Bachelor of Social Science (Planning) (Honours)

The purpose of the Planning Hons program is to provide an education that will prepare you to enter the planning profession and especially equip you to undertake a high level of thinking and analysis.The Hons program builds on the preliminary years of the Planning program, which draws from a wide variety of disciplines and fields of study including geography, architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, ecology, history, sociology, business, politics and policy studies.

Drawing on these experiences, planners are involved in making decisions about land use proposals and other types of developments whilst balancing the needs of communities and the environment.The focus of the Planning program is the generation of multidisciplinary capabilities supported by specialist knowledge.

The Planning program therefore aims to provide you with good communication and people skills as well as the ability to work through complex multidisciplinary environmental problems.

These experiences cannot be separated from politics and the Planning program makes a point of acknowledging the political environment.With this background the Hons program exposes you to opportunities to engage in high level discussion and critique of social and planning related issues.

These experiences then provide you with the basics for undertaking a piece of individual research that sharpens your research capabilities and your critical thinking abilities.

Year One of Program

Semester One: Complete the following Three (3) Courses:

Select One (1) Course from:

Semester Two: Complete the following Three (3) Courses:

AND

Year Two of Program

Semester One: Complete the following Four (4) Courses:

Semester Two: Complete the following Two (2) Courses:

Students must have successfully completed the first two years of the Bachelor of Applied Science (Planning) program with a Distinction grade median or equivalent, before submitting a direct application for entry into this honours program.

Planning graduates readily find employment in a wide range of sectors, especially local government, Victorian government departments and with private sector planning and design consultancies. Other employers of planners include major development and retailing companies. As a graduate you can also build a career in areas such as design, community health and welfare, housing, environmental planning, transport and strategic land-use planning. Completion of the program provides you with the ability to apply for membership of the Planning Institute of Australia, with reciprocal membership of key international planning associations.

The Planning Hons program is designed to equip you with:

• the ability to solve problems by exercising responsibility, engaging in critical analysis and demonstrating ethical reflexivity and professional standards of practice informed by a regard for key values such as equity and respect for individuals and sections of the social and natural environments.
• the capacity to draw on a range of relevant theoretical insights and research findings in your own professional practice and to contextualize these findings and insights in a range of relevant policy and planning fields, as well as public debates.
• the skills to communicate effectively and reflectively on a one-to-one basis, in teams and publicly.
• the confidence to analyse critically and use social research as part of planning practice, as well as design, conduct and disseminate social research. This requires a sound understanding of the philosophical and methodological issues relating to qualitative and quantitative research, and the competence to engage in critical analysis and argument about various forms of evidence and reasoning.
• the capacity to undertake individual research in an academic format and to analyse the results so that they contribute to the intellectual growth of the planning profession.

Specific capabilities are detailed in each of the course guides. However, capabilities that Planning graduates demonstrate at the completion of their studies cover:

Communication- the ability to:

• present ideas coherently to academic and professional audiences in oral and written material
• be sensitive to the experience of individuals and the way in which it is socially constructed and mediated by class, gender and ethnicity
• communicate effectively through a range of modes and multi media technologies
• build positive relationships with others

Creativity- the ability to:

• think laterally, in a variety of situations
• show initiative in identifying problems, identifying and evaluating options, and taking action to remove a problem
• operate independently when this is appropriate

Critical analysis- the ability to:

• examine and deliberate accurately and objectively a wide range of topics, situations and evidences
• assess the strategic, operational, social and environmental implications of decisions and actions
• evaluate multidisciplinary situations
• devise and implement solutions by applying a combination of capabilities
• appreciate the limitations of one’s own knowledge

Critical awareness- the ability to:

• contribute to the creation of shared understanding in occupationally, politically and culturally diverse interest groups
• reflect on experiences, to relate these to similar and dissimilar contexts to inform and improve future practice

Environmental responsibility - the ability to:

• adopt a responsible attitude of stewardship to the environment
• be aware of the causes of environmental impacts
• take action for biodiversity and environmental improvement
• conceptualise principles and practice of natural resource policy, sustainability, globalisation and environmental management

International and cross cultural engagement- the ability to:

• embrace international perspectives on environmental, social, economic, cultural, and professional issues
• work to establish empathy and equity across generations and cultures
• understand the interconnectedness of environmental, economic and social systems

Knowledge- the ability to:

• apply knowledge effectively to new situations, and to learn from these encounters
• access information from a wide variety of sources
• evaluate and discern value of information
• obtain further knowledge and understanding outside formal education experiences

Social responsibility- the ability to:

• acknowledge one’s own personal values and ethics
• make informed decisions in judging and adopting appropriate behaviour in professional and social situations
• make positive contributions to the wider community through professional employment
• be resourceful and constructive in the attempt to respond to individual and collective needs

Teamwork and leadership- the ability to:

• work as an effective and productive team member in a variety of professional and social contexts
• listen, be empathetic, flexible and adaptive
• participate and take the initiative in discussions and team scenarios

Technical and professional skills- the ability to

• foster soundly based thinking in theoretical, historical, local and international contexts for environmental decision making
• confidently develop, formulate and implement policy
• use information technology with confidence