The postgraduate Public Policy program is designed to develop an understanding of the political, social, economic and organisational processes that shape, change, and limit public policymaking. Major areas include policymaking and policy analysis, public management and governance, and issues management.

The program 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 the private sector. 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 ‘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. Where possible, core units should be completed in the first semesters of enrolment.
• 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 or a 10,000-word supervised dissertation. The capstone should be completed in the final semester(s) of enrolment.

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 (e.g., 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

Website	Discipline of Government and International Relations
Email	Postgraduate Coursework Coordinator