This course explores the theory and practice of public administration. It will introduce students to a variety of historical, political, legal, organisational and emerging perspectives on public administration, and apply these perspectives to issues public administrators encounter in their day to day professional practice. The course will engage students in classical and contemporary debates and problems of government, including the relationship between the state and civil society, the state and the market, and the state and the law.
Key themes will include power and legitimacy, equity and engagement, and the impact of structural reform on citizens and the public service workforce. Students will consider how public administrators negotiate the regulatory and organisational contexts that structure, and at times constrain, their fields of action and authority.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Understand key debates in public administration theory and practice.
- Apply concepts and theories from public administration scholarship to contemporary debates and problems of government.
- Evaluate a variety of historical, political, legal, organisational and emerging perspectives on public administration.
- Analyse the historical, legal, political, and organisational context of public administration.
- Demonstrate the capacity to think analytically and reflectively about the role of public administration in contemporary governance.
Indicative Assessment
- Course readings summary (500 words) (15) [LO 1,3,4]
- Case response - report (2500 words) (50) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Reflective essay (1000 words) (35) [LO 2,3,4,5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
A standard workload for a 6 unit course is 130 hours including in-class time and independent study.
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Prescribed Texts
See Wattle
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $4200 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $6000 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.