Town and Regional Planning is a profession that promotes and manages societal transformation and progressive change through the planning, design, implementation and management of interventions in the development and use of land. These interventions range from site to supranational level, and have as their aim the widening of choice, promotion of equity, ensuring sustainable human settlements and improving people’s quality of life.
The guiding motive of the profession is the pursuit of innovative, sustainable and affordable alternatives to existing settlement types. At the current juncture in South Africa’s history, town and regional planning is a crucial profession in the correction of the many spatial and other imbalances in both urban and rural areas, as well as the improvement of inefficient, unjust and underperforming human settlements.
The challenge for planning lies in the fact that different interests and expectations for the future are often contradictory and conflict-ridden.A professional approach that combines sensitivity, empathy and care, and analytical and strategic skills, is required to manage the various political, social, environmental and economic issues at stake. The ideal town and regional planner is a creative person who is able to put forward innovative solutions to complex problems, a mediator who is able to reconcile diverse points of view, a strategic thinker, a people’s person and a good manager. Given the enormous backlogs in the areas of housing and social services and the deep levels of poverty, marginalisation and despair in the country, planners also need a strongly developed sense of social and environmental justice and should be committed to human and community development.
The programme in Town and Regional Planning equips planners with the necessary knowledge and skills to present interventions to deal with many problems on properties and in settlements and regions by focusing on the following themes: planning theory and history, land-use management and land development; settlement planning and design; strategic and integrated development planning; urban and rural regeneration; and planning methods and techniques.
A number of modules in related fields are also prescribed to ensure that students acquire a multidisciplinary perspective and the knowledge base that is necessary to provide innovative, affordable and appropriate solutions to complex urban and rural problems.
For more information, please consult the Faculty webpage.
Town and regional planners, development practitioners, urban managers, real estate analysts and researchers. While many town and regional planners act as private consultants to the public and private sector, the majority are employed by government, research agencies such as the Council for Scientific and for Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, major financial institutions and property development groups. The qualification will enable graduates to register as professional town and regional planners with the South African Council for Planners.
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Transferring students
Candidates previously registered for the BSc – Extended programme
The Admissions Committee of the faculty considers applications of candidates who were previously registered for the BSc – Extended programme, on grounds of their NSC results as well as academic merit. Such students will only be considered for the four-year programme if they have passed all the prescribed modules and obtained a minimum of 65% in the Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry modules, respectively.
Candidates previously registered at UP or at another university
The faculty’s Admissions Committee considers applications of candidates who have already completed the final NSC examination and/or were previously registered at UP or at another university, on grounds of their NSC results as well as academic merit. Candidates who were dismissed from other faculties or universities will not be considered.
Candidates previously registered at a teacher’s college or university of technology
The faculty’s Admissions Committee considers the application of these candidates on the grounds of their NSC results as well as academic merit.
Qualifications from countries other than South Africa
University of Pretoria website: click here
Minimum requirements | ||||
Achievement level | ||||
English Home Language or English First Additional Language | Mathematics | APS | ||
NSC/IEB | AS Level | NSC/IEB | AS Level | |
5 | C | 4 | D | 27 |
* Cambridge A level candidates who obtained at least a D in the required subjects, will be considered for admission.
* International Baccalaureate (IB) HL candidates who obtained at least a 4 in the required subjects, will be considered for admission.
Only a limited number of candidates can be accommodated and admission is subject to selection.
4 years, full-time.
The Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology at the University of Pretoria is a leading source of graduates in the engineering, built environment and information technology professions. We achieve this by a focus on research to drive innovative and enquiry-led teaching for educating and positioning our students to be leaders in their professions. The Faculty has extensive and cutting-edge teaching, learning and laboratory facilities integrated with the excellent suite of facilities and services offered by the University. We facilitate access to our qualifications through our extended programmes but expect our students to excel and develop as future professionals through our programme offering. We invite you to consider enrolling in one of our programmes if you share our vision of excellence and want to position yourself as a leader in the professions that we support.
The Faculty is organised in four schools: the School of Engineering, the School for the Built Environment, the School of Information Technology and the Graduate School of Technology Management. The School of Engineering is the largest of its kind in the country in terms of student numbers, graduates and research contributions and offers programmes in all the major engineering disciplines with many specialisations also offered at undergraduate and graduate level.
The University of Pretoria aims to be internationally competitive while also locally relevant. Advisory boards at both faculty and departmental level promote alignment and excellence in our teaching and research activities. Where applicable and available our programmes are accredited by statutory and professional bodies at both national and international level.
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