Executive Master of Public Administration
Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, there is a defined pathway for Australian students without an undergraduate degree through the EMPA Monash Pathways program and for Aotearoa New Zealand students, through Victoria University Wellington.

ANZSOG has collaborated with Monash University to deliver a pathway enabling wider access to the EMPA. The pathway program is intended for public servants who have a minimum of five years' experience in a senior position and who do not hold an undergraduate degree. The online provision of Monash subjects means students from anywhere in Australia can be enrolled in the program.

Similar to students applying for the EMPA, students will need to receive ANZSOG’s initial approval, following which they will be invited to apply to Monash University for entry to the Graduate Certificate of Public Policy (GCPP). In the GCPP, students will complete three Monash subjects and a fourth and final subject from the ANZSOG EMPA program, Delivering Public Value (DPV).

Following successful completion of the GCPP, students transition to the EMPA and continue their core ANZSOG subjects. The three Monash subjects are recognised as electives within the EMPA program, meaning students do not have to undertake any additional subjects to complete the EMPA. This differs from normal cohorts where students traditionally undertake their electives during or after the ANZSOG core EMPA subjects. The pathway adds an additional year to the two-year EMPA, however, given the part-time nature of the EMPA, this is how long most mainstream students take to complete the program.

Applicants based in Aotearoa New Zealand who do not hold an undergraduate degree will be considered by Victoria University Wellington and, if accepted, will have the same program structure as mainstream students.

Nominating a University

• Choose from nine partner universities

• Nominate by jurisdiction or electives offered

• Access full university student services

University Handbook Pages

• The Australian National University

• Flinders University

• Griffith University

• Monash University

• The University of Melbourne

• 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

• Te Herenga Waka Victoria University Wellington

You must be nominated by your agency. EMPA applications are coordinated differently through each jurisdiction. In some jurisdictions Public Sector Commissions coordinate applications, in others individual agencies do.

Applications are encouraged from Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Māori and Pacific Peoples, and from people with disabilities or from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

If you work for the governments of the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria or Western Australia, 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, contact your department or agency’s Human Resources or Learning and Development team about your application or expression of interest.  Alternatively, you can contact 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 for further information including dates for application submission.

Visit the EMPA page or email: engage@anzsog.edu.au for further information.

The 2027 program fee is AUD $64,800 (exc. GST). In response to the intense fiscal pressures currently facing the public sector, we’re pleased to be providing a 10% subsidy for all students enrolling in the 2027 EMPA.

Sponsorship usually covers tuition and lunches during residential teaching. Travel and accommodation are additional.  

Jurisdictional Processes

Some governments have specific nomination or scholarship procedures. Deadlines vary by jurisdiction, so applicants must confirm timelines directly with their agency or commission.

• WA, NSW, VIC: apply via HR/L&D

• NT: apply via State Service Office

• QLD: scholarships available via Public Sector Commission

As a New Zealand applicant working in a central public service agency, you need to obtain the endorsement from the Office of the Commissioner in order to apply to enrol. To arrange for this endorsement, please contact lynn.evans@ldc.govt.nz and visit the LDC website for more information.

Program fees cover:

• Tuition

• Daily catering and refreshments, and some evening meals during residentials

Program fees do not cover:

• Textbooks

• Travel

• Accommodation

Costs for ANZSOG delivered residential subjects such as travel and accommodation need to be paid for by the student or their sponsoring agency.

Travel arrangements:

• Portions of the EMPA may be delivered offshore (for example, for Australian students this means attending classes in Aotearoa New Zealand, and for New Zealand students attending in Australia) and successful applicants into the program will be required to seek appropriate travel clearance from their organisation to attend these deliveries. Further information regarding offshore deliveries will be provided upon acceptance into the EMPA.

As part of your EMPA application, ANZSOG will facilitate enrolment on your behalf into one of our conferring universities. When completing your EMPA application, you will also need to provide the following supporting documentation:

• a certified copy of your birth certificate or data page of the passport

• a certified colour copy of proof of permanent residency for non-Australian or Aotearoa New Zealand citizens

• a copy of your current curriculum vitae

• certified copies of academic transcripts

The EMPA is a two-year postgraduate qualification undertaken by high performing public sector managers looking to increase their knowledge base, leadership and governing skills.

As a student, you are required to complete:

• A core curriculum of eight subjects, including an applied research project

• Three other electives chosen from subjects offered by conferring universities.

The EMPA is delivered through a dynamic blended learning approach, combining online classes with face-to-face learning and cross-jurisdictional networking opportunities.

In 2027, EMPA will be delivered in blended mode (face-to-face and online). You will be required to travel to locations in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand to attend the face-to-face study. The face-to-face components of the course will not be available online.

University elective contact time is dictated by your chosen university. Between formal, scheduled learning sessions, you will also have coursework to complete. As a student, you will undertake an applied research work-based project subject throughout the second year of the program, which includes three progress review sessions throughout the year.

It is recommended you complete as many first-year subjects as possible. This will assist you to build important networks and connections within your cohort but also help in distributing your study load for Year 2 and avoiding overloading your study plan.

As a student, you will complete three elective subjects (or a number equivalent to three standard-value units) offered by a conferring university. These are selected by you to bridge your past student and experience with the core curriculum, or to enhance your knowledge of a specific policy area relevant to your career trajectory.

Electives are generally drawn from postgraduate offerings of the faculties or schools of business, commerce, economics, government, law and political and social science.

Program commencement is February of each year.

The EMPA is a two-year part-time postgraduate degree featuring eight core subjects and three electives.

The core subjects are delivered by ANZSOG, and elective subjects are delivered by our conferring universities. Each subject consists of around 24 hours of direct instruction and approximately 140 hours of study time, research, reading and assignment work.

Students are expected to complete the EMPA within four years of enrolment. As student’s sponsorship is valid for a maximum of four years, any enrolments beyond that will require payment of additional fees.

Sponsorship for the program is a maximum of four years. Applicants must submit a Sponsorship Nomination Form, signed by an agency representative, acknowledging this. If you do not complete the EMPA within four years, an extension must be arranged by you separately with the university in which you are enrolled. You will be responsible for any further costs and expenses associated with the completion of your program.

As a general principle, ANZSOG does not recognise prior learning and credit towards core units of the EMPA degree. This is because the EMPA degree is a unique learning experience. Our subjects have been carefully designed to be distinctive offerings, different in content and in how they are delivered. Learning with peers with extensive government work experience is an integral part of the process of knowledge development. Given this, all students in the degree should plan to take all the required core subjects.

Students can apply for RPL and credit towards their university-delivered electives. This process is managed by the student’s enrolled university.