Bachelor of Resource and Environmental Planning (BRP) - 2010
- Available at Manawatu
- Equivalent to 4 years of full-time study
- Switch to 2009 information for this programme
- What can we do to conserve biodiversity and our natural heritage?
- What can be done to improve the prosperity of our businesses and economy?
- How can we secure a better future for the poor and future generations?
Introduction
What is Resource and Environmental Planning?
- It is a creative inter-disciplinary process
- It deals with both the natural and human dimensions of the world around us
- It is concerned about the diversity, productivity and vitality of our economy, communities and natural systems
- It is focused on people and the places where they live, work and play.
- design for the future by seeking to improve human prospects in the face of rapid economic, environmental, political and technological changes
- confront the most critical challenges of the 21st century
- help to make sense of the changing world
- design solutions that are innovative, feasible, just, democratic and sustainable
- reconcile conflicting interests by finding common ground to help people create innovative options and then implement agreed upon solutions
- design cities and urban areas that are innovative and exciting, full of character with aesthetic appeal
- design efficient transport systems
- create neighbourhoods that are safe and affordable
- design productive rural areas with vibrant communities
- help create natural areas that conserve indigenous flora and fauna, which provide opportunities for recreation, contemplations and solitude.
Distinctive features of the BRP
The BRP is renowned for providing an excellent, practically-based planning education that has several distinctive features:
First, it combines a generalist planning education with a Second Specialisation in a planning-related discipline. Staff assist students in choosing a Second Specialisation that meets their particular interests and will be useful beyond university. This enables students to develop multi-disciplinary skills, a feature of the BRP that employers find attractive.
Second, the BRP enables students to develop critical thinking skills, the ability to conduct independent research, and to work with others in an integrated manner on challenging projects. They learn to solve real-world problems in innovative but practical ways. Students also develop an ethical and theoretical foundation that serves them well for professional practice.
Third, the BRP emphasises the importance of practical experience and builds real-world problem-solving skills through field and studio-work, workshops, role-plays, case studies, and close interaction with lecturers and leading practitioners. Students learn practical skills for managing projects in varied work settings. They develop inter-personal, communication and conflict resolution skills essential for working in teams, and interacting with people from diverse cultures, communities and backgrounds.
Finally, while rooted in the New Zealand context, the BRP draws on international experience and planning approaches. Massey BRP graduates can therefore apply their training locally or overseas in a variety of professional and applied environments.
Where will the BRP take you?
BRP students enjoy a dynamic, challenging, and fun learning environment. They develop:
- Critical thinking skills
- The ability to make sense of complex problems and solve problems occurring in the real world
- A strong foundation for professional practice
- Private consulting firms
- Local, regional or central Government
- Corporations
- Research institutions
- Voluntary, special interest, and grass-roots organisations
- Policy analysts
- Resource consent officers
- Educators
- Managers
- Environmental consultants
- Researchers
- Communicators
- Urban planners
Life as a BRP student
Doing the BRP is more than simply getting an excellent qualification that will secure a well-paid job on graduation. The BRP is an experience of a life-time. It is an opportunity to forge lasting friendships with people who share a passion for making the world a better place. It is a chance to be absorbed in learning, shaping personal visions and values, and broadening one's horizons.
BRP students are part of an active and vibrant student community. They participate in a wide range of social and cultural activities, play a range of sports, and have access to many outdoor activities, including tramping the Ruahine, Tararua and Kaimanawa ranges, kayaking, surfing the Taranaki coast, skiing the slopes of Mt Ruapehu, and exploring Kapiti Island.
BRP students have a unique opportunity to extend themselves, pursue their dreams, and enjoy an exhilarating, rewarding, and life-changing experience.
Programme Overview
The Bachelor of Resource and Environmental Planning takes four years of full-time study, or the equivalent in part-time study.
The programme is made up of 18 compulsory papers, papers making up a specialisation in a second planning-related discipline, and optional, related papers - the diagram on the next page shows how your course might look.
A further aspect of the degree is practical experience, which you gain through fieldwork, workshops, studio work, case studies and interaction with current practitioners.
If you achieve high enough grades in the compulsory second, third and fourth year Planning papers, you will graduate with Honours.
Second Specialisation
What is a second specialisation?
It is a subject from a discipline related to Planning.
Examples of second specialisation subjects for the BRP are:
- ecology
- economics
- environmental technology (waste management)
- forestry studies
- geographic information systems
- geography
- landscape management
- land resources
- management systems
- Māori studies
- Politics/Policy
- property studies
- social anthropology
- sociology
Second Specialisation is a subject related to planning. It allows you to study other areas of interest to you, giving you an increased depth of knowledge. It also gives you more flexibility in terms of career paths.
Why have a second specialisation?
- It allows you to develop your own interests
- It will demonstrate your flexibility to future employers
- It will develop your depth of knowledge
Talk to Dr Caroline Miller or the programme coordinator who will assist with your choices.
Read the second specialisations booklet.
Back to topStudent profile
Peter Daly - Resource Management - Planner for Cardno TCB
"A key feature of the BRP is that it allows you the flexibility to choose papers of interest as part of a professional degree that is well recognised within the industry and by the New Zealand Planning Institute. The course covers a wide range of topics and strikes a good balance between theory and reality. Field trips provide real life exposure to a range of complex environmental issues and how these are being addressed.
Being based in Palmerston North offers students a number of benefits. Flats are generally cheap, close to the city centre and serviced by the free bus service. Within two hours of Palmerston North you can be in the heart of Wellington, skiing or snowboarding on Mount Ruapehu, or surfing in Taranaki or the East Coast.
The overall BRP experience is something I would highly recommend if you have a interest in geography, land development, environmental issues or policy matters and aspire to a career in any of these fields. It certainly helped me into my current role and has provided graduates with excellent employment prospects."
Jen O'Styke - Sinclair Knight Merz (Consultancy)
"The Massey BRP was a brilliant grounding to the planning world. This course helped to layout the various planning components a consultant gets thrown in the deep end of actually undertaking. The variety of papers specifically assists in the wide world of consultancy planning, which on different days can lead you down various paths and require an assorted range of skills. Planning is a very broad practice that allows you to specialise in sections that are of greater interest than others; namely geography, ecology, property or business/management. Massey allows for this through the choices in the elective papers, within the BRP which facilitates this specialisation.
In my first year I really enjoyed the client relationships I formed, the opportunities to work on plan changes, developments of inner city structures, planning audits and confidential reports, appeals, as well as a whole host of other facets that 'popped' up. As a consultant I am learning how to facilitate work on behalf of clients and how to position myself in a manner in which to assist these key clients in additional ways, all part of adding value and increasing the work we can do for these people/ organisations. I am really enjoying the challenge as no one day is the same as another."
