Prior Learning Assessment Route (PLAR)

This alternate route is available for planners who hold any academic degree other than a university degree in planning from a program formally accredited by the planning profession.

The specific membership requirements for admission under this route require an individual planner to:

• Be employed in planning (for information on what constitutes employment in planning, please see our FAQ),
• Hold a four-year undergraduate degree (other than a degree in planning from an accredited program),
• Have achieved and demonstrated the equivalent of at least five years of responsible professional planning experience gained through employment in planning, and
• Have successfully completed the PLAR process, demonstrating the basic standards of competency and knowledge.

Individuals seeking admission to Candidate membership under this route must demonstrate, through an application and PLAR assessment process with PSB, basic standards of competency and knowledge, and achieve credit toward certification based on a combination of past experience, professional development, and education.

Under this route, the PLAR process involves the applicant:

• Documenting and demonstrating that they have a minimum of five years of responsible professional planning experience,
• Successfully demonstrating appropriate equivalencies to the competency standards through presentation of a PLAR Portfolio. This will include a listing of post-secondary and other qualifications (e.g. university degrees and professional qualifications, matching academic courses and / or work experiences to the required competencies) and completion of the self-assessment form.

A separate PLAR Portfolio Development Guide outlining the details and requirements of the PLAR process is available to applicants seeking Candidate membership through the PLAR route, and should be reviewed carefully. Please contact us at certification@psb-planningcanada.ca or 647-317-6924 extension 204 or toll-free 1-844-202-9002 for further information.

To apply with a credential from an international planning institute with which the profession has a reciprocal agreement, please follow the application link below.