Applied Planning

The Applied Planning (APPL) program courses are scheduled over three terms - Fall (September to December), Spring (January to April), and Summer (May to August). The courses for each term are primarily scheduled in the evening from 6:00 pm-8:50 pm, Monday through Thursday, to enable students to work while pursuing their studies.

There are two exceptions to this schedule - the Introduction to Planning (APPL 4110) course and the Special Topics courses.

The Introduction to Planning (APPL 4110) course in the Fall term (Term 1) is a four-day course held Tuesday through Friday during the week following the Labour Day statutory holiday in September. 

The Special Topics courses are one-day courses offered in the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms and are held on a Friday from 8:30 am-4:00 pm. The courses are finalized by the Special Topics Coordinator several months in advance so students are aware and can schedule time off from work. Students are required to attend a total of five Special Topics courses to graduate with the Post Degree Diploma.

The workload for all the planning courses can be demanding. For each course expect about 6 to 10 hours of work per week. This includes class time. You may also need to meet, on occasion, with a class project team as part of a course project or assignment.

Part-time students are accepted into the program, space permitting for prioritized full-time students. For students travelling from outside the Metro Vancouver region, part-time may be a more practical option to complete the diploma. Part-time students will need to finish the program within two years, to ensure program seats for future students.

Yes, courses will need to be completed in a specific sequence to complete the program within two years. At minimum you will need to complete two courses per term, not including the Special Topics courses.

Yes, the Applied Planning Program offers an optional experiential work term after the Post Degree Diploma coursework is fully completed. Students wishing to pursue this must complete the pre-requisite course, EXPE 4800, which can be completed in the Fall or Spring terms.  More information on the Post-Degree Diploma (PDD) Work Experience program is available on the Langara Co-op & Career Development Centre – FAQ webpage, located here (external link) .

Specific questions regarding Post-Degree Diploma work experience, should be directed to: coop@langara.ca.

For graduates interested in working in the planning profession, successful completion of the Post Degree Diploma in Applied Planning gives you a good chance of securing employment within a local government organization or a planning consulting firm. In past years, 85% of program graduates have obtained a job in the planning field within four to six months of graduating.

Graduates of the program often start as planning assistants or planning technicians. With appropriate professional work experience, many graduates move into planner positions within 2-5 years within the local government and private sectors. Advancement will be dependent on both the employer’s hiring requirements, as well as the abilities and skills of the employee.

The Post Degree Diploma in Applied Planning complements numerous bachelor’s degrees and program graduates can gain a broader, more comprehensive understanding of work in the specific fields related to their undergraduate programs.

Given planning’s interconnectedness with many professions, a supplemental education in land use planning provides program graduates with valuable added insight that helps them to excel in professions more closely associated with their bachelor’s degrees. Conversely, program graduates also discover their primary professional interest is in planning and pursue careers in the planning field.

Information on how to apply to a Langara program is available on the Langara Admissions – Apply to Langara webpage, located here.

Applications for the Applied Planning program open in October of the previous year for the Fall term.

The deadline for Applied Planning program applications is May 31. However, program applications are accepted after this deadline if spaces are still available and will be reviewed and accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Once you complete your initial application registration through Education Planner BC, the following must be submitted with your application:

• Letter of intent – provide a maximum two-page letter that answers the following:
  • Why are you interested in planning?
  • Why are you interested in this program?
  • How can this program help you achieve your career goals?
• Undergraduate (bachelor’s degree) program transcripts – information on how to submit your transcript can be found on the Admissions page here.
• Post-secondary statistics course transcript – if the course was completed as part of your undergraduate program and appears on your post-secondary transcript, you do not need to submit this separately.  
• Confirmation of English Language Proficiency Category 2 – information on how this requirement can be met can be found on the Admissions Requirements / English Language Requirements page here.

Questions regarding application submission requirements should be directed to admissions@langara.ca.

You can complete the requirement through any number of online, self-paced introduction to statistics courses offered by a post-secondary institution. The course should be completed prior to the program application deadline. Your application cannot be accepted until the statistics course is successfully completed.

Information regarding Langara’s tuition and fees is available on the Langara Fees Information webpage, located here. A Cost of Study Tool is also available here.

Information on Langara scholarships and financial aid is available here.

The Applied Planning courses have been specifically designed to provide you with the depth and breadth required to enter the field of planning. If you have taken previous planning courses, you may be able to transfer course credits into the Program if the courses are equivalent.

All decisions about transfer credits are made by the College Graduation Adjudication Committee. You will need to complete a transfer credit request before the Registrar can accept course credits for courses in the Program. More information about transferring credits is available on the Langara Registration and Records - Transfer Credit webpage, located here.

Students planning to transfer from Langara to another educational institution should consult with the receiving institution to determine the transferability of courses taken at Langara.

You can also check the BC Transfer Guide (external link) for course transferability.