University of Alberta

Programs

Applied Land Use Planning

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Talk to us for additional details: call the ALUP Program Office at 780-492-6914, 780-492-5532, or send us an email.

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Overview

The University of Alberta’s Applied Land Use Planning (ALUP) program supports the learning needs of professionals in the areas of municipal government planning, development, and bylaw enforcement.

Designed to match the complexity of a variety of municipal government planning needs, this program allows students to use theories and models as a means to address problems, apply critical thinking, and develop a cooperative spirit for their day-to-day professional activities.

Program at a Glance

Program structure

Minimum 7 courses needed to graduate.

Location & Format

Online + in-class 
web-enhanced courses.

Duration

1-2 years of part-time study.

Audience

This program is designed to match the complexity of a variety of municipal government planning needs. Students range from development officers, planning technicians, land use, environmental, and community planners, to resources managers, government officials, consultants, developers, lawyers, zoning administrators, administrators in smaller municipalities, and others involved in planning processes.

Program Plan


The ALUP program is comprised of four core courses and 117 instructional hours of electives. Designed for part-time study, it can generally be completed within one to two years, but students have up to six years to fulfill their program requirements. 

A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 is required to obtain the certificate (3.5 or higher earns a certificate with distinction).

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The program requirements below apply to students enrolled on and after July 1, 2016. If you entered the program prior to July 2016, please refer to the requirements that apply to your certificate. 

Alternatively, you may switch to the new program requirements (four core courses and 117 elective hours) by completing a Program Declaration form and submitting it to the ALUP program office.

  • Core courses (4)

    Recommended as the first courses in the program:

    Municipal Planning I

    Planning Law


    Remaining core courses:

    Sustainable Communities
    Citizen Engagement and Consultation

  • Elective courses (117 hours)

    Electives can be taken at any time during the program, provided that the appropriate prerequisites have been met.

Transferability

  • If you have completed a course from a recognized post-secondary institution within the last five years that is applicable to the ALUP program, you may request an exemption up to a maximum of two courses.

  • EXLGP 8209, EXLGP 8211, and EXLUP 8219 will simultaneously earn you elective credits in the Community Engagement Citation.

Qualifications & Admission

Enrolling in the program is a requirement if you want to earn the certificate. You may apply for admission as you start your studies or, if you prefer, after you have taken one or more courses. 

To enrol, you must have a minimum of a high school diploma (or equivalent) and two years of related work experience. If you attended high school in Alberta, transcripts may be ordered from Alberta Education at 780-427-5732; for high schools outside of Alberta, contact the corresponding provincial department of education. 

You are still invited to apply if you do not meet the admission requirements. Your qualifications will be reviewed, and conditional entrance may be granted. For details, contact the program office at 780-492-6914 or 780-492-5532.


This program is currently open for enrolment—apply now!


THREE EASY STEPS TO APPLY

  1. Click on the ‘Apply now’ button below to download the Application for Program Admission form. 
  2. Obtain an official transcript of your previous studies (high school OR post-secondary education).
  3. Submit your completed application, along with the transcript and a $100 admission fee.

Tuition & Fees

  • A one-time application fee of $100 is required for admission into the program.
  • Tuition is paid on a course-by-course basis as you register for your classes; courses are GST-exempt.
  • Some courses require a textbook at an additional cost.
  • This program is eligible for the Canada-Alberta Job Grant.

Courses Offered

You can register for a course without enrolling in the program. If later you decide to apply for the full program, the course(s) you’ve taken will be applied toward your certificate. Alternatively, you may opt for auditing a course, in which case you will not be evaluated for any coursework — audited courses, however, cannot be applied toward the certificate at any time.

Our courses are offered in two formats: online and in-class web-enhanced instruction. Web-enhanced courses may have pre- or post-class assignments in addition to the scheduled face-to-face classroom work. Electronic course materials will be available in eClass.

Most classes are held at Enterprise Square, downtown Edmonton, Alberta.

Register online or by phone at 780-492-3116 (toll-free 1-800-808-4784). You may also register by mail, fax, or in person.

Course schedules are also available in printer-friendly PDF format.

Core courses

    Elective courses

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      Program Guide
      Fall 2016 Program Guide
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      Benefits

      This program will help you to:

      • Connect planning theory, concepts, functions, tools, and processes to the planner’s role.
      • Understand general planning law and relevant governmental acts.
      • Effectively enforce municipal land use bylaws.
      • Draft and prepare various municipal land use planning documents.
      • Use innovative ideas to draft proposals and overcome the obstacles of environmental, economic and social planning issues.
      • Communicate municipal planning information objectively to the public and private sectors, stakeholders, and government.
      • Negotiate a balance between the various parties affected by land use planning initiatives.
      • Understand the theory and practice of sustainable development at the municipal level.
      Continuing Professional Development

      APPI credits

      Alberta Professional Planners Institute (APPI) members can use courses from the Applied Land Use Planning Certificate program towards their continuous professional learning (CPL) credits.

      ADOA

      The Alberta Development Officers Association (ADOA) has recognized the Applied Land Use Planning Certificate program as providing the necessary framework for individuals to become trained in the development and planning field. ADOA members have access to educational opportunities and bursaries.

      Awards & Bursaries

      A bursary and an award are available to our students.

      Deadlines and details