- Research project
- – Western Pacific
The challenges facing water managers across the world increasingly require leaders able to cross social, environmental and technological boundaries, to combine disciplinary knowledge, and to use theory to inform effective practice.
The Master of Integrated Water Management (MIWM) is one of the few programs in the world that takes a truly integrated approach to water management, bringing together social, economic, ecological, and engineering dimensions to effectively address complex sustainable development challenges that have water at their core.
The program is led by the International WaterCentre and enrolled through Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. The program is delivered by lecturers from the International WaterCentre, Griffith University, The University of Queensland and Monash University along with leading practitioners from private consulting and selected university partners internationally.
From 2021 the program will be delivered in blended and fully online modes for both domestic and international students. Blended delivery will involve a number of face to face field-trips and intensives in Australia, complemented by online delivery. Fully online delivery will involve online classes complemented by individual and team-based learning support.
Also, from 2021 the program will be available for both domestic and international students to study either full-time or part-time. Combined with the option to study via blended or fully online modes the MIWM will be available for those who wish to learn by committing themselves fully to study or to learn whilst they work from wherever they live.
We have welcomed more than one thousand water professionals into our education and training programs.
Choose from 3 specialisation streams, depending on your learning interests and career aspirations.
We have delivered education, training and research projects to individuals, communities and organisations from 86 countries.
The Master of Integrated Water Management creates water leaders by drawing on international teaching and research from many fields to provide a trans-disciplinary, whole-of-water-cycle approach to water management.
The program aims to build the capacity of future leaders in water management, with an emphasis on professionals working in WASH and development, urban water management, across water, land and people and in water finance for the achievement of sustainable development goals.
The program equips students with practical tools and skills for developing and managing the adoption of innovative solutions to local, regional, national and international water management issues. Students will develop the strategic, managerial and technical skills they need to advance in the water sector.
The Master of Integrated Water Management program aims to build integrated water management professionals who are able to collaborate, create and deliver innovative approaches to complex water management challenges. The program draws on the expertise of international leaders in teaching, research and practice across a wide breadth of disciplines, taking a transdisciplinary, ‘whole-of-water-cycle’ approach that equips participants with practical tools and skills for developing and delivering effective water management solutions.
Through this program you will develop effective leadership capacity as well as the strategic, managerial and technical skills you need to advance in the water sector. Program participants learn to:
The program also focuses on building the skills of participants in the areas of critical thinking, systems thinking and team work.
We offer flexible and shorter study options for those interested in developing their IWM skills and knowledge. A four-course Graduate Certificate in Integrated Water Management, and an eight-course Graduate Diploma in Integrated Water Management are available both as qualifications in their own right, and as early exit points from the full Master of Integrated Water Management, if needed.
The Graduate Certificate can be completed either full-time over one trimester (half a year duration) or part-time over two trimesters (one year duration). The Graduate Diploma can either be completed full-time over two trimesters (1 year duration) or part-time over four trimesters (2 years duration).
Study can be undertaken in either full-time or part-time modes, following either a blended delivery model (of field trips and intensives) accompanied by online delivery, or fully online delivery, studied from wherever you live and work.
To meaningfully co-construct and resolve wicked problems, effective water leadership requires the development of T-shaped professionals.
This combines the deep specialist disciplinary or functional knowledge that a leader needs (which can be imagined as an ‘I’), with a broad knowledge of other disciplines, organisational functions and the institutions in which they operate (which can be imagined as the cross bar on a ‘T’).
Effective water policy and management organisations will need to be composed of mixtures of I-shaped professionals providing deep, technical and specialist skills, with T-shaped professionals providing integration across functions and disciplines.
We adopt a collaborative teaching approach, bringing together lecturers from leading Australian universities, industry, government and NGOs to deliver the Master of Integrated Water Management program. They are all highly regarded experts (academics and professionals), in a range of disciplines, combining biophysical sciences and socio-economic disciplines for sustainable water management outcomes.
The indicative annual tuition fee is calculated based on a standard full-time study load which is usually 80 credit points (two full-time trimesters).
The indicative annual tuition fee is based on current conditions and available data and should only be used as a guide. These fees are reviewed annually and are subject to change.
