Public Policy

The purpose of the Master of Public Policy is to provide public policy education of international renown for professionals to develop further as leaders in a variety of public sector roles, including public services, third sector organisations or government affairs positions in the private sector. The MPP's scope includes providing students with an introduction to the latest disciplinary policy debates in the social sciences and, with a mixture of theory and practice, to build the analytical tools and knowledge necessary for high quality policy analysis, including design, advocacy, and evaluation, as well as building political and program management capabilities.

Career Options

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Demonstrate deep knowledge and understanding of key debates and thinking in the field of public policy, in Australia and globally
2. Reflect critically on and engage in key theoretical debates in the field of public policy
3. Engage influentially in debates and analysis of public policy issues and practical challenges across cultural, developmental and institutional contexts
4. Demonstrate knowledge of research principles and both qualitative and quantitative methodologies relevant to the field of public policy
5. Identify and apply appropriate research methods to public policy challenges
6. Analyse, synthesise and communicate complex, political and institutional policy problems from multiple perspectives
7. Develop innovative policy recommendations to complex problems in changing policy environments
8. Understand challenges relating to management, implementation and evaluation of public policies and respond to these in innovative ways

Cognate disciplines

Economic Policy, Economics, Law, International Politics, Policy Studies, Political Economy, Political Sciences, Sociology

The Master of Public Policy 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:

36 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:

POGO8012 Governance and Institutions

POGO8019 The Economic Way of Thinking 2

POGO8024 Social Policy, Society and Change

POGO8062 Public Sector Management

POGO8072 Development Theories and Themes

POGO8117 Program Management

6 units from completion of an economics course from the following list:

POGO8016 The Economic Way of Thinking 1

POGO8081 Economics for Government

6 units from completion of a policy course from the following list:

POGO8082 Political Institutions and Policy Processes

POGO8090 Making and Evaluating Policy

48 units from completion of the following concluding component:

12 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:

CRWF8000 Government, Markets and Global Change

POGO8096 Research Methods (6 units)

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

POGO8004 Poverty Reduction

POGO8015 Services and Investment Policy

POGO8021 Public Sector Ethics

POGO8025 Social Policy Analysis

POGO8029 Health Policy in a Globalising World

POGO8032 Comparative Public Sector Management

POGO8035 Research Project

POGO8044 Global Social Policy

POGO8048 Public Finance, Globalisation and Development

POGO8049 Planning and Policy (Population Policy)

POGO8050 Empirical Political Analysis 2: Political Economy

POGO8055 Case Studies in Public Sector Management

POGO8057 Managing Government Finances

POGO8076 Corruption and Anti-Corruption

POGO8080 Organisational Finance and Budgeting

POGO8083 Policy Advocacy

POGO8084 Principles of Social Policy

POGO8085 Implementing Social Policy

POGO8088 New models for governance: strategy, innovation, decentralisation

POGO8095 Development Policy and Practice

POGO8096 Research Methods (6 units)

POGO8101 Policy Process and Analysis

POGO8102 Selected Themes in Public Policy: Urbanisation and Human Settlement

POGO8111 Public Sector Leadership

POGO8115 International Negotiations

A maximum of 30 units from completion of courses from the following list:

POGO8004 Poverty Reduction

POGO8015 Services and Investment Policy

POGO8021 Public Sector Ethics

POGO8025 Social Policy Analysis

POGO8029 Health Policy in a Globalising World

POGO8032 Comparative Public Sector Management

POGO8035 Research Project

POGO8044 Global Social Policy

POGO8048 Public Finance, Globalisation and Development

POGO8049 Planning and Policy (Population Policy)

POGO8050 Empirical Political Analysis 2: Political Economy

POGO8055 Case Studies in Public Sector Management

POGO8057 Managing Government Finances

POGO8076 Corruption and Anti-Corruption

POGO8080 Organisational Finance and Budgeting

POGO8083 Policy Advocacy

POGO8084 Principles of Social Policy

POGO8085 Implementing Social Policy

POGO8088 New models for governance: strategy, innovation, decentralisation

POGO8095 Development Policy and Practice

POGO8101 Policy Process and Analysis

POGO8102 Selected Themes in Public Policy: Urbanisation and Human Settlement

POGO8111 Public Sector Leadership

POGO8115 International Negotiations

EMDV8079 International Water Politics

POGO8210 Case Studies in Economic Policy

EMDV8080 International Climate Change Policy and Economics

POGO8213 The Global Trading System

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

NSPO8007 National Security: Concepts and Challenges

A Bachelor degree or international equivalent with at least 3 years' work experience in public policy.

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.

Credit may also be available for relevant work experience.

Students must complete the preliminary component to continue to the initial component.

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.