Program Overview

Our Postgraduate Qualifying Program is a 5-unit course taught over one trimester. It has been designed as a pathway to a master’s degree for international students who don’t meet the entry requirements for a master’s degree.

This course is suited to you if you:

• don't have the desired results to gain entry to your chosen master’s degree
• need to adapt to the academic requirements in the master’s degree studies
• need additional English language support

After successful completion of this program, you will be able to commence your postgraduate degree studies with confidence at Murdoch University, which has achieved a QS Stars five-star rating.

Course Structure
You will need to complete five units in one trimester. These units are designed to develop your learning techniques, bridge gaps in your unit knowledge, and prepare you for your master’s studies at the University. You can start the program in any trimester during the year. You may extend your program period if you fail a unit and need to re-enrol.

• Academic English - This unit is aimed at providing students from a range of educational backgrounds and cultures with the academic language skills necessary to successfully study at a postgraduate level. These skills will be developed through real-world contexts to specifically prepare students for their postgraduate units. It equips students whose first language is not English with the necessary skills to successfully engage in group work, become more effective communicators when collaborating with others, and gain confidence in building productive relationships.
• Study and Research Skills - This unit aims to develop many of the written and oral presentation skills that students need in preparation for postgraduate study. This unit will develop generic writing and thinking skills that will equip students for success in any tertiary learning environment. Skills include how to begin writing assignments; how to give writing a strong structure; and how to improve the clarity and power of what is written through appropriate word choices.
• Critical Thinking Skills - This unit aims to enable students to develop the critical and analytical thinking skills essential for studying at postgraduate level. Students will learn to critically engage with academic reading material to examine and evaluate the argument of others. Students will learn to identify the difference between critical analysis and description and be able to better formulate an argument effectively in their own writing. Students will participate in interactive workshops to develop confidence in their ability to apply critical thinking strategies. Students will analyse differing viewpoints, challenge the views of others and clearly communicate their own position.
• Quantitative Studies - This unit aims to introduce students to the important quantitative skills that provide a sound understanding in mathematics and statistics that are used in postgraduate study. The principles of data analysis and quantitative techniques will discuss sampling, representations of data, measures of central tendency and dispersion, distributions, correlation, and regression.
• Intercultural Studies - This unit will provide students with an understanding of how to interact, participate and communicate effectively in Australia. Emphasis will be placed on providing students with opportunities to understand their own culture, develop meaningful and empathic understandings of other cultures (with reference to Australia) and how they relate to each other. This unit will also develop knowledge, understanding and intercultural communication skills that will enable students to participate effectively in a range of personal and professional contexts.

Leading to: Master of Sustainable Development
Real change can happen when tomorrow’s sustainable development leaders come together to share their experiences, ideas and insights – and for over a decade our sustainability Masters have been doing just that. In taking the course, you’ll become part of a much-valued group of sustainability professionals who are making a difference within Australia and around the world.

You’ll examine global sustainability challenges and explore inspiring solutions at international, regional and local levels. You’ll learn about urban and regional sustainability, climate change adaptation, sustainability education and ethics, and take a closer look at sustainability and international development within Asia.

You could choose professional-based electives to specialise in project and risk management, ethics, sustainability within businesses, and leading and managing non-government organisations. You might choose policy-based electives to specialise in environmental impact assessment, environmental policy and energy policy.

3 reasons to study a Master of Sustainable Development at Murdoch

1. As you study, you’ll have the chance to build your professional portfolio of work, completing an internship or practical project for academic credit. Past students have interned with local governments, leading sustainability businesses such as The Forever Project and NGOs such as Perth City Farm.
2. You’ll be taught by leading academics who are involved in important sustainable development projects within Australia and overseas. Our experts are working on important development projects, from aid projects in Africa and Asia, to leading sustainability initiatives in the Middle East.
3. Follow in the footsteps of other Murdoch free-thinkers who are making a difference and leading the sustainability agenda globally and within Australia. Our graduates have gone on to work at Ikea, Uber and EY.

What you'll learn
Build essential skills and knowledge to meet your career or study goals. Topics you’ll cover include:

• Sustainability ecology and communities
• Community, industry and local government
• Cultures, communities and sustainability in Asia
• Climate change adaptation
• Cities and sustainability
• Environmental policy for the 21st Century
• Project and risk management