See Also: Master of Public Administration

The Master of Management is a coursework degree, based on three semesters of full-time study or six semesters of part-time study. It is taught using a combination of flexible delivery with traditional teaching methods comprising lectures, tutorials, seminars and workshops. Some subjects may be available in intensive mode. The course is designed to provide managers and those who will become managers with the necessary skills to be effective in the rapidly changing context of work and organisations. Students are required to combine seven core subjects (24 credit points) with four electives (12 credit points). This allows for a solid theoretical and professional foundation in strategically managing human and physical resources plus the flexibility to construct an elective program around particular interests.

Exit Points

• Graduate Certificate in Management
• Graduate Diploma in Management 

Further Study

• Professional Doctorate in Public Administration

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have a degree or equivalent as approved by the University's Admissions Committee and not less than 2 years of relevant work experience prior to admission.

Course Requirements

36 credit points as set out in (a) and (b), including at least 12 credit points at PG level.
(a) 24 credit points required units
(b) 12 credit points restricted choice

(a) 24 credit points from the following required units.

• 6260 Managing Government Finance G or 6221 Accounting for Managers G
• 6264 Organisational Behaviour G
• 6238 Human Resource Management G
• 6259 Managers & the Law G
• 6261 Marketing G
• 6277 Strategic Management PG
• 7775 Leadership in Contemporary Organisations PG
• 7776 Managing Change and Innovation PG

(b) 12 credit points selected from the following units.

• 6234 Economics for Managers G
• 6266 Public Administration G
• 8558 Public Admin at the Interface PG
• 6270 Research Methods PG or 6275 Statistical Analysis & Decision Making G
• 6256 Management Project PG
• 7777 Organisational Performance G
• 6240 Industrial Relations G
• 6255 Management Ethics PG
• 7548 Sociology of Technology and Work G

Typical Course Structure

Unit Overviews - Core Units

6260 Managing Government Finance G: This subject is primarily concerned with financial and economic management in the public sector, designed for general managers rather than financial management specialists in government. It deals with the economic role of government in the economy, costing of government programs, pricing public goods and decision making concerning fiscal issues.

6221 Accounting for Managers G: The financial accounting section includes basic and generally accepted accounting concepts and principles so that students have a good understanding of internal and external financial reporting and are able to analyse and interpret financial statements for decision-making and communicating financial information with other managers. The management accounting section emphasises cost concepts and cost-volume-profit analysis, principles of working capital management, short-term decision making, long-term and capital decision making, budgetary control and planning techniques, responsibility centre accounting, product costing, and internal performance evaluation.

6264 Organisational Behaviour G: Organisational Behaviour is the systematic study of human behaviour at the individual, group and organisational level.  It begins with a focus on the analysis of individual behaviour characterised by factors such as perception, attitudes, personality, learning, stress and motivation. Next, the analysis of behaviour at the group level examines culture, leadership, the dynamics of group processes and communication. Finally, topics covered at the organisational level of analysis include the distribution of power, the impact of politics, conflict management and processes involved in organisational change and development.

6238 Human Resource Management G: Human Resource Management provides students with an introduction to debates regarding the development of management thought, the key theoretical principles underpinning human resource management, employee motivation and performance management, managing diversity and equal employment opportunities within the workplace, managing employee recruitment and selection, learning and career management, organisational culture, employee involvement, the law of employment, industrial relations, labour flexibility, downsizing and organisational restructuring, and international dimensions of human resource management.

6259 Managers & the Law G: This subject provides an introduction to the Australian legal systems. Its particular focus is the way in which law influences business decision-making. The areas which are dealt with in the subject are the nature of law and the legislative and judicial process; the common law principles of contract law and the effect of statutory intervention on those principles; the concept of liability; and the law's approach to the organisation of business. The course will also deal with selected topics drawn from the areas of financial institutions, taxation, insurance, consumer protection and competition.

6261 Marketing G: The aim of this subject is to give students a thorough knowledge of the basic principles and concepts of marketing. The focus is on developing an analytical capacity for improved managerial judgement in problem solving and decision-making. The subject includes such topics as the marketing environment, analysing marketing opportunities, and managing the marketing mix. Specific emphasis is placed on the development of promotion, product, distribution and pricing strategies. The subject is also designed to provide students with a sound knowledge of various marketing systems such as consumer marketing, industrial marketing, non-profit marketing, public sector marketing and services marketing.

6277 Strategic Management PG: The study of strategic management involves an analysis of the factors which govern the success or otherwise of an organisation operating in contemporary society. The analysis includes an examination of factors external to the organisation which may either threaten its operations, or provide opportunities for development, and internal factors which either strengthen or weaken its capacity to develop, and perhaps, ultimately, to survive. An examination is made of an organisation's core competencies and its ability to take advantage of opportunities in a highly competitive global environment. Management decision making at the strategic level, which determines the future direction of the organisation is examined with a view to judging whether implementation, control and evaluation is feasible. The principles underlying the study of strategic management are applicable to profit-making and non-profit making organisations.

7775 Leadership in Contemporary Organisations PG: The critical importance of leadership in contemporary organisations has been the subject of considerable attention in research and practice. This unit explores the issue of leadership in contemporary organisations. It examines the meaning of leadership by considering the development of leadership theory and practice. Key topics will include: the nature of leadership; leadership and organisational performance; how leaders drive change; strategic; power, politics and leadership in organisations; gender and leadership; emotion in leadership; and the application of micro and macro approaches to leadership. This unit builds on key concepts from units such as Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management providing students with an in-depth knowledge of people management in organisations.

