Bachelor of Public Administration

Admission requirements

The minimum requirements for consideration for entry to all undergraduate courses are specified in detail in the University Entry Requirements.

Course aims

The Bachelor of Public Administration aims to:

produce graduates equipped with substantive academic knowledge and professional skills related to:
the values and processes of governance within modern societies
governmental and public-sector institutions
the policy, regulatory and service-delivery roles of the public sector
policy analysis
the effective management of organisations, programs, resources and people
provide students with the opportunity to acquire specialist knowledge of the specific policy areas in which they are most interested
articulate smoothly with recognised VET-accredited courses in government and management through appropriate credit-recognition protocols
provide students with opportunities to acquire and develop generic workplace-related skills and experiences.

Learning outcomes

Bachelor of Public Administration graduates should be able to:

apply their professional knowledge to the formulation of policies, the provision of policy advice, the preparation of political analyses, the undertaking of policy research, and the evaluation of programs particularly within the non-profit and public sectors
apply their professional knowledge in relation to the regulatory role of government, and to assisting government in relation to its interactions with the business sector
contribute to the formulation, implementation and evaluation processes within specific specialist areas of policy, which may include economic, trade, environmental, social, housing, Indigenous affairs, foreign and education policies
apply skills relating to information processing, archival research, documentary and data interpretation, bibliographic compilation, normative evaluation and other related analytical and research techniques
communicate in a professional manner through analytical professional reports and effective verbal presentations
be well equipped for graduate-entry employment positions, especially within the public and non-profit sectors.

Program of study

To qualify for the Bachelor of Public Administrationt, a student must complete 108 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the program of study below. All topics are worth 4.5 units.

Electives may be selected from any offered by the University provided entry and course requirements are met. The 108 units include at least 27 units, but no more than 45 units of First Year topics.

Not all topics are necessarily available in a given year.

The sequences in Public Policy and Management are as specified:

a full 36-unit sequence in Public Policy including five mandatory core topics - POLI1003 An Introduction to Democracy and Government, POLI1012 Introduction to Political Ideas and Public Policy, POLI2002 Government Business and Society, POLI2011 Australian Public Policy: Applications, Issues and Dilemmas, and POLI3010Advanced Perspectives on Public Policy, the last also serving as a capstone topic for the course as a whole;
a full 36-unit sequence in Management, including five mandatory core topics - BUSN1011 Accounting For Managers, BUSN1012 Management, People and Organisations, BUSN2038 Human Resource Management, BUSN2022 The Australian Economy, and BUSN3043 Governance, Sustainability and Ethics.

Using the protocols of the University Policy on Credit Transfer, a smooth articulation has been arranged with recognised VET-accredited courses in management, business or government . This may include specific status for the required major sequence in Management. Where appropriate, up to 54 units of status will be awarded.

Except with permission of the Dean (Education) the course must be completed within 10 consecutive years or, where credit has been granted for previous work, a period determined by the Board.

Core - Year 1 topics

22.5 units comprising:

BUSN1011  Accounting For Managers (4.5 units)
BUSN1012  Management, People and Organisations  (4.5 units)
COMS1001 Academic and Professional Communication (4.5 units)*
POLI1003  An Introduction to Democracy and Government  (4.5 units)
POLI1012 Introduction to Political Ideas and Public Policy (4.5 units)

Plus 9 units of approved First Year Cognate Topics:

Any year 1 POLI, INTR, BUSN, DVST, LEGL topics, and AMST1002, GEOG1002, HIST1203, HIST1802, HIST1803, INTR1101, PHIL1060

Plus 4.5 units of elective topics:

Electives may be chosen from any year 1 topic offered by the University provided topic prerequisites are met.

Core - Year 2 topics

18 units comprising:

BUSN2022  The Australian Economy (4.5 units)
BUSN2038  Human Resource Management (4.5 units)
POLI2002  Government Business and Society (4.5 units)
POLI2011  Australian Public Policy: Applications, Issues and Dilemmas (4.5 units)

Plus one of:

BUSN1021 Organisational Behaviour (4.5 units)
BUSN1022 Marketing Principles (4.5 units)

Plus 9 units of Year 2 & 3 Public Policy sequence topics (note: 9 unit Second or Third Year Public Policy sequence topics may not be chosen until Year 3)

Plus 4.5 units of approved elective topics:

Electives may be chosen from any year 2 topic offered by the University provided topic prerequisites are met.

