The Graduate Diploma in Public Administration is a 36-unit program which is part of the Graduate Program in Public Administration offered by the College of Business, Government and Law.
It is available on campus, by online study or in mixed mode, and students may move between mode of study on a topic by topic basis. The Graduate Diploma requires one year of full-time study (or the equivalent part-time).
It articulates with:
Students who have completed one of the Graduate Certificates or an approved equivalent normally receive credit for 18 units of topics towards the Graduate Diploma. In turn, those who complete the Graduate Diploma normally receive 36 units of credit should they wish to proceed with a Masters degree.
Alternatively, students who enrol directly in the Graduate Diploma may choose to complete only the requirements for the Graduate Certificates in Public Policy or Public Sector Management and exit with one of those awards.
Admission requirements
Applicants must normally hold either the Graduate Certificate in Development Administration, Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management, Graduate Certificate in Public Policy* (or an approved equivalent); or an approved degree or equivalent qualification from an approved tertiary institution. However, the Dean (Education) may, under certain circumstances and subject to specific conditions, admit others who can show evidence of fitness for candidature.
* Those who were admitted to the Graduate Certificate without completing an undergraduate degree must have attained an acceptable GPA in the Graduate Certificate to be eligible to proceed to the Graduate Diploma.
Credit
Credit may be granted, on application, for relevant work already completed in other approved
programs.
Course aims
The Graduate Diploma in Public Administration aims to provide a broad overview of issues in public policy, management and administration and to provide a foundation for those wishing to pursue studies at the Masters level.
Learning outcomes
Graduates with a Graduate Diploma in Public Administration will be able to:
- understand contemporary trends and developments in public policy, public sector administration and management in both developed and developing countries
- demonstrate the ability to apply relevant theories in explaining and analysing real world public policy, public sector administration and management problems.
Program of Study
To qualify for the Graduate Diploma in Public Administration, students must complete 36 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the program of study below.
Not all topics are necessarily available in a given year.
Except with permission of the Dean (Education):
- no topic may be attempted more than twice
- the program must be completed within six consecutive semesters or where credit has been granted for previous work, a period determined by the Board.
The award of a grade of Fail (F) in 12 or more units may constitute prima facie evidence of unsatisfactory progress for the purposes of the University's Policy on Student Progress.
Core - Year 1 topics
9 units comprising:
POAD8014 Public Policy (4.5 units)*
POAD8022 Public Management (4.5 units)*
Plus 4.5 units selected from:
POAD8007 Policy Analysis: Frameworks, Approaches and Values (4.5 units)
POAD8017 Contemporary Public Policy: Theoretical Perspectives (4.5 units)
POAD8138 Governance and Public Policy (4.5 units)
Plus 4.5 units selected from:
POAD8130 Toolkit for Public Management (4.5 units)
POAD8137 Professional Ethics and Public Administration (4.5 units)
POAD8139 Organisational Politics, Culture and Management in the Public Sector (4.5 units)
POAD8142 Strategic Change Management in the Public Sector (4.5 units)
Option - Year 1 topics
At least 18 units selected from the list below or from the list of core topics above:
POAD9015 Economics and Public Policy (4.5 units)
POAD9028 Evaluation Methods for NGOs and the Public Sector (4.5 units)
POAD9034 Risk Management in the Public Sector (4.5 units)
POAD9037 Public Financial Management (4.5 units)
POAD9118 Managing Human Resources in the Public Sector (4.5 units)
POAD9119 Regionalism, Decentralisation and Governance (4.5 units)
POAD9129 Environmental Policy and Governance (4.5 units)
POAD9135 Project Governance (4.5 units)
*It is expected that POAD8014 Public Policy and POAD8022 Public Management will normally be completed before other topics are undertaken.