7776 Managing Change and Innovation PG: This unit explores the issue of change management and innovation in organisations. It will examine various models of change management and how organisational leaders go about influencing, implementing and managing change programs. The unit also examines the importance of innovation in creating competitive advantage and how organisational leaders go about encouraging innovation in contemporary organisations. Key topics will include: driving change; the strategy and process of change; leadership for change; human resource management for change; new forms of organisation; power and resistance to change; and how to maintain change. This unit has linkages with units such as Leadership in Contemporary Organisations, Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management.

Unit Overviews - Restricted Choice

6234 Economics for Managers G: The content of this subject is especially designed for graduate students and provides an examination of economic principles and theories essential to an understanding of current economic problems and economic policy analysis. The syllabus includes both microeconomics and macroeconomics. The essentials of microeconomics are examined including the theory of market systems and the price mechanism, consumer demand theory, resource allocation and the theory of the firm concentrating on production and cost analysis principles. The macroeconomics component examines the inter-relationship between the main economic variables. Microeconomic reform and fiscal and monetary policy measures are examined and related to Australia 's economic problems of unemployment, inflation and slow economic growth.

6266 Public Administration G: This is a compulsory subject in the MPA that introduces students to the discipline of public administration.  It examines the role of the state and of the public sector and introduces some of the key issues with which governments and academics have been dealing in the past 20 years or so when traditional models of public administration have been challenged.  While the emphasis is on Australian developments, they are represented in such a way that they may be seen as part of more general re-design processes in public administrative systems.The question of initiating and managing change will be considered in relation to a number of countries' reform programs.  The content will reflect current issues, and addresses managerial change, political-bureaucratic relationships, ethics and accountability, and a range of other matters arising out of the challenges of public sector change associated with current reforms of public sectors across the world.

8558 Public Admin at the Interface PG: In the past several decades, governments in Australia and some overseas, have reconfigured their public sectors to accommodate new means of service delivery involving greater use of private sector organisations. As a result, the interface between the public and private sectors has become more permeable raising important issues for public administration. This subject focuses on those changes through examining contemporary approaches to government, in particular, concepts such as privatisation, outsourcing, public-private partnerships, government-business relations and public enterprise. It will be taught in intensive delivery mode and make significant use of workshops, seminars, syndicate groups and case study approaches.

6270 Research Methods PG: The subject introduces students to the meaning of 'theory', its links with methodology via techniques of research and distinctions between research and policy action. The aim is to allow students to formulate a topic for research by thesis. Specific topics will include the writing of a thesis, the logics of social investigation, forms of explanation including causality, correlation and 'verstehen'. There is also a non-mathematical introduction to statistical concepts sufficient to enable critical literature review. An overview of qualitative research, its techniques and their strengths and limitations is also provided.

6275 Statistical Analysis & Decision Making G: This subject is intended mainly for students in business administration and management science and deals with the ways in which statistical techniques can be used to analyse quantitative information in those disciplines. Topics include populations and samples; the presentation and interpretation of data; measures of central tendency and variability; index numbers; simple linear regression and correlation; basic time series; basic probability; the binomial, Poisson and normal distributions; estimation and hypothesis testing. Analyses will use Microsoft Excel.

6256 Management Project PG: Under the guidance of a supervisor, a student will complete a practical project on an appropriate management topic.  The approximate length of the project will be 5,000 words although the length of a more practical project may vary according to the nature of the topic selected.  Topics must be approved by the Head of School. Students are encouraged to undertake a practical or reflective project based on their work experience, or based on an organisation to which they can gain significant access.

7777 Organisational Performace G: This unit focuses on issues relating to managing organisations for outcomes. It includes concepts such as determining organisational goals and setting performance measures, performance indicators, benchmarking, evaluation, quality management, and the development of performance information systems. The unit approaches performance management with strong emphases on systems theory and on meaning and interpretation of performance measures.

6240 Industrial Relations G: The subject covers theories of industrial relations; labour history; employment law; the roles and functions of employer associations, trade unions and industrial tribunals in industrial regulation in Australia; the emergence and spread of enterprise and individual bargaining; the uptake of work and family policies; and occupational health and safety.

6255 Management Ethics PG: This subject provides students with an understanding of the major ethical theories of teleology and deontology and exposes them to the ethical issues that arise within the functional areas of business and management.  The subject provides the opportunity to explore a wide range of contemporary case materials in which managers try to reconcile the demands of expediency and the demands of principles.  The subject aims to assist students to acquire and develop critical thinking skills required for the successful practice of business within the framework of societal values.  These skills include the ability to perceive the ethical implications of a situation, engage in sound moral reasoning and develop practical problem solving strategies.  Topics include:  ethical theory, corporate social responsibility, international business and global ethics, whistleblowing, affirmative action, privacy, marketing, product safety, accounting & finance and environmental protection.

7548 Sociology of Technology and Work G: This subject provides an understanding of the relationships between work, technology and the governance of technological change. Students will be introduced to frameworks for the analysis of technological design and innovations in work technologies. The emphasis is on technologies as heterogeneous systems of human and non-human factors, with a focus on the social, organisational and individual human elements integral to successful technological change.  Topics include consumption of information technologies in everyday life (eg mobile phones), e-government, gender & technology, and international implementation.

Note: Information provided as a guide only. Consult the UC Handbook for the year of commencement for official course rules. Units are not offered in all semesters.