POLS20008 Public Policy Making
University of Melbourne · Level 2 · 12.5 points · Runs in 2026: Semester 2.
- No final exam: all coursework
- About 2.5 class hours a week
Is POLS20008 hard?
POLS20008: Easier. Makes it easier: No final exam, Only 2.5 class hours a week. No student reviews yet — based on the Handbook only.
What you learn
How public policy actually gets made, who influences it beyond government, and why some groups gain more from it than others.
After it you can
- Explain the stages and actors in policy making
- Analyse real cases of policy success and failure
- Assess who wins and who loses from a policy
What you need first
None
What it leads to
How it’s assessed
Assignments 100%
Student reviews and ratings
Summarised from 5 students on StudentVIP (2018–2025)
- Theory-based lectures and topic-based tutorials feel like separate courses, several said. It mainly targets people aiming for the public service.
- Assessments are policy briefs rather than standard essays. Reviewers struggled with little guidance on how to write them, though one found the provided guide clear and got H1s.
- A 2025 reviewer found the lectures rambling and wished actual policy examples were studied.
A summary of public reviews, not scored here.
Taken this subject? Rate it anonymously (difficulty, workload, marking, would you recommend it) and leave a tip for next year's students. Rate POLS20008
Quick answers
- When is POLS20008 offered?
- Runs in 2026: Semester 2.
- What do I need before taking POLS20008?
- No prerequisites.
- Does POLS20008 have a final exam?
- No, there is no final exam. Assessment: Assignments 100%.
- Is POLS20008 hard?
- From 5 student reviews on StudentVIP: Theory-based lectures and topic-based tutorials feel like separate courses, several said. It mainly targets people aiming for the public service.
- What do students say about POLS20008?
- Theory-based lectures and topic-based tutorials feel like separate courses, several said. It mainly targets people aiming for the public service. Assessments are policy briefs rather than standard essays. Reviewers struggled with little guidance on how to write them, though one found the provided guide clear and got H1s. A 2025 reviewer found the lectures rambling and wished actual policy examples were studied.
- How many class hours a week does POLS20008 have?
- 2.5 h a week in class
- Can I take POLS20008 as breadth?
- Yes, for: Bachelor of Biomedicine, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film and Television), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art), Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science.
- What can I take after POLS20008?
- 2 subjects need it first, for example POLS30001, POLS30003.
- Can I rate POLS20008?
- Yes. If you've taken it, rate it anonymously on this page (difficulty, workload, marking, would you recommend it) and leave a tip for next year's students. Averages show once 3 students have rated it; tips are checked before they appear.
Source: University of Melbourne Handbook 2026
Always confirm in the official Handbook.
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