Take the next step in your career with the Master of Local Government

Associate Professor Roberta Ryan: One of the really great things about our graduate programs, apart from the fact there designed strongly in consultation with the local government sector, they’re delivered by senior local government professionals, people who've been there, know that and we’re very strongly underpinned by the latest thinking in all of these areas.

Todd Hopwood, Master of Local Government student: I found the Masters a great course. It doesn't feel like an undergraduate degree. I’ve done undergraduate degree’s before, I feel like I’m part of the conversation with the teachers, talking about problems and solutions and with our fellow students, rather than just sitting there and being lectured to an and taking down notes and passing an exam.

Bligh Grant, Senior Lecturer: We are able to provide a sectoral overview of where local government fits in as a part of Australia’s economy and that's a very very important thing. So we tool up people to think of local government from a broader perspective and we give them the technical skills to implement processes by which they can improve local government.

Associate Professor Roberta Ryan: One of the things that's very distinctive about the offer here at the Centre is that it is a tailored programme for local government professionals and we really understand the particular challenges that local government professionals face.

Tod Hopwood, Master of Local Government student: The key advantages I’ve brought back to work from doing the course is different ways of looking at issues that we all face in local government. Through the course we often have sessions where we work together in small groups of 10 or 12 people in the course and we all work in local government so we talk about different ways of solving the same problems we have, so I take those attitudes and those approaches back to work, which has been really beneficial.

Bligh Grant, Senior Lecturer: We are the only place in Australia that provides that specific focus, that specific lens, through which to examine the polity of Australia, the economy of Australia, the gender of Australia. Everything is through local government; that’s our focus.

Associate Professor Roberta Ryan: There's a major national debate on about what share of tax revenues all levels of government should get, and local government really has to position itself into that debate. This is a time where local government, there’s huge opportunities for local government to step up and be really well prepared to speak for themselves, and to really have clear views about the kinds of role that local government can play in our federation, and in the leadership of our country.