Master of Public Administration (Management)

The Master of Public Administration (Management) is a 72-unit program which is part of the Graduate Program in Public Administration offered by the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. Entry is available at three levels - basic, progressive and advanced.

The course is available on-campus, by flexible delivery or in mixed mode: on-campus/flexible delivery. It requires two years of full-time study, or the equivalent part-time.

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

Admission requirements

• Basic level entry, requiring the completion of 72 units of work, is normally available to applicants who hold an approved degree or an equivalent qualification from an approved tertiary institution. However, the Faculty Board may, under certain circumstances and subject to specific conditions, admit others who can show evidence of fitness for candidature.
  
  
• Progressive level entry, requiring the completion of 54 units of work, is available 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. Credit may be granted, on application, for relevant work already completed in other approved programs. Progressive level entrants can undertake 18 units of the 54-unit program to complete the graduate diploma.
  
  
• Advanced level entry, requiring the completion of 36 units of work, is available to applicants who have completed the Graduate Diploma in Public Administration , or an approved equivalent with an acceptable GPA. Approved equivalents include an honours degree of the University in a field acceptable to the Board.

All applicants must submit to the Director of Studies a satisfactory proposal for a coherent program of studies.

* Students who have completed one of the graduate certificates or an approved equivalent but not an undergraduate degree must have achieved an acceptable GPA.

Course aims

The Master of Public Administration (Management) aims to provide a broad overview of issues in public policy and a strong foundation in understanding, knowledge and skills in the practice of management in a public or non-profit environment.

Learning outcomes

Graduates with a Master of Public Administration (Management) will be able to:

• understand contemporary trends and developments in public sector administration and management in both developing and developed countries
• apply relevant theories in analysing and developing responses to real world public administration and management problems
• demonstrate a broad range of skills needed to tackle problems and challenges facing public sector managers.
  

Program of study

To qualify for the Master of Public Administration (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 & 2 topics

36 units comprising:

 POAD9005  Contemporary Cases in Public Policy  (4.5 units)
 POAD9014  Public Policy  (4.5 units)
 POAD9017  Contemporary Public Policy: Theoretical Perspectives  (4.5 units)
 POAD9022  Public Management  (4.5 units)
 POAD9137  Ethics in Public Administration  (4.5 units)
 POAD9138  Governance and Public Policy  (4.5 units)

Select two topics from:

 POAD9130  Toolkit for Public Management  (4.5 units)##
 POAD9139  Organisational Politics, Culture and Management  (4.5 units)
 POAD9142  Leading and Managing Change  (4.5 units)

## students who have completed previous studies in organisational behaviour may substitute an alternative management elective.

plus 36 units of elective topics

Elective - Group A topics

Select at least 22.5 units from Group A topics:

 EDUC9601  Strategic Thinking and Planning  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9605  Knowledge Management for Organisational Learning  (4.5 units)
 POAD9026  Management in Non-Government Organisations  (4.5 units)
 POAD9028  Evaluation Methods  (4.5 units)
 POAD9034  Risk Management - Principles and Practice  (4.5 units)
 POAD9037  Financial Management  (4.5 units)
 POAD9044  Selected Issues in Public Management  (4.5 units)
 POAD9056  Asset Management  (4.5 units)
 POAD9118  Managing Human Resources in the Public Sector  (4.5 units)
 POAD9131  Development Administration  (4.5 units)
 POAD9135  Project Management  (4.5 units)
 POAD9139  Organisational Politics, Culture and Management  (4.5 units)

Elective - Group B topics

Select up to 13.5 units from Group B topics to make a total of 36 units of elective topics:

 EDUC9762  Introduction to Statistics  (4.5 units)
 INTR9054  The Alliance: The Strategic Shaping of Australia and US Trade Policy  (4.5 units)*
 POAD9015  Economics and Public Policy  (4.5 units)
 POAD9018  Housing Policy  (4.5 units)
 POAD9030  Indigenous Issues in Public Policy  (4.5 units)*
 POAD9043  Selected Issues in Public Policy  (4.5 units)
 POAD9119  Regionalism, Decentralisation and Governance  (4.5 units)
 POAD9129  Environmental Policy and Governance  (4.5 units)
 POAD9132  Action learning project/internship  (9 units)
 POAD9133  Critical Systems Thinking and Practice  (4.5 units)
 POAD9134  Democracy and Sustainability  (4.5 units)
 POAD9136  Culture and Public Policy  (4.5 units)
 POAD9141  Qualitative Research Methods  (4.5 units)
 POLI9004  The Politics of Climate Change  (4.5 units)*
 SOAD9104  Social Policy  (4.5 units)
 WMST8008  Engendering Justice, Rights, and Representation: Gender, State and Citizenship  (4.5 units)*

*= not available in distance mode

With the approval of the Director of Studies, up to three topics can be chosen from other post-graduate programs within the University.