Innovative ANU MBA designed for and with leaders in the public-sector ecosystem.
Redefine leadership with an MBA from The Australian National University (ANU)
Evidence based. Non-traditional. For leaders of the future.
We have identified an important gap in education in leadership, management, and business skills for leaders working in a public-sector ecosystem context. Our unique transdisciplinary program combines elements of evidence-based decision-making and practice, strategic management, complexity leadership, and responsible stewardship to enable transformative impacts and integrity of public-sector leadership.
Core principles
Public-sector ecosystem focus
Leadership, management, and business skills for public-sector leaders operating in a public-sector ecosystem context. Business skills and prudence for partnering and working effectively with adjacent industries.
Evidence-based decision-making and practice
Learn from world leaders in evidence-based practice, and cultivate the skills to frame and identify complex problems and opportunities.
Responsible stewardship and integrity
Support and build institutional integrity and public trust with evidence-based drivers and behaviours.
Complexity leadership
Discover systems approaches, tools, and strategies to deal with complexity, as you gain new knowledge from multiple disciplines.
Work-home-study sustainability
Complete in approximately one year with a schedule designed around parliamentary sitting weeks to suit busy work and home life.
Why study our non-traditional MBA?
Designed to disrupt MBA curricula and traditional models of leadership education, this is an innovative program for leaders of the modern world. It features a unique mix of evidence-based decision-making and practice, and leadership for impact, as well as management and business skills designed for leaders in the public-service ecosystem.
MBA tailored to public-sector leadership launches
Program Director, Associate Professor Alessandra Capezio, discusses what makes the purpose-built ANU MBA unique, how it’s tailored to public-sector leadership, and highlights the advantages of studying this unique program in Canberra – the capital of Australia and seat of government.
Lead, innovate and manage effectively with our program learning outcomes
- Apply systems approaches, tools and frameworks to critically appraise information quality, and make explicit, judicious, and evidence-informed decisions in dynamic systems and complex environments.
- Develop plans for effective program implementation, risk management, service delivery, and resources management.
- Apply business communication and negotiation skills integral to working effectively with stakeholders in the public, private and for-purpose sectors.
- Integrate Indigenous ways of knowing, thinking, learning and perceiving in evidence-based decision-making and practice.
- Innovate adaptive approaches and strategies to address complex problems and opportunities.
- Create purpose-driven climates for people and teams to enact resilience, inclusion, well-being, continuous learning, high performance, and integrity.
Benefits to students and sponsors
Be taught by leading scholars in evidence-based decision-making and practice in work contexts, leadership, operational management, strategy, project management, information systems, change management, innovation and entrepreneurship, and marketing.
Unlock career-enhancing capabilities for time-efficient, judicious and defensible decision-making in highly complex and fast-moving environments, resulting in better management and leadership of resources and service delivery.
- Delivered by experts that engage with the APS.
- Teaching delivered around key dates in the APS work year.
- Designed with an intensive delivery mode for time-poor leaders.
- Interactive academic environment supporting individuals’ learning.
- Engages with Indigenous knowledge systems.
- Evidence-based, to focus on what really matters.
Equip your leaders with the knowledge to better manage and lead government resources and services through time-efficient, judicious and defensible decision-making, in highly complex and fast-moving public-sector contexts.
- Created with and for the Australian public-sector ecosystem.
- Teaching delivered around key dates in the APS work year.
- A behavioural framework to enact stewardship and integrity.
- Aligned with the APS Secretary’s Charter of Leadership Behaviours (DRIVE).
- Supports the APS Reform Agenda.
Program delivery
The program consists of a series of short courses, delivered intensively around parliamentary sitting weeks. With a focus on learning both in and outside of class, MBA participants can look forward to opportunities for deep, personal and behavioural transformation.
What you will study
The program consists of 12 three-unit courses delivered over 12 months and one 12-unit organisational research capstone project developed within an integrated curriculum framework.
Complexity, judgement and decision-making (MGMT8101)
Learn key skills for critical and analytical thinking, and organisational and managerial decision-making in complex and dynamic environments.
Evidence-based practice (MGMT8102)
Discover a structured framework for evidence-informed decision-making that increases decision quality and integrity by drawing on multiple sources of critically appraised information.
Future analysis and Australia’s contemporary outlook (MGMT8103)
Develop knowledge, skills and tools for future analysis, which helps to identify issues, challenges, and opportunities of national significance.
Communication and influence (MGMT8110)
This course provides leaders with skills in strategic communication and influence, including risk communication to build effective and trust-based relationships with different stakeholders.
Leading with integrity in dynamic and complex systems (MGMT8104)
Enacting integrity is central to responsible stewardship. Develop the knowledge and skills to lead responsibly and with integrity in dynamic and complex work environments and systems.
Business skills for the public-sector ecosystem (MGMT8112)
Learn essential business skills to work effectively within a public-sector ecosystem, including processes for negotiation, procurement, and contracting.
Purpose and strategic performance (MGMT8105)
Advance your capabilities in revealing and enacting team and organisational purpose as a driver of strategic and operational performance.
Innovation in the public sector (MGMT8111)
Enhance your knowledge of innovation processes, and position innovation and dynamic capabilities within a public-sector ecosystem context.
Program implementation and management (MGMT8107)
Build on your experiential knowledge and service-delivery experience by developing knowledge and skills from integration and implementation sciences for effective program management.
Public-sector resources management (MGMT8106)
Hone the skills essential to servicing financial and human resources accountabilities, from both an internal agency perspective and an external perspective, while navigating resource constraints.
Leading for high performance and resilience (MGMT8109)
Equip yourself with evidence-based knowledge about the key drivers and outcomes of work motivation, performance and team effectiveness, and the skills to enable high performance, psychological safety, and resilience.
Organisational learning and change (MGMT8108)
Develop the skills to enable continuous learning essential for reflexivity and adaptive performance of your organisation using an evidence-based framework.
Internal consulting capstone (MGMT8113)
Enhance your organisational and business-research skills in the context of a complex organisational issue, problem, or opportunity. Develop broader skills in knowledge generation and translation.
Tentative course dates for 2025
Lectures will be held monthly, Wednesday to Friday, with tentative dates as follows.
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21 January (induction) |
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22–24 January |
19–21 February |
19–21 March |
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15–17 April |
14–16 May |
11–13 June |
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23–25 July |
20–22 August |
17–19 September |
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15–17 October |
12–14 November |
10–12 December |
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21–23 January 2026 (capstone) |
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Ready to get started?
Speak to our team
Applications are opening soon. Please check back in mid-July 2024 to apply.
Our team of advisors are ready to answer your questions. Leave your details and we will call you back with information on the ANU MBA program.
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