Executive Master of Public Administration

The Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) is a unique postgraduate qualification designed specifically for ambitious and emerging public sector leaders.

Over two years, students explore the core principles required to deliver public value, developing an invaluable skillset centred around public policy design and delivery, evidence-based decision-making, leading change and organisational management and strategic public financial and economic management.

Programmed to fit around the busy lives of public servants, it’s delivered in an immersive format that combines the best of face-to-face and online study, providing opportunities to travel across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand to engage directly with government agencies on diverse range of contemporary public service challenges.

Students learn from a range of academic experts and leading practitioners and connect with other emerging public sector leaders from across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand who share a commitment to operational excellence and service.

Graduates join ANZSOG’s exclusive alumni group, a network supporting students in their current roles and future careers, with many making significant public sector impact. Since 2003, more than 70 EMPA students have gone on to hold roles as CEOs or Secretaries (and equivalents) after completing the program.

The EMPA is designed for ambitious and emerging public sector leaders who:

• are operating at the local, state, territory or national level in Australia – or the local or national level in Aotearoa New Zealand
• demonstrate high leadership potential and have a solid track record of working in the public/purpose sector
• have proven management skills and experience
• exhibit a collaborative mindset and demonstrate a commitment to public service.

Applicants should meet the entry requirements of the program’s conferring universities which typically requires completion of an undergraduate degree.

Candidates without formal university qualifications and significant experience in the public sector may be eligible to enter via our Monash Pathway Program.

We encourage applications from and nominations for Māori, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Pacific Peoples, people with disability and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

The EMPA will prepare you to manage complex challenges, lead staff, programs and services, and deliver value to the sector, industries and communities you serve.

Broaden your public sector understanding

• Directly observe and engage with agencies on a diverse range of public administration challenges through applied research projects and place-based teaching that occurs in different regions across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Diagnose organisational challenges

• Explore contemporary thinking in public sector leadership, service management, policy, finance, economics, law and regulation, and connect the concepts from these disciplines to the analysis of specific issues within your organisation.

Develop effective response strategies

• Collaborate with peers from multiple jurisdictions and diverse public sector agencies to share ideas and develop responses to contemporary public sector challenges.
• Acquire new knowledge and build skills you can apply to the work challenges you’re facing within your organisation.

Sharpen your leadership capability

• Develop your ability to lead strategically, and gain a deeper understanding of the political astuteness needed to contribute at the highest levels of the public sector.
• Develop an improved understanding and explore the relationship of First Nations communities with public administration, and strengthen your leadership role in this critical area.

Manaia King – EMPA Class of 2019 and General Manager, Ministry of Social Development (NZ)

Our faculty includes leading academics from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world who are experts in public administration, public policy, leadership and management. We also draw on the expertise of senior practitioners from the public, not-for-profit and private sectors.

Our faculty includes:

• Professor Todd Bridgman – Professor of Management Studies and Head of the School of Management, Victoria University of Wellington/Te Herenga Waka.
• Professor Ross Guest – Professor of Economics in the Griffith Business School, Griffith University and researcher in population economics.
• Professor Paul ‘t Hart – Professor of Public Administration at Utrecht University and member of the Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy and past Associate Dean of the Netherlands School of Public Administration.
• Professor Kimberley Isett – Professor of Public Administration, Biden School of Public Policy and Administration and Vice Provost for Academic Programs and University Initiatives, University of Delaware. Has a research focus on institutional pressures and dynamics in implementing government services.
• Associate Professor Rob Manwaring – College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders University.
• Dr Zina O’Leary – ANZSOG Senior Fellow and adjunct Professor at the Joseph R. Biden Jr School of Public Policy, University of Delaware.
• Associate Professor Brad Potter – Head of the Department of Accounting at the University of Melbourne with research interests in measurement and reporting approaches for communicating diverse information.
• Professor Veronica Taylor – Professor of Law and Regulation, School of Regulation and Global Governance, Australian National University.
• Dr Ben Walker –Senior Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour at Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand).
• Professor Christopher Walker – Academic Director of the Executive Master of Public Administration, ANZSOG and School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University.

The Application Process

Complete an online application form here.

Nominating a University

The EMPA is awarded by one of our nine partner universities. As such, you are required to nominate a university to which you would like to apply. If you are successful, you will be enrolled at this university and have access to all their student services and resources.

Though not mandatory, where applicable, we suggest you nominate a university based on the jurisdiction that you reside in, for better access to university elective subjects.

You may also wish to consider the range of electives available at each university. For information on each university’s electives, please visit the online EMPA handbook page of the university in which you are interested:

University Handbook Pages

• The Australian National University
• Flinders University
• Griffith University
• Monash University
• The University of Sydney

The following partner universities do not currently have an EMPA handbook page available; please contact ANZSOG for more information on their electives.

• Charles Darwin University
• Curtin University
• The University of Melbourne
• Te Herenga Waka Victoria University Wellington

Required Documents

The following documents are required with your application, to support ANZSOG and universities in properly assessing your suitability for the program.

• A copy of your birth certificate or passport;
• Copies of academic transcripts and testamurs for all tertiary-level studies. If you do not currently possess copies, your graduating institution will be able to provide guidance on how to acquire them. (Students who do not have an undergraduate degree may still apply for the EMPA via our Monash and VUW pathways);
• A copy of your current curriculum vitae, including the name of your Secondary School and the year in which you graduated;
• A completed referee report;
• A completed sponsorship nomination form; and
• A copy of your Proof of Permanent Residency status (if you are not a citizen of Australia or New Zealand).

Cost: AUD $62,494 (exc. GST).

Please note:

You’re responsible for your own travel, accommodation and incidental costs for each subject you undertake within the EMPA.

If you’re sponsored, the sponsoring government or agency covers program costs, including tuition fees and lunches during residential teaching. Travel and accommodation costs, including those for ANZSOG delivered residential subjects, are not covered by the program fee. For more information on program fees, see the EMPA FAQs.

To learn more, visit our EMPA FAQs page or email engage@anzsog.edu.au

Want an insider’s perspective? We encourage you to speak to one of our EMPA alumni. Please email our Alumni Coordinator at alumni@anzsog.edu.au to arrange an introduction.

Location-specific information:

Some jurisdictions have specific registration processes. If you work for the governments of Western Australia, New South Wales or Victoria, please contact your department or agency’s Human Resources or Learning and Development team about your application or expression of interest.

If you work for the Northern Territory government, please contact the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment at swpd.ocpe@nt.gov.au about your application or expression of interest.

If you work for the Aotearoa New Zealand government, please contact Lynn Evans at the Leadership Development Centre at LDCProgrammes@ldc.govt.nz about your application or expression of interest.

If you work for the Queensland government, your Public Sector Commission has a limited number of scholarships available for the program. If you would like to be considered for a scholarship via your jurisdiction’s Public Sector Commission, we encourage you to contact them at development@psc.qld.gov.au for further information including dates for application submission. You are also welcome to make your own arrangements with your agency.