Core - Year 3 topics

18 units comprising:

BUSN3043  Governance, Sustainability and Ethics (4.5 units)
POLI3010  Advanced Perspectives on Public Policy (4.5 units)
BUSN2019  International Business Context (4.5 units)
BUSN3052  Leadership in Business and Society (4.5 units)

Plus 13.5 units of Year 2 & 3 Public Policy sequence topics

Plus 4.5 units of approved elective topics:

Electives may be chosen from any year 3 topic offered by the University provided topic prerequisites are met.

Option - Year 2 & 3 Public Policy topics

AMST2002  American Politics (4.5 units)
AMST3013  The Alliance and the Rise of China  (4.5 units)
DVST2701  Sustainable Development (4.5 units)
GEOG3702  Cities, Geography and Policy (4.5 units)
INTR2003  Political Economy of the Asia-Pacific Region (4.5 units)
INTR3001  Australian Foreign Policy (4.5 units)
PHIL2601  Ethics for Professionals (4.5 units)
POLI2005  Politics of the European Union (4.5 units)
POLI2010 Contemporary Political Ideas (4.5 units)
POLI2012  Environmental Politics (4.5 units)
POLI2019 Parties, Voting Behaviour and Elections (4.5 units)
POLI2020  Australian Indigenous Politics (4.5 units)
POLI2025  The Politics of The Australian Welfare State (4.5 units)
POLI2026  Research Methods in Political Science (4.5 units)
POLI3007  South Australian Parliamentary Internship (9 units)
POLI3011  People and Politics: Australia, Canada and the United States (4.5 units)
POLI3067 Access and Equity: Social Issues in Public Policy (4.5 units)
POLI3103   Politics and the Internet (4.5 units)
SCME2100  Media Policy (4.5 units)
SOAD3006 Practice Research (4.5 units)
WMST2012  Sex, Gender and Identities in Australia (4.5 units)
WORK3200 Social & Policy Studies Workplace Research Project (4.5 units)

* Under certain conditions the core topic COMS1001 may be replaced with an alternative topic. See COMS1001 for further details. Students are not required to enrol in COMS1001 when undertaking this degree in combination with any of the following:

VET ENTRY PATHWAY (54 units)

Students who have completed a VET Diploma or Advanced Diploma in Management, Business, Government or related areas can apply to study the Bachelor of Public Administration (VET pathway).

Students admitted to this pathway will receive credit amounting to half of the course requirements (1.5 years of credit), meaning that 1.5 years of full time study (or the equivalent part-time) will be required. Credit comprises 36 units of “Block Credit” (27 units to be applied toward the Management Major sequence, and 9 units of first level Cognate Topics), and 18 units of “Unspecified Credit”.

Topics are available externally (through on-line delivery) or through face-to-face delivery

Core - Year 1 topics

13.5 units comprising:

BUSN1011 Accounting For Managers (4.5 units)
POLI1003 An Introduction to Democracy and Government (4.5 units)
POLI1012 Introduction to Political Ideas and Public Policy (4.5 units)

Plus 9 units of

Approved First Year Cognate Topics:

Any year 1 POLI, INTR, BUSN, DVST, LEGL topics, and AMST1002, GEOG1002, HIST1203, HIST1802, HIST1803, INTR1101, PHIL1060

Approved Year Year 2 & 3 Public Policy sequence topics

Core - Year 2 topics

13.5 units:

BUSN2022  The Australian Economy (4.5 units)
POLI2002  Government Business and Society (4.5 units)
POLI2011  Australian Public Policy: Applications, Issues and Dilemmas (4.5 units)

Plus 4.5 units of Year 2 & 3 Public Policy sequence topic

Core - Year 3 topics

4.5 units:

POLI3010 Advanced Perspectives on Public Policy (4.5 units)

Plus 9 units of approved Year 2 & 3 Public Policy sequence topics

Notes:

Students admitted through the VET pathway and who receive 54 units of credit are required to complete BUSN1011 and BUSN2022
BUSN 2022 can be taken in any year
Other topics may not be available each year