Bachelor of Planning (Honours)

On successful completion you will be able to:

1. Apply the skills required for professional planning practice in diverse urban, regional and rural settings.
2. Utilise a range of spatial concepts and methodologies to understand, analyse and solve complex social, economic and environmental processes on different scales.
3. Critically identify, frame and analyse problems to urban, regional and rural governance and policy developments in order to design innovative solutions.
4. 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.  

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.

• Level one core subjects

• Level two core subjects

• Level three core subjects

• Level four core subjects

• Level one elective subjects

• Level two elective subjects

• Level three elective subjects

Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.

Indicative total fee $43,932

The amounts shown here are indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.

Fees may vary depending on:

• the subjects you choose
• credit from previous work experience
• your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.

To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.

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 World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:

17

Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:

15

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Provide your academic transcript for your previous studies.

*Note that a subject studied can only be used once for credit

Students are required to undertake 200 hours of supervised professional placement.