Cost per course: $3,750
Cost for whole program: $45,000
Cost per year of full-time study: $30,000
Australian citizens can apply for FEE-Help, an Australian government loan to help with tuition fees. Australian Government tax incentives (self-education expenses) may also be available for professional development education expenses. Find out more about paying your fees here.
An International student is one who is not:
The indicative annual tuition fee is calculated based on a standard full-time study load which is usually 80 credit points (two full-time trimesters).
The indicative annual tuition fee is based on current conditions and available data and should only be used as a guide. These fees are reviewed annually and are subject to change.
Cost per course: $3,750
Cost for whole program: $45,000
Cost per year of full-time study: $30,000
To be eligible for admission to the Master of Integrated Water Management, applicants must hold:
Note: Further credit in addition to that awarded on the basis of advanced standing is not available.
English language requirements apply to International applicants and other applicants whose previous study was undertaken in a language other than English. The minimum English language requirements for such applicants for entry to these programs are detailed on the Griffith University website.
Griffith University grants credit and recognition of prior learning which may relate to prior formal learning or prior informal and non-formal learning. For more information, please visit the Griffith University website.
A standard program requires students to complete 120 credit points, comprising all foundation and integration courses, and a final project.
At the end of trimester 1, students choose from one of three available specialisation streams and select the respective elective courses.
Full for program details please visit the Griffith University course webpage.
Please note that the entry requirements for admission into the MIWM program at Griffith University are slightly different than the IWC Masters Scholarships eligibility requirements.
To apply for an IWC Masters Scholarship, candidates must have at least two years of professional experience (paid work or volunteering experience) relevant to the program and following completion of an undergraduate degree.
Candidates who don’t have two years of relevant professional experience can still apply for entry in the MIWM program Griffith but they are not eligible for an IWC Masters Scholarship.
A background in one of these fields would certainly be an asset; however, it is not a pre-requisite for entry into the program. We are keen to attract a highly multi-disciplinary group with diverse skill sets ranging from social sciences, law and policy, environmental sciences and engineering.
There is no age limit to apply for the IWC Master of Integrated Water Management and IWC scholarships. However applicants must meet the entry requirements for admission into Griffith University.
There is no minimum GPA required for entry into the program, however, students must have demonstrated a high level of academic achievement.
If you are unsure whether your undergraduate degree is recognised in Australia, please contact:
Griffith University – International enquiries:
Please contact Griffith International via the Griffith online enquiry system
Griffith University – Domestic enquiries:
1800 677 728 (Free call)
The MIWM program has a limited intake at trimester 2 (July).
Domestic and international students must enrol at Griffith University. You can’t enrol through IWC’s other foundation member universities.
The programs are delivered at Griffith University (Nathan Campus) by lecturers from all four founding member universities – UQ, Monash, Griffith and UWA. The degree certificate (testamur) bears the crest (logo) of Griffith University and The University of Queensland.
Once your application has been received by Griffith University you will get an electronic confirmation of receipt and a student number. You should then be able to track your application and contact Griffith directly to find out your status and for advice on your visa, etc.
Once your application has been processed, if you meet all admission requirements, you will be issued with an unconditional offer and an Acceptance of Offer contract.
A conditional offer will be issued for applicants who:
1. have not yet met the university’s English language requirements
2. must provide further academic information (e.g. evidence of bachelor degree completion);
3. must provide other documentation for enrolment (e.g. original documents, police clearance).
More information about the offer process at Griffith University is available here.
Once you’ve accepted your offer, submitted all required documentation and paid your tuition fees, you need to enrol in your classes via myGriffith (from December each year):
Griffith University offers a range of international scholarships. For more information please visit the Griffith University website.
There are also some opportunities through the Australian Government and international scholarship programs and other financial aid.
IWC postgraduate programs are intensive programs of study. They are taught by lecturers from The University of Queensland, Monash University, Griffith University and The University of Queensland, with key guest lectures from Australian and international water experts and practitioners. The program costs include several field trips and site visits as well as extensive course materials.
See the Griffith University website.
See Griffith University’s English language requirements.
