Professional development and education opportunities in the Faculty of Arts

Over the past 12 months the Faculty of Arts has significantly expanded its professional development, executive education and community education offerings.

In 2013, in consultation with the Department of State Development, Business and Innovation, the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences (GSHSS) launched a new Specialist Certificate in Strategic Communications and Engagement designed specifically for communications professionals.

The Specialist Certificate draws on key GSHSS academic staff as well as industry and government experts, aiming to enhance participants' communications and media management skills with a particular focus on the relationship between communications, engagement and policy development.

We are excited to announce that we will launch a new Specialist Certificate in Cross-Cultural Conservation and Heritage at the International Council for Museums Committee of Conservation (ICOM-CC) Conference in Melbourne in September. The Specialist Certificate draws on the Centre for Cultural Material Conservation's extensive industry and community partnerships to combine traditional indigenous knowledges and practices with instruction in cutting edge instrumentation and analytical investigation in a range of cultural settings. The course has been developed in consultation with the Association of Northern, Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists (ANKAAA), the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials, the professional organisation for conservators in Australia, and will be launched by the Director General of ICOM-CC Dr Hans Martin Hinz.

The Melbourne School of Government offers a range of custom designed professional development programs which have a strong regional focus, such as the Leadership Program for the Thai Office of the Civil Service Commission, with participants from a wide range of Thai government agencies. Delivered in partnership with the Institute of Public Policy Administration Australia, this program connects course practitioners directly with their counterparts in Australia's internationally well-regarded public institutions.

In 2013 the Faculty launched its community education flagship, Melbourne Masterclasses, which are designed to offer enriching and engaging learning experiences with our most celebrated academics and visiting scholars from around the world. Highlights this year include the hugely successful 10 Great Books series and Melbourne Masterclasses: Italian Masterpieces with the NGV.

For further information about executive education opportunities, visit our websiteor contact Dr Meredith Martin at martinma@unimelb.edu.au