University of Canberra
Master of Public Policy
- Delivery: Online
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 24 months
- Course Type: Master's
Equips students with advanced skills in policy analysis, strategic decision-making and governance, preparing them to tackle complex public challenges and drive impactful policy reforms.
Course overview
The Faculty of Business, Government and Law's Master of Public Policy is an applied, multi-disciplinary, contemporary and entirely online, with a core focus on data analytics, economic modelling, policy analysis, and policy evaluation. The Master of Public Policy is aimed at middle-level managers and professionals in the workforce industries that service the community in Canberra and Australia more widely, including the Australian Public Service, local and state governments and not-for-profit sectors aiming to influence government policy. The degree has a broader focus beyond the practice of lobbying, including advocacy. It is aimed at professionals in government and non-government organisations, providing a practically orientated 'transformative experience'. The design of the degree is informed by an Indigenous engagement strategy central to the mission of the University of Canberra. It includes complex and critical issues relevant to the needs of Australia's changing and dynamic public sector. These include policy development, project and stakeholder management, project planning and development skills and policy implementation. The degree draws on leading practitioners, industry experts and world-leading academics from the Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, Canberra Law School, Canberra Business School, the Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling, the Centre for Change Governance, the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance, the 50/50 by 2030 Foundation, Democracy 2025 and the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Canberra.
Key facts
What you will study
The Master of Public Policy comprises 12 units or 36 credit points.
Core Units
- Foundations of Public Policy
- Equity, Leadership and Policy
- Evidence-Based Policy Analysis
- Data Analytics and Public Policy
- Policy Analysis and Evaluation
- Communicating Policy Expertise
- Co-Design and Deliberative Engagement
- Public Policy Governance and Law
- Leadership Risk and Managing Change
- Contemporary Policy Issues
- Applied Policy Report
- Public Policy Research Project
Entry Requirements
Applicants must have a completed bachelor's degree or have completed the Graduate Diploma in Public Policy, the Graduate Certificate in Public Policy or the Graduate Certificate in Policy Evaluation.
English Language Requirements
An IELTS Academic score of 6.5 overall, with no band score below 6.0 (or equivalent).
Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate advanced core competencies in foundations of public policy, policy analysis, policy evaluation, governance, leadership, equity, co-design and public participation.
- Synthesise complex information, problems, concepts, theories and practical considerations as part of a rigorous evidence-based policy approach.
- Propose a range of approaches and techniques, including co-design, to achieve equitable outcomes in policy development and policy implementation.
- Design solutions to incorporate diverse stakeholder groups, including levels of government, non-government organisations, external stakeholders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities to achieve improved public policy outcomes.
- Judiciously apply data analytical and key modelling tools and techniques to inform the policy-making process.
- Develop high-level communication skills to effectively communicate ministerial briefs, departmental briefs, applied policy reports and public policy research projects to a range of relevant audiences.
Fees and FEE-HELP
Indicative per annum fee in 2025: $28,200 (domestic full-fee paying place)
Indicative total course fee in 2025: $42,300 (domestic full-fee paying place)
The indicative per annum fee is based on a study load of 24 credit points or eight units, while the indicative total course fee is based on a study load of 36 credit points or 12 units.
A student’s annual fee may vary in accordance with:
- The number of units studied per term.
- The choice of major or specialisation.
- Choice of units.
- Credit from previous study or work experience.
- Eligibility for government-funded loans.
Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee-paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.