Executive Master of Arts (MC-EMA) // Attributes, outcomes and skills

Intended learning outcomes

Students who complete the Executive Master of Arts should have:

• advanced critical thinking and analytical skills developed through in-depth study in specialist subject areas;
• broad perspective gained through exposure to a range of subject areas;
• professional skills with breadth and a social/community focus;
• an understanding of ethical behaviour;
• ability to read the ‘real world’ and to understand social trends;
• understanding of leadership and people leadership skills;
• exposure to leaders in the business, government and community sectors;
• relevant work experience;
• enhanced inter-cultural understanding;
• fundamental business skills; and
• demonstrated ability to work in teams on projects.

Generic skills

The Executive Master of Arts offers advanced training for students aspiring to leadership roles in their future professional careers. EMA graduates should have acquired skills in the areas of:

• leadership and professional communication;
• ethical practice;
• financial management;
• critical analysis and creative thinking;
• project management; and
• team work and professional networking.

Graduate attributes

The EMA is designed for students who are seeking to acquire marketable professional skills; opportunities for further intellectual and personal growth and development; opportunities to network with their fellow students and community leaders; and how to apply their knowledge to the ‘real world’. The degree is a qualification designed for students seeking to enter professional employment.

Academically excellent

The EMA will be subject to a continuous cycle of review through constant refinements in teaching and learning principles and approaches. The compulsory completion of a core suite of professional module subjects ensures a valuable cohort experience as well as depth of study.

Knowledgeable across disciplines

The EMA offers students a core program designed around professional skills acquisition as well as a range of subjects from the humanities, social sciences and languages. All EMA students will complete seven skills subjects as well as subjects that offer cross-cultural perspectives on a number of historical and contemporary themes, and each of which has been designed collaboratively by teachers drawn from a number of different disciplines.

Leaders in communities

The EMA has been designed to train students aspiring to leadership roles in their future careers. It facilitates the development of excellent interpersonal and communication skills through subject content and assessment practices, and through the commitment of the degree to small-group interactive teaching and learning environments. The provision of research and knowledge transfer opportunities enables the development of public discourse skills and an extensive awareness of community issues and global needs.

Attuned to cultural diversity

The EMA offers students the opportunity to explore aspects of cultural diversity and indigeneity. Many of the degree’s discipline-based subjects are concerned specifically and analytically with cultural diversity, from language, Asian studies and historical studies, through comparative social science studies, to the explicit study of culture itself. EMA students will be exposed specifically to cross-cultural issues through both the core and elective subjects. All EMA students will be given the opportunity to undertake an internship or group work that will provide them with experiences outside their own immediate cultures.

Active global citizens

EMA graduates will be equipped to be active global citizens by virtue of their leadership skills, academic excellence, their inter-disciplinary and cross-cultural knowledge, and their community and cultural awareness.