Video transcript

Associate Professor Donna Cohen

“I decided that I would apply for the Masters of Public Policy in Management at Monash because I was interested in moving into public policy in the area of science and technology. I have previously done a Bachelor of Science and a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. It was not a very obvious bet, but I thought when I’d finished doing research, when I had moved on from there, that I would like to work in the public policy area, particularly in Biotechnology, but I was concerned that my research experience, while it was very good in a research setting, wouldn’t actually give me much of an edge if I applied in a position of public policy type setting. So I looked around to see what kind of programs were available, and came to the conclusion that the Monash MPPM would be the one that would give me the edge.

I think that the most interesting aspect of this course was how the content of the course fit in so well with what I was doing in my daily life. As it turned out I ended up getting a position in the Victorian public service very shortly after I commenced the Masters. What I found was that on a day to day basis, the things I was learning about in my lectures were instantly applicable. No sooner had I learned about government regulation or for example, how the executive government interacts with the bureaucracy or how cabinet works, then it seems like I would go into work the next day or the next week and I’d have to prepare a discussion paper on regulation of biotechnology or brief the minister or prepare a cabinet submission. Now I’m sure that the synchronicity was quite accidental but I was really surprised that something that was not really a vocational degree in that way was instantly applicable in the workplace.

I think there were two units in the course which I particularly enjoyed and benefited from in the course. The first was one of the very first units that I did, it was a unit called Business and Government, and I was so fascinated by the subject and it was a very interesting and of course it taught me about all the complexities of how the government interacts with the non-government sector. The second unit that I really got a lot out of was Strategic Management in the public sector. Now I have to say that I went into this unit as a bit of a non-believer, a bit remaining to be convinced about Strategic Management, but I so enjoyed these debates which we would get into with the lecturer, I’m sure I drove him mad with some of the things I went on about, but it was incredibly beneficial and that aspect of the course is probably the thing I have used more than anything else in my career to date.

The interesting thing is that I'm no longer in the Victorian public sector, I left the public service two years ago and moved back to an academic setting. What I found is that just as the things I learned in Masters were very applicable obviously when I was a public servant, I found that they’re equally so now that I’m working in academia. I work in a senior management position and policy cycle, strategic management, strategic planning, these are the watchwords of my daily vocabulary. I think that I’ve been impressed by how much this particular course has been transformable, skills have moved from public sector to academia and I have no doubt that they would stand me in good stead if I moved into the business sector. So, I’d have to say that I highly recommend the Master of Public Policy in Management for anyone who is considering a career in public policy or management positions.”