Master of Regulation and Governance

1.5 Years

72 Units

In person or online

Why study this program?

Climate change. Digital transformation. Injustice. Social inequality. Indigenous governance. All emerging and complex challenges in the 21st century require profound knowledge and understanding of regulation and governance.

Regulation and governance are pervasive and we encounter both every day. How do we tackle questions of risk, safety, access and equity, and social wellbeing in ways that are effective, legitimate and fair?

The Master of Regulation and Governance (MREGG) equips you with the knowledge and skills to navigate environments where complexity, risk, and transformative technologies are reshaping the ways in which we govern and regulate.

The Graduate Certificate of Regulation and Governance (CREGO) is a 24-unit (12 months, part-time) program available for those who would prefer a shorter time commitment while still receiving a world class qualification in Regulation and Governance. As well as being its own standalone program, it also provides an introduction to the immersive Master's experience as a pathway option into the MREGG.

The MREGG is a unique degree that equips students and their organisations with the knowledge and skills to navigate environments where complexity, catastrophic risk, and transformative technologies are reshaping the ways in which we govern and regulate.

The program draws on the evidence-based research and the ‘big ideas’ in regulation and governance for which the RegNet academics are world famous. MREGG students join an education program at RegNet that emphasises interdisciplinary skills-building, our place in Asia and the Pacific, a stimulating curriculum, master classes with distinguished practitioners, global networks and multiple career pathways.

Download the Master of Regulation and Governance (MREGG) flyer.

Career Opportunities

The MREGG is designed to lead into – or enhance – careers in regulatory policy and governance and compliance system design, whether locally, nationally and within Asia and the Pacific. Graduates from this program will be working in - or will join government or private sector organisations charged with designing and applying regulatory policy solutions to pressing social problems, often in partnership with diverse stakeholders.

Relevant employers include (but are not limited to):

Commonwealth and State Departments dealing with justice, environment, families, housing, Indigenous Australians;
Federal and State-level regulatory policy units (e.g. Behavioural Insight and Better Regulation);
Compliance and Enforcement offices in fields such as environment, health, and worker and consumer safety;
Policing and corrections institutions;
Multilateral organisations;
NGOs and advocacy organisations;
International development programs delivering governance reform projects.

Skills and expertise
For the last 20 years, the School of Regulation and Governance (RegNet)’s interdisciplinary scholars have focused on improving the regulation and governance of major social, justice, environmental, economic and health issues. The MREGG draws on deep empirical scholarship and policy experience whilst offering students a comprehensive and holistic view of contemporary social problems.

Unparalleled academic expertise
RegNet is home to world renowned researchers and regulatory practitioners who have produced many of the ground breaking and data-informed ideas that drive much of the contemporary regulatory governance in Australia, Asia, the Pacific and globally.

Regulation and Governance Clinic
Strong connections with regulators and hands-on experience tackling real world problems
The Regulation and Governance Clinic, the first of its kind within Australia, offers students the opportunity to partner with regulators from local state or federal government, private business or not-for-profit organizations who manage pressing regulatory challenges. Over the course of approximately 12 weeks, students will have the opportunity to work alongside professional regulators and policymakers to generate key inputs that will help determine the solutions implemented. View the flyer here.

Asia and the Pacific Focus
RegNet has a strong focus on Asia and the Pacific – the region which increasingly shapes the strategic, political and economic direction of our world. The Master of Regulation and Governance (MREGG) has elective courses and case studies from Asia and the Pacific, taught by experts who share their deep understanding of practical challenges in regulation and governance within the region.

Innovation through Interdisciplinary Engagement
This Master’s program will expose students to emerging fields of regulation and governance, including the intersection of technology and regulation; the challenge of regulating global business; Indigenous governance; environmental governance; the regulatory rise of Asia; and geo-economics.

Strong interdisciplinary network
As a student of the MREGG you will benefit from having a close collegial relationship with a community of leading interdisciplinary scholars and access to a longstanding global network of alumni, practitioners and researchers with rich and diverse experience.

Interactive courses
Core courses provide students with a solid foundation in the concepts, processes, institutions and practice of regulation and governance. Elective courses provide case-studies, simulations and clinics in which to examine domains such as climate, crime, environment, health, Indigenous Australia, justice, safety, technology and urban design. All the courses are interactive and ask how regulation and governance is created and by whom - and for what purpose, with an emphasis on how to better anticipate catastrophe, manage risk and provide equitable social outcomes.

Skills enhancement
Students will gain a deep understanding of key concepts, theoretical debates and practical challenges in regulation and governance in Australia, Asia and the Pacific, and globally. Through the program they will understand the political and social processes of evaluating risk and designing regulatory responses to everyday safety, complex scenarios or catastrophic events.

Meet our students and alumni

From Dongguan to Canberra: Tony’s postgraduate experience at RegNet

Recent MREGG graduate Tony Zhou shares what he enjoys in the program and some of the challenges he faced as a postgraduate student.

Meet Steven Karras

Steven Karras talks about his experience as a student at RegNet—from the highlights of studying the CREGO to the challenges faced—and how completing it has benefited him both personally and professionally.

Student Q&A

Students Franz Carneiro Alphonso, Xiao Jiang, Mallory Dobner and Frederick Loughman talk about their student experience and share their thoughts on what it is like to study a postgraduate degree at RegNet.

Hear from the academics

“At the heart of regulation and the course that I teach, lie questions such as: Who obeys the rules? Who breaks them, why and with what impact?"

The learning experience

This program comprises 72 units: 36 units of compulsory courses covering theory, research skills and applied master classes, and a maximum of 36 units of electives.

Core courses provide students with a foundational understanding of the concepts, processes, institutions and practice of regulation and governance.

Applied master classes provide case-studies, simulations and clinics which focus on topics such as climate, crime, environment, the economy, health, Indigenous Australia, justice, safety, technology and urban design.

All the courses are interactive and analyse how regulation is created, including by whom and for what purpose, with an emphasis on how to better anticipate new governance challenges and to deliver fair and equitable social outcomes.

View the complete course list

Graduate Certificate of Regulation and Governance

The CREGO is for people who are currently managing regulatory portfolios and projects in government agencies - or who will do so in future. It also supports professionals who work with regulatory stakeholders, including business and industry, territory, state and federal government agencies, the legislature, community actors and the media.

Students will be able to identify and define core ideas in contemporary regulation and compliance and understand, at a more advanced level, the theories and evidence that inform regulatory practice. They will be able to develop and test new approaches to regulation and compliance suited for particular problems and contexts and develop and present regulatory policy proposals. Students will also be able analyse the role and influence of a diverse range of regulatory actors and interpret selected Australian and international case studies and apply these insights to everyday regulatory challenges in your workplace. Everyone in the program has the opportunity to undertake training in quantitative and qualitative research techniques and data analysis customised for professional, evidence based approaches to regulation and governance.

Download the Graduate Certificate of Regulation and Governance (CREGO) flyer.

Apply Now

Scholarships

The Australian National University (ANU) offers a wide range of scholarships to students to Assist with the cost of their studies.

Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are. Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.

Whether you are looking for financial support to start your studies at ANU or help to move away from home for the first time, we have scholarship opportunities for you and your situation.

Explore all ANU scholarships