This project investigates understanding of academic standards within the discipline of urban and regional planning (hereafter known as planning). It focuses on academic standards, assessment practices and student outcomes in planning practice education. The learning and assessment of practice is central to quality professional education. It requires a discipline to address its engagement with contingent professional and industry bodies. Investigating and instituting change processes in practice education in planning is integral to developing academic standards within the discipline as a whole. The project team comprised four staff from three collaborating universities, RMIT University (lead institution), Griffith University and La Trobe University. A project Reference Group was appointed, with three senior planning academics including one from overseas. The project work was supported by a project officer and three project assistants. The project approach was participative and collaborative, engaging key stakeholders of planning practice education and seeking to allow opportunity for inclusion of their respective understandings and perspectives. The project design involved a national scoping and review of planning practice education; and an empirical inquiry into the views and experiences of planning educators, planning practitioners and planning students. The design also included development and dissemination of models and materials for the enhancement of assessment practices and academic standards, and strategies for achieving change. The project affirms the value afforded by planning programs to preparing students for professional practice. Those involved in structured work placements – educators, practitioners and students – strongly endorse this form of practice education in undergraduate programs. Yet, there are many challenges in delivering a high quality student learning experience through structured work placements. These include the issues of assessment and academic standards. The project shows how practice is rendered a legitimate part of academic endeavour. Achieving practice capability is seen to encompass complex learning outcomes of thinking, doing and being that are fostered in learning situated in “real world” tasks. Generating academic standards and associated assessment practices suited to such learning outcomes commonly requires a re-appraisal of familiar understandings and practices that are embedded in more conventional, class-based educational activities. The quality of the student practice learning experience is very much affected by the ways in which their planning programs bridge the worlds of work and academia. The project develops a set of guiding principles for enhancing assessment practices and academic standards for structured work placement. These principles are indicative of a more conjoint and coherent approach between the university and planning industry. The project also recognises the diverse contexts within which planning practice and planning education occur. It develops a set of factors to reflect this diversity that need to be taken into account when considering the viability and sustainability of any given approach. The professional accrediting body is seen to have a role in generating a sense of shared purpose between the university and planning industry in the development of student practice capability.