Public Administration

The Master of Public Administration program is designed for future leaders of government, civil society and market organisations responsible for pursuing the public interest. It integrates theory and practice in enhancing understanding, knowledge and skills essential to the management and leadership of public organisations. It does this through various analytical lens that structure, guide and inform an assessment of the complexities and challenges of organising public action within and across the state, market and civil society.

The compulsory and elective subjects explore contemporary public issues and dilemmas locally, regionally and globally. The emphasis is on key disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives on public administration, management and governance, as clustered in terms of people and finance, law and regulation, policy systems, and international governance. The aim throughout is to foster debate and provide comparative insights in addressing the dynamics of continuity and change in government and governance.

Career Options

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the skills and knowledge to:

1. Demonstrate understanding of historical, comparative and theoretical perspectives on public sector management and leadership
2. Demonstrate deep knowledge and understanding of key debates and thinking in the field of public sector management and leadership, in Australia and globally
3. Reflect critically on and engage in key theoretical debates in the field of public sector management and leadership
4. Demonstrate knowledge of research principles and both qualitative and quantitative methodologies relevant to the field of public sector management and leadership
5. Apply conceptual analysis and evidence to investigate, analyse and synthesise complex management, leadership and policy challenges from multiple perspectives
6. Apply self-management, communication, influencing and teamwork skills to complex management and leadership challenges.

Cognate disciplines

Economic Policy, Economics, Law, International Politics, Political Economy, Political Sciences, Project Management, Sociology

The Master of Public Administration requires the completion of 96 units, which must consist of:

Completion of the following pre-sessional component:

CRWF6900 Graduate Academic and Research Skills for Public Policy

POGO6900 Graduate Preparatory Economic, Social and Political Analysis

48 units from completion of the following initial component:

48 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:

POGO8012 Governance and Institutions

POGO8016 The Economic Way of Thinking 1

POGO8019 The Economic Way of Thinking 2

POGO8024 Social Policy, Society and Change

POGO8062 Public Sector Management

POGO8072 Development Theories and Themes

POGO8090 Making and Evaluating Policy

POGO8117 Program Management

48 units from completion of the following concluding component:

24 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:

CRWF8000 Government, Markets and Global Change

POGO8032 Comparative Public Sector Management

POGO8096 Research Methods (6 units)

POGO8111 Public Sector Leadership

A minimum of 18 units from completion of courses from the following list:

LAWS8034 Law and Regulation

POGO8001 International Dimensions of Public Administration

POGO8021 Public Sector Ethics

POGO8029 Health Policy in a Globalising World

POGO8044 Global Social Policy

POGO8048 Public Finance

POGO8055 Case Studies in Public Sector Management

POGO8056 People and Performance in Public Organisations

POGO8057 Managing Government Finances

POGO8076 Corruption and Anti-corruption

POGO8081 Economics for Government

POGO8082 Political Institutions and Policy Processes

POGO8083 Policy Advocacy

A maximum of 6 units from completion of courses from the following list:

POGO8004      Poverty Reduction

POGO8015      Services and Investment Policy

POGO8025      Social Policy Analysis

POGO8035      Research Project

POGO8049      Planning and Policy (Population Policy)

POGO8023      Empirical Political Analysis 1: Public Opinion

POGO8050      Empirical Political Analysis 2: Political Economy

POGO8080      Organisational Finance and Budgeting

POGO8081      Economics for Government

POGO8084      Principles of Social Policy

POGO8085      Implementing Social Policy

POGO8095      Development Policy and Practice

POGO8101      Policy Process and Analysis

POGO8102      Selected Themes in Public Policy: Urbanisation and Human Settlement

POGO8115      International Negotiations: Challenging the WTO's Food Trading Regime

POGO8210      Case Studies in Economic Policy

POGO8213      The Global Trading System

EMDV8079      International Water Politics

EMDV8080      International Climate Change Policy and Economics

EMDV8081      Domestic Climate Change Policy and Economics

EMDV8082      Food Wars: Food Security and Agricultural Policy

SOCY8004       Interest Groups, Advocacy and Public Policy

IDEC8007        Aid and Development Policy

IDEC8088        Applied Economics: Cost/Benefit Analysis

ANTH8009       Development in Practice

ANTH8028       Introduction to Social Impact Studies

ANTH8032       Law, Order and Conflict in the Pacific

EURO8003       The European Union: regional integrations in comparative perspective

POPH8103       Introduction to Health Policy and Administration

A Bachelor degree or international equivalent, with at least three years' work experience in public administration.

All applicants must meet the University's English Language Admission Requirements for Students

Applicants with a Bachelor Degree or Graduate Certificate in a cognate discipline may be eligible for 24 units (one semester) of credit.

Applicants with a Graduate Diploma or Honours in a cognate discipline may be eligible for 48 units (one year) of credit.

Students must achieve a minimum 65% weighted average mark in the initial component to continue to the concluding component.

ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.

Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are.  Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.