Postgraduate
Master of Public Policy
Contact us
Address
Student Central
The University of Western Australia (M355), 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, Western Australia 6009
Telephone
131 UWA (131 892)
International
(+61 8) 6488 1000
Hours
Frequently asked questions
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Explore the career opportunities available to you.
Career Pathways
The Master of Public Policy is designed to nurture current and future leaders of government, non-profit, and private sector organisations that are aimed at pursuing the public interest. Graduates may be employed in a wide variety of public areas, ranging from policy analysis, through to management of departments and agencies.
This course is particularly useful for people with a range of skills in other areas (such as science or engineering), as it will complement your skills in these areas, and enable you to progress through to senior levels of policy or management positions in the public sector.
Further Study
Fees and scholarships
Learn more about the fees that apply to you for this course.
Domestic Student Fees
Eligible Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) students can use the HECS-HELP loan program to pay their tuition fees. For Full-Fee Paying (FFP) places, students are charged an annual course fee.
Find out more information about tuition fees, or visit the fee calculator for a more accurate cost.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, including academic achievement, financial need, educational disadvantage, leadership and community service, artistic or sporting achievements, and being from a rural or remote area.
Cost of living
International Student Fees
Find out more about tuition fees or visit the fee calculator for the estimated total course fee.
Note, tuition fees are reviewed annually and are subject to increase up to 7.5 per cent per annum.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, including academic achievement, financial need, educational disadvantage, leadership and community service, artistic or sporting achievements, and being from a rural or remote area.
Cost of living
Admission requirements
If you’re interested in furthering your career by studying this postgraduate course, find out the admission details below
Admission Requirements
(a) a Bachelor's degree, or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA; and either:
(b) the equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of at least 50 per cent;
or
(c) at least two years professional experience in a relevant occupation; or
(2) completed a Graduate Certificate in Public Policy at UWA.
Ranking and Selection Process
English competency
English is the language of instruction and assessment at UWA and you will need to meet the English language requirements of the University to be eligible for a place.
Minimum overall IELTS score of 6.5, with no band less than 6.0.
How to apply
Ready for the next step?
Find out how to apply through our simple online application process.
We'll guide you through our entry requirements, admission pathways available to you and application deadlines for your chosen course.
We can’t wait for you to join us!
Course details
Are you interested in how governments can work to create a better future? A successful government must design and implement policies that will further the economic, social and legal interests of its citizens. You will be equipped with a multidisciplinary understanding of the role of government in economic activity, public administration and governance, and legal decision-making.
Those who study public policy are driven to serve the public interest, and graduates of this course will work in all levels of government, in the not-for-profit sector, in consulting firms and in international organisations. They can be social entrepreneurs, policy analysts, consultants to government or hold public office.
About the course
The Master of Public Policy will give you a multidisciplinary understanding of the role of government in economic activity and public administration and governance. The course focuses on how government interacts with the economy, law and society. Topics taught include: economic growth, stability, taxation, infrastructure provision, regulation, health, defence, education, comparative law, theories of justice and punishment, public international law and social security.
Quick details
- Available
- Perth (Crawley campus)
- Full-time
- Part-time
- On-campus
- Semester 2, Semester 1
- Up to 12 contact hours per week, plus additional time for study and group work
- Postgraduate
- 42580
- 093562G
Why study this course?
- You can take units in Public Administration and Governance, Economics and Law. It’s a unique combination.
- You can take advantage of unique opportunities to put what you have learned into practice in real-life situations.
- If you take the Public Policy or Economics streams, you can undertake a dissertation in Public Administration and Governance.
Public Policy explained
Course structure
Postgraduate coursework degrees and combined (coursework and research) degrees comprise a number of units. Refer to the course structure for more information.
Thomas Emery
Thomas Emery
I have always enjoyed politics and wanted to transition from engineering into policy making. The masters program allowed me to incorporate a lot of my prior knowledge into what I was learning, as well as give me the tools to do my own research into topics of interest.
UWA has a good reputation for teaching from first principles, which is important if you want to be able to develop new theories and ideas, rather than just replicating the ideas of others.
My favourite aspect of studying has been the ability to interact with peers who have the same enjoyment of learning, and have different ideas. It's nice to be able to have a good-natured debate with friends and strangers, who are generally well informed and open to ideas, which happens a lot at UWA. The campus is also situated in a great location and has a well-developed social calendar.
I am currently working as a research assistant for one of my former lecturers, and hope to begin a PhD in the USA next year.
Get practical
Students can take a number of unique practical units, including:
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PARL5599 WA Parliamentary Research Program: students act as a research assistant for a Member of Parliament at the Western Australian Parliament.
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WILG5001 Professional Development Practicum A: students undertake a relevant professional placement.
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SVLG5001 McCusker Centre for Citizenship Internship: students undertake an internship with a not-for-profit, community or government organisation.
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SVLG5003 Wicked Problems: students form small interdisciplinary teams and work with staff, the McCusker Centre for Citizenship and stakeholders on complicated or wicked problems.
Flexibility
We understand that life is busy. That's why our postgraduate courses are designed so you can balance your work and studies. Our flexible postgraduate experience includes the opportunity to study part time, a range of units that are taught after hours, and the option to learn via intensive units. Ask our Student Central team for advice on choosing the right postgraduate route for you. Find out more here.
UWA Public Policy Institute
Accreditation
The UWA Business School is accredited by EQUIS and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), and is a Communicating Signatory to Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME).
EQUIS and AACSB are the leading business school accreditations in Europe and North America respectively, meaning that your business degree will be recognised by employers around the world.
Articulated courses
This course is part of an articulated sequence with the:
Stephen Davenport
Stephen Davenport
I chose to study the Master of Public Policy (Public Administration & Governance) because I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the policy process and develop my ability to think critically about what makes good public policy.
UWA was the perfect choice for my studies. I knew from my undergraduate degree that it had great teaching staff and the program covered all of the core elements a policy practitioner needs, with the flexibility to pursue further study in the areas that interested me most.
There have been so many aspects of the course that I’ve enjoyed and it has been invaluable for my personal development and career aspirations. Most of all, I loved that class discussion and assessments had an emphasis on applying theory to real-world issues and case studies, ranging from evaluating negative gearing through to examining alternatives in child care policy. I really valued that the program was a practical and well-rounded experience.
The Master of Public Policy has helped to launch my career and I’m now preparing to make the move to Canberra to take up a role in the Australian Public Service (APS).