About Public Policy & Management (BA)
Who creates the policy that generates new laws? How do our policies differ between States as well as other countries? Whose job is it to effect change to public policy?
Murdoch’s Public Policy and Management degree seeks to answer these questions, providing an educational basis for administrative and management careers in the public and private sectors. Our degree draws on units from Politics and International Studies, Economics and Commerce, examining the formulation and implementation of public policy and providing you with the critical skills relevant for policy analysis. Policy is also studied on a comparative basis, in particular, using the experience of Asia to assess Australian practices.
By providing you with a thorough grounding in Management, you will also have the opportunity to learn about traditional and contemporary issues effecting management, gaining the skill set necessary to ensure you are prepared to meet the challenges of life with both public and private organisations.
What can I do with my Public Policy and Management degree?
An understanding of public policy within Australian and internationally provides you with skills and knowledge relevant to employment in both the public and private sectors, particularly within management positions. You may also choose to pursue a career as an adviser to politicians or within journalism.
How to apply
Our entry requirements tool will help you find the most appropriate and quickest pathways to admission. The tool will take you through a couple of steps to help identify the best pathways for you based on your situation. Once you have chosen the most suitable pathway you will also be provided you with information on how to apply based on the criteria you are using for admission.
Domestic student applications:
All undergrad applications for Semester 1 2009 need to be submitted through TISC. If you would like to apply for this course you can now:
- Get your TISC help kit containing your course info, handy hints and advice to help make the application process even easier.
- Get advice on how to structure your TISC preferences to give yourself the best chance of getting into the course of your dreams.
International student applications:
If you would like to apply for this course you can now:
Course Details
|
|
| Length |
3 years full-time internal study or part - time equivalent.
Available fully externally
Please note that international students can only study full-time |
| International fee information |
$15,750 indicative annual fee |
| Location |
South Street Campus |
| Murdoch course code |
B1028 |
| TISC Code |
MUC6C |
| TER cut off for 2008 |
85.40 or country equivalent |
| STAT score required |
>145 |
| Information on course units |
Link to handbook entry |
Recommended TEE subjects
We don’t have prerequisite subjects for any of our courses as we are a strong promoter of a well rounded education. However, remember that you will need to demonstrate competence in English, normally through passing either English or English Literature or by getting a sufficiently high score in ESL.
Course Structure
Year 1
Foundation Unit
All new first year students take a Foundation Unit. These are designed so you have some idea what’s going on, because, let’s face it, you’ve never been to uni before!
Core Units
You must take these units for a particular major to gain a specialisation in this area.
- Introduction to Economics
- Australian Government
General Electives
You must take these units to have enough units to graduate. General Electives give you the flexibility to learn from a variety of different areas. Select five units offered by the University, subject to individual unit prerequisites.
Recommended Double Majors
To take a double major, students simply take the core units from another major in place of their general elective units. Further details on double majors are available in the Prospectus.
Some recommended double majors are:
- Politics;
- International Studies;
- Journalism;
- Economics;
- Law.
What are my Career Options?
Murdoch is the one Western Australian University to offer a fully integrated Public Policy and Management program at an undergraduate level. As a Murdoch Public Policy and Management graduate, your employment outlook is good, especially if you combine it with other disciplines. Depending on which skill combinations or specialisations you have, your Murdoch degree may lead you towards work and study opportunities in a number of areas. The following are some professions to consider, including extra majors that will improve your prospects of achieving them.
| Profession |
What they do |
Suggested double majors |
| Public Administrator |
Public Administrators work in the public sector in areas such as politics, health, public affairs, government administration and education. They perform a variety of different jobs in a number of different professions in areas such as Finance, IT, Media, Health Services, Marketing, and Public Relations. |
Sociology
Community Development
Politics and International Studies
Commerce Majors |
| Policy Advisers / Policy Researchers |
Policy Advisors work in the State and Federal Parliaments, political parties or electoral offices. Their job involves analysing, developing and implementing social, cultural, economical policies, depending on their specialisations. Policy Researchers source background information, data and statistics that will aid in policy formulation. |
Gender and Cultural Studies
Politics and International Studies |
| Social Work Planners / Social Policy Makers |
Social Work Planners and Policymakers develop programs to address such issues as child abuse, homelessness, substance abuse, poverty, and violence. These workers research and analyse policies, programs, and regulations. They identify social problems and suggest legislative and other solutions. They may help raise funds or write grants to support these programs. |
Sociology
Community Development
Legal Studies
Politics and International Studies |
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