Community planning and development is about working with and shaping cities, towns and rural areas and their social, economic and physical environments, to improve them as places to live. Community planning and development aims to empower communities in all aspects of life and development and to capitalise on their human and physical resources. The Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate in Community Planning and Development are designed specifically to provide education and training from sub-professional to post-professional level. The courses place an emphasis on understanding contemporary issues such as facilitating change, sustainable community development, community engagement and urban change in an urban and rural context. The courses are designed to provide a pathway for gaining appropriate education and training and qualifications particularly for:The Graduate Diploma is a 120 credit point course which equals one year of full-time study or part-time equivalent. Learning utilises both external study and conventional class-based delivery in block mode with a series of whole day, two or three-day sessions (some on weekends) including lectures, workshops, field visits and tutorials to assist students who are in full-time employment to undertake the course. Delivery is flexible and options exist for partly online subjects and for some study options at Bendigo and Melbourne campuses.