In the Master’s in Public Policy and Governance you will learn to critically analyse public policies in often controversial political settings. The programme focuses on both research and practice and links theory and practice by looking into interesting cases and inviting inspiring guest speakers.
The Public Policy and Governance track prepares students to meet demands for effective and legitimate public action in complex and often controversial political settings. The programme helps students develop as critical analysts and innovative designers by linking research and practice, theory and action on the ‘shop floor’ on the local, national, European, and international levels. Opportunities are provided to study policy work at and across these levels.
Then the Master's programme in Public Policy and Governance might be the perfect programme for you.
The Public Policy and Governance track provides a unique opportunity to study public policy and governance in the context of a political science programme. This setting strengthens the link between policy problems and ongoing social and political developments.
The Department of Political Science is is the largest in the Netherlands, which provides our students with a wide array of coursework and opportunities for thesis research.
The student body is international, providing the opportunity to study and develop within a diverse community.
Are you interested in how public policy is made and put into practice? Do you want to learn how to conduct research that contributes to the development and implementation of policy and to reflect on the practical arrangements in which policy gets made? If so, this Master's programme might be for you! The programme is intensive and rigorous and students are expected to develop a capacity to work independently and in group settings.
Students typically find a career in public organisations (government , as well as non-governmental organisations), policy advisory bureaus, consultancy firms, multi-nationals, and other companies.
Public Policy and Governance is a track of the accredited degree programme Political Science. After successful completion of this programme, you will receive a legally accredited Master’s degree in Political Science and the title Master of Science (MSc).
How do we deal with the long term challenges from new technologies, globalisation, demographic shifts and environmental change? Are our current pension and healthcare systems strong enough to cope with an ageing population? What policies are required to achieve environmental sustainability - and who is responsible for taking action? If you are strongly motivated to contribute to just and effective decisions in economic policy-making, the Master’s in Economic Policy at Utrecht University School of Economics (U.S.E.) is the right choice for you.
Based on Utrecht University’s research expertise, this multidisciplinary Master’s gives you 360-degree picture of the importance of economic policy-making for business, government, and society.
In the Master in Economic Policy you focus on
Read more about the study programme.
This MSc in Economic Policy provides you with:
You will actively participate in major research projects, conduct your own research, present your results, and write short essays and a master’s thesis.
Upon completion of the MSc in Economic Policy you are prepared for a wide range of careers in both the public and private sector. Our alumni have gone on to develop careers as economics policy advisors for government agencies at the national, European and international level; as economic professionals in the public domain of public administration, health care, education and social security; or as consultants in sustainable transitions and energy economics. Read more about possible career prospects.
Want to understand how to address humankind’s most pressing issues - big challenges arising from climate change, technological innovation, economic and political crises - from the perspective of governance? The MSc in Public Administration is for you!
The main question you focus on in the MPA is: How can we address humankind’s most pressing problems from the perspective of governance? Governance has many definitions; within the context of the MPA it concerns the management, steering, and coordination of political, administrative, economic, and social actors, as well as the formal and informal regimes and policy processes within which they act, towards addressing collective social problems at regional, national, and international levels.
Then this programme is for you!
How can we understand the EU’s response to the financial crisis or to the confrontation between Ukraine and Russia? How do we account for the EU’s reaction to the refugee crisis provoked by conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa? What is Europe’s peacekeeping role and capacity? The master's programme in European Studies trains you to answer these complex questions. Because you cannot study Europe from just one angle, the programme examines global developments and multi-level governance in a broader context, combining political science, history, international relations, economics and cultural studies. This student-centred, interdisciplinary programme is among the largest, and certainly the most international, in Europe and has an excellent reputation. You will study the internal and external dimensions of European policy, governance and administration. The focus is on the underlying issues of power and influence, governance and culture within the European milieu and between Europe and the wider world.
Why this programme?
The Master of Arts in European Studies focuses on the international dimensions of policy, governance and administration. The programme looks beyond the institutions of the European Union and the mechanics of European integration to examine global developments and multi-level governance in a broader context. The programme employs an interdisciplinary approach, combining political science, history, international relations, economics and cultural studies. The focus is on the underlying issues of power and influence, governance and culture.
The programme offers three specialisations:
Spatial planners are fascinated by on-going and future changes in cities and regions and take on the role as managers of those spatial transformations - think of: regenerating shopping districts or old industrial sites; designating water retention areas; shaping urban mobility concepts for the future. Related challenges vary in scale, from individual property to European policy making.
The Master's in Spatial Planning has the subtitle ‘managing smart cities and regions’. This reflects the challenges of current and future urban societies, at a time that ambitions for a ‘New Urban Agenda’ for the 21st century are formulated, with policies and strategies to create more sustainable and equitable urban spaces.
You can choose a specialisation that best reflects your passion for spatial planning:
Find out more on our website: http://www.ru.nl/masters/spatial
If you are interested in developing a different understanding of planning and forms of practices and you want to create socially, environmentally, economically just places, come study our Master's in Spatial Planning!
What is the societal and academic significance of 'art', 'heritage' and 'culture'? Why do we value certain works of art, heritage or cultural practices and not others? How do different ways of interpreting and presenting the arts and cultural heritage affect our ideas about the past, present and future? If you are interested in finding the answers to questions like these, and you have a passion for art and cultural heritage, the master’s programme Arts and Heritage: Policy, Management and Education might be the right choice for you.
