Redefine your career with a postgraduate qualification in Policy Sciences or Project Management

Postgraduate degrees offer opportunities for those holding undergraduate degrees or working professionals to increase their knowledge base, conduct research in their areas of interest, and learn and work with leaders in industry to advance their careers.

The Faculty of Humanities at Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) offers postgraduate coursework degrees in policy sciences and project management, including graduate certificate and diploma courses leading to the full degree in the case of the Master of Science in Project Management.

As Curtin University’s largest international campus and global hub in Asia, Curtin Malaysia offers the same postgraduate qualifications as its Australian parent in Perth, as well as an undifferentiated study experience, learning resources and support mechanisms.

The Master of Policy Sciences, which is offered in both full- and part-time mode with options for face-to-face or online teaching, helps students develop a foundation in the core areas of policy analysis and management in the public sector.

The course enables students to articulate and apply concepts, principles and best practices related to public sector administration; analyse and develop strategies to improve public sector administration; synthesise ideas from international and regional public service practices and critically review the public service within the local context.

They will also learn to devise and communicate public policy strategies to members of the public as well as decision-makers, and apply statistical software to conduct research projects. In addition, they will evaluate performance of self and their institutions against developments in public service administration, and establish cooperative team relationships in group assignments and projects.

Whilst the course was developed with a global perspective at the main campus in Australia, it has evolved at Curtin Malaysia through the years with more localised content to suit the public sector in Malaysia. To maintain its international flavour, visiting lecturers from the Australian campus periodically lecture students in Sarawak.

This factor convinced the Sarawak state government to sponsor cohorts of senior officers to pursue the Master of Policy Sciences, with lectures and labs conducted both at the Curtin Malaysia campus in Miri and the state government’s public administration training centre in Kuching.

Another attraction of the course is its flexibility, with classes conducted during weekends with minimal interruption to students’ work commitments, and its availability online so that students can fit their studies around their job commitments. There are no requirements to attend physical classes in the online study mode and Curtin Malaysia’s online teaching technologies provide a seamless, responsive and innovative digital learning experience.

Meanwhile, the Master of Science in Project Management course, which is identical in all respects to the one offered at the Perth campus, helps students gain the understanding, knowledge and skills necessary for becoming effective project managers.

It adopts a generic approach to project management and is applicable to a variety of industries, including construction, engineering, education, health, commerce, information technology, and research and development. Furthermore, the course’s teaching staff have extensive professional experience in project management and are able to offer significant practical relevance to student learning.

In the Graduate Certificate in Project Management course, students examine project management and its processes, including history, definitions, attributes, body of knowledge, objectives and success. They also explore the characteristics and activities of the project life cycle, along with the functions of planning, organisation and control, as well as consider cost and value management processes within a project environment.

Their studies will be supported by an exploration of organisational development and the design of organisational structures, including perceptions, personality, motivation, leadership, group processes, performance appraisal, conflict and work redesign.

The Graduate Diploma in Project Management course, meanwhile, builds on the curriculum of the graduate certificate to include topics in project quality, risk and procurement management and managerial effectiveness.

Students will explore the application of quality management to projects, including planning, assurance, certification, audits, control, training, benchmarking and best practice. They will also identify types of risks and learn risk analysis techniques, the function of contracting and procurement, the acquisition process and contract administration. In addition, they will develop skills effective managers use in order to carry out the people-oriented tasks of management.

The Master of Science in Project Management builds on the curriculum of the graduate diploma to incorporate studies in strategic planning, stakeholder management, communication management and project management information systems. Students will also prepare and develop an individual research project report under the guidance of experienced academic staff.

Besides the benefit of learning from highly experienced teaching staff, as well as professionals from industry, benefits to students include career enhancement without having to take a career break, the flexibility to balance study/work/life with support from a dedicated team, a chance to build a global network of professional contacts, and increased confidence and exposure to broader management issues.

The postgraduate programmes at Curtin Malaysia are growing rapidly as the campus gains wider recognition as a leading provider of postgraduate education in the region. In addition to policy sciences and project management, it offers a range of other coursework master’s programmes in engineering and business, as well as Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy programmes by research.

A key factor attracting students worldwide to the campus is its internationally-acclaimed Curtin programmes, which are accredited by numerous national and international professional bodies. In addition, the quality of its technology-rich teaching facilities, including its online teaching frameworks and resources; the impressive profile of its academics and application of advanced teaching methods, allow students to enjoy an exceptional learning experience.

Those interested to pursue master’s degrees at Curtin Malaysia may be accepted into a relevant programme at the Faculty of Humanities, Faculty of Business or Faculty of Engineering and Science provided they hold appropriate qualifications as decided by the respective faculty deans. Mature-age students who do not have formal entry qualifications may still qualify for admission, and Credit for Recognised Learning (CRL) may be awarded as a result of other relevant studies.

A master’s degree is usually completed in one year on a trimester or semester basis. Some of the degrees also have a work experience component.

Postgraduate programmes growing rapidly as campus gains wider recognition as leading regional provider of postgraduate education.