Course details

Summary

Effective leadership, better management, positive change

Enhance your career prospects and learn to make organisations work better with postgraduate studies in Public Management at Victoria's School of Government. Find out how to lead people and make change happen.

Become an effective public manager and build your ability to influence the strategic and operational direction of public sector organisations. Learn about governance and public sector reform, and how to manage budgets, finances and organisational capital.

Gain the knowledge and skills to design and implement innovative and effective programmes and services, including planning, service delivery and monitoring and evaluation.

Diploma and Certificate programmes

As well as the Master of Public Management we have some shorter postgraduate Public Management qualifications. Depending on your goals you can opt for the Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma and use them as stepping stones towards the Master's degree or build your capability by upskilling with these valuable courses.

Well-connected

Victoria is the only New Zealand university that is connected to the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZOG) so you know your qualification is of the highest standard.

Your lecturers are actively involved in public and non-profit service, exchanging ideas on key policy and management issues. They're connected to decision makers from local, regional and national government, giving you the opportunity to meet and learn from those in the know.

Careers

If you're wanting a career or are already working in the government and non-government sectors, a Public Management qualification is a good choice.

You could find management work in central, local or regional government, in business, not-for-profits, consultancies and for iwi. You might also work as a researcher, advocate, campaign coordinator, lobbyist, strategist or planner.

Qualification family structure

The MPM is part of a tiered family of qualifications:

• Master of Public Management
• Postgraduate Diploma in Public Management
• Postgraduate Certificate in Public Management

Choose the qualification that suits your career goals, time commitments and financial situation.

If you are initially accepted for a certificate or diploma, you can apply to transfer to the Master’s degree at a later stage.

If you're working towards a Master of Public Management but can't complete it, for whatever reason, you may have enough points to be awarded the Certificate or Diploma.

What you'll study

The MPM will give you the skills and capability to understand the theory and practice of public management and boost your performance as a manager.

Your studies will include:

• Three foundation courses that examine government and governing in modern societies, government and the economy, and policy and management practice.
• Four core courses–you'll study governance and public sector reform, and strategic and financial management. You'll also learn about planning and service delivery, human resources and monitoring and evaluation.
• A research project that leads to a report on a specific topic in public management.
• Three other courses–choose from a variety of courses according to your interests and career goals like public sector law, economics, policy analysis or politics and philosophy.

Entry criteria

Bachelor's degree and two years' work experience, or extensive work experience.

Other English Language requirements:

• IELTS overall band of 6.5, no sub-score below 6.0; or
• TOEFL 90 on the internet-based test with at least 20 in writing; or
• A minimum of two ratings of 5 and two ratings of 4 in the Victoria University English Proficiency Programme test
• Pearson Test of English: A score of 65 (with a ‘Communicative’ score of not less than 58).