Course details

Summary

The Master of Planning (MPlan) degree requires two years of full-time, or the equivalent in part-time, study and entails postgraduate coursework in planning and planning-related subjects, as well as a significant piece of supervised research. There are two streams: one involving a thesis, and the other a research project. The normal admission requirement for both streams is a completed Bachelor's degree in any subject(s) relevant to planning.

A candidate's academic programme is decided at enrolment, and the research topic is determined at the end of the first year of studies. The thesis or the research project must be submitted by the end of the final year of the programme.

The MPlan is a professional qualification, and graduates are employed in local, regional and national government agencies, health boards, industry and planning consultancies in New Zealand and overseas. Some proceed to doctoral studies in preparation for employment in a university or as consultants on policy and planning.

Structure of the Programme

The programme of study shall consist of either

seven prescribed papers in planning studies (PLAN 411, PLAN 412, PLAN 435, PLAN 438, PLAN 535, LAWS 515, and one of LAWS 521, LAWS 540, LAWS 577) with a value of 130 points, one planning-related paper worth 20 points, as approved by the Director of the Planning Programme, and a thesis (PLAN 5) with a value of 90 points, or

seven prescribed papers in planning studies (as in (a)(i) above) with a value of 130 points, planning-related papers worth at least 60 points, as approved by the Director of the Planning Programme, and a planning research project (PLAN 590) with a value of 50 points.

With the approval of the Director of the Planning Programme, one or more papers from relevant subject areas may be substituted for a prescribed paper in planning studies worth up to 20 points.

A candidate shall, before commencing the investigation to be described in either the planning project or the thesis, secure the approval of the Director of the Planning Programme for the topic, the supervisor(s) and the proposed course of the investigation.

A candidate shall submit the planning project by 1 October of the year in which the coursework is completed.

A candidate shall submit the thesis by 1 November of the year following that in which the coursework is completed.

A candidate may not present a planning project or a thesis which has previously been accepted for another degree.

Entry criteria

Admission to the programme shall be subject to the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Humanities).
Every applicant must either: be a graduate, or have alternative qualifications or experience acceptable to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Humanities).

In considering an applicant's qualifications, regard will be had to the detail of the course of study followed to gain the qualification, as well as the applicant's performance in the programme.

English Language Requirements: IELTS - Score of 6.5 in the academic module (with no individual band below 6.0); Internet-based TOEFL Score of 95 with a minimum writing score of 22.; Paper-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 587 (TWE 4.5); Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) – Overall score of 176 (with no individual band below 169); Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) – Overall score of 176 (with no individual band below 169); APIEL Advanced Placement International English Language Examination - Grade 4 or higher; Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic - Overall score of 64 with no communicative skills score below 57; University of Otago Foundation Studies Ltd: Completion of 'English for Postgraduate Academic Purposes' with a grade of C or higher.