Master of Public Policy: Public Finance Specialisation

Upon completion of the study, you should be able to:

1. Demonstrate deep understanding of public policy and its key challenges and issues, in Australia and globally;
2. Understand processes and challenges of agenda-setting, formulation, implementation, management and evaluation of public policy;
3. Reflect critically on key theoretical debates in the field of public policy including its practical application across cultural, developmental and institutional contexts;
4. Demonstrate understanding of methods for policy research and analysis and identify and apply them with appropriate tools to public policy issues;
5. Analyse, synthesise and communicate complex, political and institutional policy problems from multiple perspectives.

Public Finance, one of the Master of Public Policy specialisations, equips you to transition into public finance leadership with your high-level understanding of the use of fiscal policy in the economy. The specialisation is designed to prepare finance professionals for leadership roles in public finance, examine principles and conceptual benchmarks of public finance policy, and enable you to understand the interaction between taxes, spending and the budget. If you want to strengthen your leadership capacity in the field of public finance, this degree specialisation is for you.

Central to the program is the question of financing government, with a focus on how the interaction of taxes and expenditure impacts all levels of decision making in national and global economies. Through your examination of the policies, institutions and regulatory structures for raising public finance, and managing public expenditures, you will gain clarity on public finance policy benchmarks. These include efficiency, equity and redistribution, administration and compliance, and the politics of policy making. By understanding the core features of the budget and of fiscal institutions in the executive and legislature, as well as the role of the judiciary, you’ll be ready to critically engage in reform debates about taxes and expenditures, economic disruption, management of the budget in times of austerity, and the use of fiscal policy in the economy.

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This MPP specialisation requires the completion of 24 units from the specified courses in relevant areas. Find out more about the unit and course details at the ANU Programs and Courses.

Australian National University is a world-leading university in Australia’s capital city, Canberra. With ties to the Australian Government, they have special standing as a resource for the Australian people. Their approach to education ensures graduates are in demand the world-over for their abilities to address complex contemporary challenges. Offering innovative online subjects from beginning to advanced levels through Open Universities Australia, they meet varied students’ needs and goals.

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At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements, and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis.

· Bachelor degree or international equivalent with GPA 5/7; or

· Bachelor degree or international equivalent with GPA 4/7 and a minimum of 3 years full-time equivalent work experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program; or

· Bachelor degree or international equivalent with GPA 4/7 and a Graduate Certificate or international equivalent with a GPA of 4/7; or

· Graduate Diploma or international equivalent with a GPA 4/7; or

· 48 units of courses in a postgraduate program with a GPA of 4/7; or

· Graduate Certificate or international equivalent with a GPA of 4/7 and a minimum of 3 years full-time equivalent work experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program; or

· Graduate Records Examination (GRE) General test, completed no more than 5 years before the time of application, with a minimum score of 155 for Verbal Reasoning, 155 for Quantitative Reasoning and 4.0 in Analytical Writing and a minimum of 3 years full-time equivalent work experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program; or

· A minimum of 10 years full-time equivalent work experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program.

In line with the university's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors.

Find more details about the Master of Public Policy at the ANU Programs and Courses.

A minimum of 10 years full-time equivalent work experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program.

Applications must meet the ANU English Language Requirements for Admission.

Applicants with a Bachelor Degree, Bachelor degree with Honours, Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma in a cognate discipline may be eligible for up to 24 units.