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT PLA5CAR 2 15 COMMUNITY PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT PLA5CD 2 15 ENVIRONMENTAL REGION STUDIO PLA5ERS 2 15 HERITAGE PLANNING PLA5HP 2 15 MASTERS RESEARCH THESIS/PROJECT HUM5RE1 2 15 MASTERS RESEARCH THESIS/REPORT HUM5RE2 2 30
A range of standalone elective subjects is available in this course. Some electives are recommended for your course, but you may also be able to choose from a range of University-wide electives or electives from other interest areas or disciplines. Note these electives may have their own prerequisites and other requirements. Please refer to the La Trobe University Handbook for the subjects available.
The Handbook contains detailed course information designed for enrolled students, including course structures, electives and options. The delivery of this course can vary between campuses.
To view other campus handbook course details, please select relevant campus in the drop down.
Graduates are likely to find diverse opportunities within government departments, including local governments, NGOs, research organisations, advocacy bodies and in the private sector in roles such as community development and management, advocacy, research, public policy development, social and community planning and urban, rural and environmental planning as part of multi-disciplinary teams in social and economic development projects in developed and developing countries.
There is currently a shortage of skilled workers in land use planning, environmental management, community development and public policy development.
Professional recognitionThe Spatial Planning stream within the Master of Community and Planning Development is accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA); please refer to the Handbook for further details. Professional registration 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.