Public Policy
Overview
| This page was first published on 14 November 2025 and was last amended on 18 November 2025. View details of the changes below. |
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The postgraduate program in Public Policy is primarily intended for those who serve, or seek to serve, in government but is also suitable for employment in non-government organisations (NGOs) or corporations. Candidates admitted directly to the Master of Public Policy who have completed a qualification in a relevant discipline or possess relevant professional experience may be eligible for a reduction in course requirements (refer to ‘Reduced volume of learning (RVL)’ below for further details).
The program is designed to develop an understanding of the political, social, economic and organisational processes that shape, change, and limit public policy making. Major areas include policy making and policy analysis, public management and governance, and issues management.
The ‘nested’ program comprises a graduate certificate, graduate diploma, and master’s, allowing students the flexibility to enter or exit at any of these levels, subject to meeting the relevant criteria. The master’s includes an optional dissertation, which provides a pathway to higher degree by research (e.g., PhD) studies.
Students complete units of study in the following categories, as appropriate to their level of study:
- Core: fundamentals of public policy and public administration
- Selective: choice of study in a range of specialist areas
- Elective (optional): choice of study in related disciplines
- Specialisation (optional): choice of Economic Policy, Political Economy, or Social Policy
- Capstone: application of the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the master’s to an independent research project, culminating in the submission of either a 5,000-word project/essay or a 10,000-word supervised dissertation.
Admission criteria and course requirements
Please refer to the course resolutions for admission criteria and course requirements.
A summary of course requirements and list of units of study available in the program can be found in the unit of study table.
Reduced volume of learning (RVL)
Candidates admitted directly to the Master of Public Policy who have completed a qualification in a relevant discipline or possess relevant professional experience may be eligible for a reduction in course requirements in accordance with the table below.
| Level of prior learning | Full-time duration | Credit points to complete |
|---|---|---|
| AQF Level 7 (e.g., a bachelor's degree in the humanities, social sciences or law) | 1.5 years | 72 |
| AQF Level 8 (eg., honours degree in the humanities, social sciences, or law) | 1 year | 48 |
| Relevant professional experience | Varies* | Varies* |
AQF: Australian Qualifications Framework
* reduction in requirements is considered on a case-by-case basis up to a maximum of 24 credit points
Contacts and further information
Post-publication amendments
Date |
Original publication |
Post-publication amendment |
|---|---|---|
| 18/11/2025 | Overview section published as: The Master of Public Policy is offered within the Discipline of Government and International Relations. The programs in Public Policy are primarily intended for those who serve, or seek to serve, in government though it is also suitable for employment in non-government organisations (NGOs) or corporations. They are designed to develop an understanding of the political, social, economic and organisational processes that shape, change and limit public policy programs. Major areas of interest include policy making and policy analysis, public management and governance, and issues management. |
Overview section amended to: The postgraduate program in Public Policy is primarily intended for those who serve, or seek to serve, in government but is also suitable for employment in non-government organisations (NGOs) or corporations. [Candidates admitted directly to the Master of Public Policy who have completed a qualification in a relevant discipline or possess relevant professional experience may be eligible for a reduction in course requirements (refer to ‘Reduced volume of learning (RVL)’ below for further details).] The program is designed to develop an understanding of the political, social, economic and organisational processes that shape, change, and limit public policy making. Major areas include policy making and policy analysis, public management and governance, and issues management. [The ‘nested’ program comprises a graduate certificate, graduate diploma, and master’s, allowing students the flexibility to enter or exit at any of these levels, subject to meeting the relevant criteria. The master’s includes an optional dissertation, which provides a pathway to higher degree by research (e.g., PhD) studies. Students complete units of study in the following categories, as appropriate to their level of study: • Core: fundamentals of public policy and public administration • Selective: choice of study in a range of specialist areas • Elective (optional): choice of study in related disciplines • Specialisation (optional): choice of Economic Policy, Political Economy, or Social Policy • Capstone: application of the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the master’s to an independent research project, culminating in the submission of either a 5,000-word project/essay or a 10,000-word supervised dissertation.] |
| 18/11/2025 | Admission criteria and course requirements section published as: Please refer to the course resolutions in this Handbook for the admission criteria and course requirements for the Master of Public Policy and its embedded courses. |
Admission criteria and course requirements section amended to: Please refer to the course resolutions for admission criteria and course requirements. [A summary of course requirements and list of units of study available in the program can be found in the unit of study table.] |
| 18/11/2025 | Reduced volume of learning (RVL) section published as: Candidates who have completed previous study in a relevant discipline may be eligible for a reduction in the requirements in accordance with the table below. * Reduction in requirements may be granted on a case-by-case basis by Departmental approval up to a maximum of 24 credit points. |
Reduced volume of learning (RVL) section amended to: Candidates admitted directly to the Master of Public Policy who have completed a qualification in a relevant discipline or possess relevant professional experience may be eligible for a reduction in course requirements in accordance with the table below. AQF: Australian Qualifications Framework * reduction in requirements is considered on a case-by-case basis up to a maximum of 24 credit points. |
