Graduate Diploma of Integrated Water Management

Graduates of the Graduate Diploma of Integrated Water Management will have an advanced knowledge of:

• Creative and ethical approaches to integrated water management project design and management including stakeholder and rights-holder identification and analysis; contemporary project management skills and tools; impact assessment, and the design of relevant monitoring and evaluation techniques.
• The fundamental science which underpins understanding of the water cycle at whole of catchment scale, including the physical, biological and chemical properties of water, microbial and biogeochemical processes, surface and groundwater hydrology and aspects of water quality and water treatment for human consumption.
• Current theory and practice of sustainable development and poverty reduction as it applies to IWM in rural and urban developing and developed contexts and covering issues such as poverty, livelihoods, power and participation, gender, and collaboration alongside key emerging frameworks.
• Water governance frameworks at the global/international, national, regional/basin, transboundary and local levels and themes of relevance to good governance including sustainable development, collaborative management, water rights and access, equity for marginal groups and regional and catchment scale water planning as a key governance mechanism.
• Hydrological regimes and the basic principles relating to hydrology to aquatic ecosystems and the condition of aquatic environments alongside theory and methodologies for the assessment of aquatic and river ecosystem health, and principles and practical tools for implementing riparian restoration projects across a range of aquatic ecosystems.
• Goals, objectives and principles of water planning and water resource economics and economic concepts pertinent to the integrated water management and planning including economic and social impact analyses, risk assessment including adaptation for climate change impact, water security for consumptive use, environmental allocations and methods for integrating economic, social, legal and environmental perspectives in water planning against a background of uncertainty and change.
• Qualitative research principles and methods and how they can be applied to inform the design and evaluation of integrated water management projects and programs.

In addition, graduates of the WASH and Development stream of the Master of Integrated Water Management will have a critical understanding of:

• Water, energy, livelihood and community development issues and relationships from multiple stakeholders including community members, NGOs, government, academics and state enterprises, and the use of simple participatory rural appraisal tools to critically identify, characterise and explain those relationships.
• Social, environmental, financial and technical principles and approaches to meeting the water supply, sanitation and hygiene needs of people in impoverished communities in developing and emerging economic country contexts.

In addition, graduates of the Urban stream of the Master of Integrated Water Management will have advanced knowledge of:

• The interplay between society, technology and urban design in terms of water security, water resource efficiency, waterway health, flood mitigation, public health and amenity and how these multiple objectives might be achieved through the management of socio-technical pathways for the delivery of Water Sensitive City principles.
• Frameworks, tools and technologies for analysing urban areas as systems with inputs and outputs (as having an urban metabolism) and the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of urban metabolism and more broadly resource efficiency as frameworks for informing the strategic planning and management of urban sustainability.

In addition, graduates of the Water, Land and People stream of the Master of Integrated Water Management will have an advanced knowledge of:

• The main challenges and opportunities for managing water in water scarce agricultural landscapes including knowledge of the positive and negative ecological, social and economic impacts of agricultural water use, along with key tools and techniques to help harmonise agricultural systems within their landscape whilst maintaining food security.
• Participatory methods and evaluation frameworks and social science concepts and their application to integrate different stakeholder perspectives and knowledge systems, including Indigenous and cross-cultural dimensions; conflict management and negotiation; as well as evaluation methodologies, especially for social and process evaluation.

This program aims to build the capacity of future leaders in water management. Students will develop the strategic, managerial and technical skills they need to advance in the water sector.

The program equips students with practical tools and skills for developing and managing the adoption of innovative solutions to local, regional, national and international water management issues. There is a focus on building skills in critical thinking, problem solving, statistics and data management, knowledge transfer and effective leadership.

Students will acquire specialist skills and knowledge associated with their chosen elective courses.

The program is managed and led by the International WaterCentre (IWC). The IWC is a key player in the global water sector and dedicated to providing education and training to promote whole-of-water cycle approaches to integrated water management around the world.

Recommended study pattern

This Graduate Diploma program will be offered full-time and part-time online.

As a guide, core subjects in this degree can include:

• Project Management
• Catchment Ecology
• Water Governance and Policy 
• Public Involvement and Community Development

Plus there’s a selection of electives to choose from. As part of your application, you’ll be guided through how to get the right degree structure in place for you.

Award requirements

To be eligible for the award of Graduate Diploma of Integrated Water Management (GDipIntegratedWMgt), you must successfully complete 80 credit points as specified in the course list.

Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.

Indicative total fee $34,000

The amount shown here is indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.

Fees may vary depending on:

• the subjects you choose
• credit from previous work experience
• your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.

To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.

With a network of campuses spanning three cities in South East Queensland, Griffith University is committed to progressive multidisciplinary teaching and research and a valuable online provider with Open Universities Australia. Already attracting students from over one hundred countries, Griffith's dedication to academic excellence is available across Australia through OUA.

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QS World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:

18

Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:

21

To be eligible for admission to the Graduate Diploma of Integrated Water Management, applicants must hold:

• a Bachelor degree in a field relevant to water management OR a Graduate Certificate in Integrated Water Management;
• a minimum of one year practical experience in a related field.

Students admitted to the program with a Graduate Certificate in Integrated Water Management will be eligible for 40 credit points of advanced standing towards the program. Further credit in addition to that awarded on the basis of advanced standing is not available.

English language requirements apply to International applicants and other applicants whose previous study was undertaken in a language other than English. The minimum English language requirements for such applicants for entry to this program are as follows:

• A minimum overall band score of 6.5 on IELTS (Academic) with no sub-score of less than 6.0
• OR a minimum score of 575 on TOEFL
• OR an internet-based (iBT) TOEFL score of 79 (no sub-score less than 19)
• OR no score less than 3+ in each skill of the ISLPR (conducted by ISLPR Language Services only)
• OR a minimum overall score of 176 (no score less than 169) on C1 Advanced (formerly Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English) or C2 Proficiency (formerly Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English)
• OR an overall score of 58 in the Pearson Test of English (Academic) with no score less than 50.

English test results must be no more than two years old.

International students who successfully complete the Direct Entry Program (DEP) will satisfy the English Language requirements for this Griffith degree.

Reduce the time it takes to finish your degree. You can apply to Griffith to recognise your prior learning, including:

• Formal learning through courses completed at uni and TAFE.
• Informal learning through workplace experience or volunteer training.
• Non-formal learning through social experiences and hobbies.