To apply for the MIWM program as an international student, you need to demonstrate that you meet Griffith University’s English Language requirements.
If you have a question regarding admissions, visas, or the status of your submitted application please contact:
Griffith University
Online Enquiries (fast response): https://www2.griffith.edu.au/international/contact-us
The trimester 1, the MIWM program commences on Saturday, 15 February 2020 and will conclude on Friday, 21 February 2020. This mandatory intensive will be delivered at the Griffith Nathan campus and all new international and domestic students (full-time and part-time) are required to attend. Further information will be provided to all newly enrolled students in January 2020. For information regarding this intensive, contact [email protected].
For trimester 2, the MIWM program will commence on Saturday, 4 July with the mandatory field trip to Cairns, Queensland for the 7920ENV (Catchment and Aquatic Ecosystem Health) course. All costs associated with this trip (flights, accommodation and transport) are included in the tuition fees.
At the end of trimester 1, participants select one of four available specialisation streams, depending on their learning interests and career aspirations. The specialisation streams are:
Learn more about the specialisation streams
Through a number of case studies, workshops and field trips, program participants can integrate their learning from the co-requisite courses by applying transdisciplinary knowledge and skills to specific water-related problems.
They also participate in an ‘Integrated Water Management Capacity Building Workshop’ and a one-day ‘Water Leadership Masterclass’, which assists in the development of higher-order water management skills.
The culminating experience in the Masters program is the final project, undertaken over one trimester for full-time students or two trimesters for part-time students.
Learn more about field trips and the final project
Our graduates move into management positions in the public, private and non-government sectors. Graduates have also found employment with NGOs, government or aid agencies, consultancies, water utilities, community development agencies, environmental regulators and agricultural, mining and industrial companies. Opportunities to continue on to a PhD also exist for students who achieve excellent academic results in their final semester project.
Graduates find employment in:
Graduates find employment in:
Graduates find employment in:
Graduates find employment in:
New Zealand
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist
World Vision
Originally from the city of Tauranga in Te Moana-a-Toi near the Bay of Plenty in Aotearoa, New Zealand, I’ve spent the past seven years with World Vision working on WASH-realted projects in rural communities. I helped set up the World Vision Field Office in Arawa, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, before taking responsibility for the effective coordination and provision of strategic and program management support to WVNZ-funded programs in countries including Mali, Niger, Honduras and Nicaragua.
I am currently the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Sector Lead for World Vision International in Afghanistan, where I take the lead in developing an organisation-wide integrated WASH strategy and approach.
I joined the MIWM program to learn the skills needed to take inter-disciplinary approaches to water management, and to learn how to make informed choices about water management options, particularly when it came to drinking water supply in water-scarce environments.
An External Advisory Panel (EAP) consisting of key industry representatives from Australian NGOs, utilities and Government Agencies acts as a feedback body, to ensure the continual improvement of IWC postgraduate programs.
The EAP meets once a year to provide advice on the strategic direction of IWC programs and ensure competitiveness and relevance to wider global water sector issues.
International WaterCentre programs are enrolled through Griffith University and taught from the Nathan campus.
Griffith University was created to be a different kind of university—challenging conventions, creating bold new trends and pioneering solutions through innovative teaching and research. Its high-quality degrees are specifically designed to prepare students for the future and are developed in consultation with industry, based on cutting-edge research, and taught by Australia’s most awarded teachers. Since its beginning, Griffith has been deeply connected to the Asian region, environmentally aware, open to the community and industry focused. Always ahead of its time, Griffith introduced Australia’s first degrees in a range of important areas, including modern Asian studies and environmental science.
Ranking in the top 2% of universities worldwide, Griffith hosts 50,000 students across six campuses in South East Queensland including its Digital campus. At Griffith, students benefit from an extensive network of industry partners to gain the skills and confidence that employers want.
The Nathan campus is situated in tranquil, native koala habitat on the edge of Toohey Forest, just 20 minutes from the Brisbane CBD. Griffith’s foundation campus, Nathan offers degrees in aviation, business, government, engineering, information technology, environment, humanities, languages, law, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and science. On-campus student accommodation is available.
