Master of Public Policy and Management

The Master of Public Policy and Management is a 72-unit program which is part of the Graduate Program in Public Administration offered by the College of Business, Government and Law. This course can be completed entirely online, entirely on campus, or by mixing online study with on campus study. Depending on credit granted for relevant prior study, the program may be completed in as little as 8 months of full-time study, or equivalent part-time. Without credit granted the program can be completed in 15 months of full-time study online or two years full-time study on campus (or equivalent part-time).

• Admission requirements
• Course aims
• Learning outcomes
• Program of study
  

Admission requirements

The Master of Public Policy and Management is normally available to applicants who hold an approved degree or an equivalent qualification from an approved tertiary institution.

Students who have completed a Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management or Graduate Certificate in Public Policy or an approved equivalent, but not an undergraduate degree, must also meet a GPA requirement.

However, the Dean (Education) may, under certain circumstances and subject to specific conditions, admit others who can show evidence of fitness for candidature.

Credit

Up to 18 units credit may be granted to applicants who have completed the 18-unit Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management or the 18-unit Graduate Certificate in Public Policy or an approved equivalent.

Up to 36 units credit may be granted to applicants who have completed the Graduate Diploma in Public Administration or an approved equivalent. Approved equivalents include an honours degree of the University in an acceptable field.

Course aims

The Master of Public Policy and Management aims to provide students with a thorough grounding in public administration, management and policy and to undertake research in one or more of these areas.

Learning outcomes 

Graduates completing the Master of Public Policy and Management will:

• have an integrated and advanced understanding of concepts, theories, contemporary trends and developments in public policy, administration and management;
• have the ability to reflect on and synthesise complex information and issues, and apply relevant theories to the analysis of problems and challenges in public administration, public policy and public management;
• have developed appropriate critical research and evaluative skills, and the capacity to clearly articulate the implications of their findings for the theory and practice of public administration, public policy and/or public management; and
• have the capacity to transmit knowledge, skills and ideas to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Program of study

To qualify for the Master of Public Policy and Management a student must complete 72 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the following program of study:

Core - Year 1 topics

27 units comprising:

POAD8014 Public Policy (4.5 units)*
POAD8022 Public Management (4.5 units)*
POAD8007 Policy Analysis: Frameworks, Approaches and Values (4.5 units)
POAD8017 Contemporary Public Policy: Theoretical Perspectives (4.5 units)
POAD8137 Professional Ethics and Public Administration (4.5 units)
POAD8138 Governance and Public Policy (4.5 units)

Option - Year 2 topics

Plus 9 units selected from:

POAD8130 Toolkit for Public Management (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)

Plus 22.5 units selected from:

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 Financial Management (4.5 units)
POAD9045 Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods (4.5 units)
POAD9129 Environmental Policy and Governance (4.5 units)
POAD9118 Managing Human Resources in the Public Sector (4.5 units)
POAD9119 Regionalism, Decentralisation and Governance (4.5 units)
POAD9135 Project Governance (4.5 units)

Core - Research topics

POAD9058 Research Design (4.5 units)
POAD9057 Professional Research Project (9 units)

*It is expected that POAD8014 Public Policy and POAD8022 Public Management will normally be completed before other topics are undertaken.