Skip to main content
Search the University of Sydney website

Public Policy

Unit of study table

Master of Public Policy

Students complete 96 credit points, including:
(a) 24 credit points of core unit of study
(b) a minimum of 42 and a maximum of 66 credit points of selective units of study; and
(c) a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 12 credit points from capstone units of study; and
(d) a maximum of 24 credit points from elective units of study; and
(e) may elect to take an 18 credit point optional specialisation, from:
(i) Economic Policy
(ii) Social Policy
(iii) Political Economy
(f) Students may complete up to 12 credit points of elective units of study outside the Public Policy postgraduate Unit of Study table, with permission of the relevant delegate.

Graduate Diploma in Public Policy

Students complete 48 credit points comprising:
(a) a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 24 credit points of core units of study; and
(b) a minimum of 24 and a maximum of 36 credit points from selective units of study and
(c) a maximum of 12 credit points from elective units of study.

Graduate Certificate in Public Policy

Students complete 24 credit points comprising:
(a) a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 24 credit points of core units of study; and
(b) a maximum of 12 credit points from selective units of study.
Unit of study Credit points A: Assumed knowledge P: Prerequisites
C: Corequisites N: Prohibition

Core units of study

GOVT6139
Research Design
6  
GOVT6311
Policy Problems in Turbulent Times
6  
GOVT6316
The Politics of Policy Making
6  
GOVT6331
Public Administration and Governance
6  

Selective units of study

GOVT6123
Globalisation and Governance
6  
GOVT6135
Global Environmental Politics
6  
GOVT6150
Challenges of Democratic Politics
6  
GOVT6156
Strategy and Civil Society
6  
GOVT6159
Emotions, Agenda Setting, and Public Policy
6  
GOVT6223
Topics in Environmental Politics
6  
GOVT6229
Campaigning: Data, Politics, Strategy
6  
GOVT6301
Public Sector Ethics and Corruption

6  
GOVT6313
Leadership in Theory and Practice
6  
GOVT6336
Media Politics

6  
GOVT6357
International Policy Making
6  
GOVT6358
Comparative Migration Policy
6  
SCLG6910
Comparative Welfare States
6 N SCWK6909
SCWK6949
Global Social Policy
6  

Capstone units of study

(1) Semester-long research project
GOVT6127
Research Project/Essay
6  
(2) Year-long dissertation project
Students wishing to complete the year-long dissertation project must have completed GOVT6139 Research Design
GOVT6340
Dissertation Part 1
6 P Completion of 4 postgraduate units - 75% or above average
GOVT6341
Dissertation Part 2
6 C GOVT6340

Elective units of study

ECMT5001
Principles of Econometrics
6  
ECON5001
Microeconomic Theory
6 N ECON5040
ECON5002
Macroeconomic Theory
6 N ECON5003
ECON5004
Communication in Economics
6 N BUSS5020
ECON5006
Economics of Law and Public Policy
6 P (ECON5001 or ECON5040) and ECMT5001
ECON6018
Environmental Economics
6 P ECON5001 or ECON5040 or ECON6701
ECON6029
Health Economics and Policy Evaluation
6 P (ECON5001 or ECON5040 or ECON6701) and (ECMT5001 or ECMT6702 or QBUS5001)
ECOP6012
Country Risk Analysis
6  
ECOP6016
China in the Global Economy
6  
ECOP6017
Global Inequality
6  
ECOP6018
Economic Development: Growth and Wellbeing
6  
ECOP6101
Political Economy: A Primer
6  
ECOP6103
Economic Policy
6  
ECOP6108
Economy-Environment Sustainability
6
ECOP6115
History of Australian Capitalism
6
ECOP6901
Finance and Economic Change
6
EDPA6018
Social Policy Process
6
EDPB5016
Global Education and Equity
6
FASS6001
Dimensions of Inequality
6  
GOVT6100
Foundations of Comparative Politics
6  
GOVT6138
Gender, Family and the State
6  
SCLG6903
Topics in Rights, Justice and Society
6  
SCLG6901
Citizenship Rights and Social Movements
6 N SCWK6901
SCLG6910
Comparative Welfare States
6 N SCWK6909
SCWK6052
Community and Environmental Change
6  
SSPS6001
Quantitative Methods in Social Sciences
6  
SSPS6002
Qualitative Methods in the Social Sciences
6  
SSPS6003
Vocational Placement
6
Where appropriate, prior professional experience will be taken into account when assessing eligibility for this unit.
SSPS6004
Social Research Ethics
6 N SCLG6902 or SCLG3003
SSPS6008
Universal Basic Income
6  
WRIT6000
Professional Writing

6  
USSC6007
Intelligence Agencies and Emerging Tech
6  
USSC6205
Internship Project
6  
USSC6902
US Politics: The World of Washington
6  
USSC6903
US Foreign and National Security Policy
6  
USSC6910
Special Topics in US Studies
6  
USSC6922
The US in the Indo-Pacific
6  

Exchange units of study

Available to Master of Public Policy students only
FASS6901
Exchange and Study Abroad
6  
FASS6902
Exchange and Study Abroad
6  
FASS6903
Exchange and Study Abroad
6  
FASS6904
Exchange and Study Abroad
6  

Optional Specialisations

The Economic Policy specialisation is suitable for students with little or no background in economics; however, knowledge of mathematics (equivalent to HSC Mathematics Advanced) is assumed.
12 credit points from the following core units of study
ECON5001
Microeconomic Theory
6 ECON5040
ECON5002
Macroeconomic Theory
6 ECON5003
6 credit points from the following selective units of study
ECMT5001
Principles of Econometrics
6  
ECON5004
Communication in Economics
6 BUSS5020
ECON5006
Economics of Law and Public Policy
6 ECON5001 or ECON5040
ECON6018
Environmental Economics
6 ECON5001 or ECON5040 or ECON6701
ECON6029
Health Economics and Policy Evaluation
6 (ECON5001 or ECON5040 or ECON6701) and (ECMT5001 or ECMT6702 or QBUS5001)
12 credit points from the following core units of study:
EDPA6018
Social Policy Process
6  
SCWK6948
Social Policy Frameworks
6  
6 credit points from the following selective units of study:
EDPB5016
Global Education and Equity
6  
FASS6001
Dimensions of Inequality
6  
SCWK6052
Community and Environmental Change
6  
SCLG6901
Citizenship Rights and Social Movements
6 SCWK6901
SCLG6903
Topics in Rights, Justice and Society
6  
18 credit points from the following selective units of study:
ECOP6012
Country Risk Analysis
6  
ECOP6016
China in the Global Economy
6  
ECOP6017
Global Inequality
6  
ECOP6018
Economic Development: Growth and Wellbeing
6  
ECOP6101
Political Economy: A Primer
6  
ECOP6103
Dynamics of Economic Change
6  
ECOP6108
Economy-Environment Sustainability

6  
ECOP6115
History of Australian Capitalism
6  
ECOP6901
Finance and Economic Change
6