Planner career

Kaiwhakamahere ā-taiao

Planners design plans and strategies for physical, environmental, social and economic development of urban and rural areas.

Planners design plans and strategies for physical, environmental, social and economic development of urban and rural areas.

What would you do as a Planner?

Planners

  • usually work regular business hours but may work extra hours
  • usually work in offices and may travel locally
  • need to be accurate, identify and solve problems and communicate well

Tasks

  • design plans for urban and rural areas
  • explain plans to the public
  • help people with community environmental issues
  • provide business advice
  • check plans for environmental impact
  • check how policies affect the environment
  • prepare reports and presentations

How can you become a Planner?

You need a qualification to become a planner.

You need

  • a bachelor's degree in urban design and regional planning OR
  • a Bachelor of Environmental Policy and Planning (Honours) OR
  • a Master of Planning OR
  • a master's degree in urban design and regional planning

You may need

  • a tertiary qualification accredited by the New Zealand Planning Institute
  • to be a registered member of the New Zealand Planning Institute

If you're in school

You need University Entrance to do the study or training for this job.

Qualifications

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Our Bachelor of Environmental Planning is accredited by the New Zealand Planning Institute, giving you a recognised pathway into planning. You'll build practical skills through labs, workshops and field trips, and see how planning decisions are made at real resource management hearings. Like all our undergraduate degrees, it includes work-integrated learning.

To specialise further, you can continue with our Master of Environmental Planning.

View all qualifications

Where these qualifications can take you

Planning work shapes how communities grow, balancing development with environmental, social, and economic needs. Waikato's Environmental Planning programme is accredited by the New Zealand Planning Institute, giving you a direct, recognised pathway into professional registration.

Common areas Waikato graduates in this space work in:

  • Urban and regional planning
  • Local and central government
  • Resource consent and environmental compliance
  • Infrastructure and transport planning
  • Private planning consultancy

Planner FAQs

Scholarships

A range of scholarships are available to help with the cost of studying at Waikato. Options are available across a wide range of subjects and study levels, including scholarships for new students, current students and specific areas of study.

Find a scholarship

QS ranking

QS World University Rankings 2027

Waikato is ranked equal 293rd globally, placing us in the top 1.5% of universities worldwide, and 2nd in New Zealand by citations per faculty.

Contact us

School of Arts

School of Arts, The University of Waikato, Ground Floor, J Block, Gate 1, Knighton Road, Hamilton

International Enquiries

Monday to Friday 8:30am - 5pm