Sidra Asif: Canadian immigrant fast-tracked planning career with one-year Master of Planning degree
Foreign-trained planning professional Sidra Asif overcame credentials and skills-transfer barriers, and regained footing in Canada as an urban planner in Toronto.
Sidra Asif is an internationally trained urban planner. After moving to Canada, she immediately sought credentials to re-establish her career. She chose the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Toronto Metropolitan University for its accelerated Master of Planning (MPl) in Urban Development — the only one-year program fully accredited by the Professional Standards Board for the Planning Profession (PSB) in Canada.
In 2024, Asif earned her master’s degree and also began working in a full-time planning role at The Biglieri Group, a firm in Toronto. She recently shared perspectives on her pathway as an immigrant who successfully transitioned into the Canadian urban planning field.
What was your planning background before immigrating to Canada?
I already had a bachelor’s degree in City and Regional Planning from University of Engineering and Technology, and a master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Pakistan. I had worked full time as an Urban Planner for the Government of Punjab and served in the public sector for over a decade before permanently moving to Canada.
What challenges did you face as a foreign-trained planner in Canada?
After immigrating, I faced barriers with credential recognition and finding relevant employment to gain local experience. Translating my planning skills into the Canadian context was challenging, and trying to rebuild my professional network from scratch was not easy.
”TMU’s condensed one-year master’s program made it very convenient to start my Registered Professional Planner (RPP) certification process sooner and quickly re-establish my planning career in Canada.”
Why did you choose TMU’s one-year accelerated Master of Planning?
A number of reasons: I liked the program’s practical focus. It offered extensive local knowledge and helped me translate my skills. There were lots of opportunities for networking, making industry connections and gaining work experience. Also, the condensed one-year format made it very convenient to start my RPP certification process sooner and quickly re-establish my planning career in Canada
How did the program help you meet your professional and academic goals in Canada?
The school’s professors and staff were invested in my success — not just academically but also in creating networking opportunities. I always felt supported and encouraged to grow both professionally and personally, and the new connections I built during the one-year program made a significant impact in reestablishing my career as an urban planner.
Would you recommend the one-year accelerated stream — and to whom?
Yes! The one-year program is extremely helpful for foreign-trained professionals who need Canadian credentials and local industry knowledge to re-start their career. Since graduating, I’ve been actively promoting it to fellow planners who recently migrated to Canada and want to develop a strong network in the planning field.
Applications now open for January 2026!
TMU’s one-year accelerated Master of Planning program is Canada’s only one-year, fully accredited graduate planning degree, now offered in winter. Find out if you're eligible.