In this programme, which you can choose to follow in English or Dutch, you will develop the academic and professional knowledge and skills you will need to become a policy maker, art manager, museum curator or educator. This internationally-oriented programme approaches art and cultural heritage from different perspectives. You will also have plenty of opportunities to concentrate on your specific areas of interest.
Why this programme?
The master’s programme in Arts and Heritage: Policy, Management and Education examines the concepts of ‘heritage’ and ‘art’ as expressions of both past and present culture. You will develop insights into these key concepts and how their meaning has changed throughout history. You will evaluate and debate issues related to appreciation, interpretation, use, management and policy. The programme will also teach you academic skills and professional skills in the practical organisation and development of artistic projects in the context of cultural management.
Do you want to broaden your knowledge of European politics and policies in a programme that combines the study of political science with international relations, history and sociology? Are you ambitious, with a keen motivation to pursue a career that requires strong research competences, such as in a think tank or in academia, or jobs in politics and journalism? And are you interested in being part of a small, close-knit community of students and researchers? If so, the two-year interdisciplinary European Studies programme is the right choice for you.
Unique features
Why this programme?
The research-intensive master’s in European Studies is an interdisciplinary programme that combines political science and international relations with history and sociology. Research plays a primary role from the outset, with research projects integrated into each core module. You will gain in-depth training in methods such as quantitative and qualitative techniques, comparative methods and discourse analysis. You will also develop skills in designing research, writing research proposals, publishing your work and applying for funding and research positions. For the elective component, you can choose to take specialised courses, complete a research internship or do an exchange abroad. The master’s programme culminates with a thesis and the development of a PhD research proposal.
In this programme, you will:
Bridging the gap between theory and practice – and applying them to the design of sound, feasible policies – can provide the key to solving micro, meso and macroeconomic issues.
How do policy makers make decisions that affect economic, societal and personal welfare? How is welfare defined and measured? And how can we design more effective policies? This specialisation covers not only econometric questions, but also psychological, cultural, legal and philosophical ones. By improving your insight into complex issues, it will prepare you for designing successful strategies in your future career as a policy maker or consultant .
Our graduates are experts in economic policies who work for government and semi-government organisations, and also as consultants in business and industry. You can do the same. By examining real-world scenarios, you’ll acquire the analytical skills you need to take research results and apply them to a wide variety of problems.
See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/ep
- You’ll tackle economic and policy issues at all levels – focusing mostly on the real economy.
- You’ll combine learning with research: your lecturers are researchers who incorporate the latest findings into their teaching. As a student, you’ll also do research.
- You’ll interact with your professors in small seminar groups.
- By taking our ‘Economics Plus’ package, you’ll combine ‘standard’ economics with disciplines such as psychology and sociology. This will give you the knowledge you need to tackle policy issues in today’s globalised world.
You’ll gain a strong theoretical background in both mainstream and heterodox (i.e. non-mainstream) economic theories, augmented by methods derived from disciplines that include psychology and sociology. There’s good reason for this broad approach: if an economic problem seems intractable, you may need to change your perspective. We also examine the policy relevance of theoretical insights and give you the tools you need to design policies that will make a difference to people’s lives.
1. A Bachelor's degree in Economics – or a closely-related discipline – from a research-oriented university, with sufficient background in Research Methods and Mathematics (and Economics if you took a different degree).
2. Proficiency in English
In order to take part in this programme, you must be fluent in both written and spoken English. Non-native speakers of English need one of qualifications below. Please note that certificates must have been awarded in the past two years, and that no other certificates are accepted:
- A TOEFL (iBT) Certificate with a minimum overall score of 90 and no subscore not less than 18, or
- IELTS Academic Certificate: a minimum overall score of 6.5 less than 6.0, or
- A Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) with a minimum score of C, or
- A Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) with a minimum score of C.
3. A letter of motivation (max. 2 pages)
Please explain why you want to follow this programme and why you think you should be part of this programme.
This programme will provide you with a toolbox filled with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle a whole array of economic problems. Besides issues at the micro and macroeconomic level, graduates learn to deal with issues at the meso level, for example, how to stimulate innovation.
Our graduates devise policies and learn to analyse critically which solutions are most likely to work in a specific economic and social context. They regularly find employment as policy makers for government and semi-government organisations, in ministries, national banks, NGOs, think tanks, the UN and the EU , as well as national and international labour organisations. But your career prospects are much broader than that. You could for example, work as a consultant in industry or as a lobbyist.
By giving you a strong theoretical grounding in a broad range of current economic theories – both mainstream and heterodox –this programme will show you not just what is happening, but also why and how. To ensure that it is always relevant, we update the content every year.
Our main aim is to unravel the diversity – and the complexity – of economic issues, and thus clarify the role of economics in society. At the micro level, we might look at, for example, policies for reducing traffic jams or encouraging citizens to opt for more sustainable ways of living. At the meso level, we might examine policies intended to determine which companies should be supported – those that are struggling or those that are successful? – and how companies can be encouraged to innovate. And at the macro level, we might try to determine whether government policies should respond to financial crises through austerity or through investment.
Lectures are devoted to detailed discussions of a wide range of real-world scenarios. As an active participant, you’ll join in debates with your lecturers and your fellow students, and sometimes with experts from the field. One module – Technology & Innovation Policy – is taught by an emeritus professor and two business leaders. Guest speakers are drawn from varied backgrounds, such as a recent speaker from the Dutch Ministry of Finance, who discussed financial illiteracy. Activities such as these all exemplify the kinds of concerns – economic and otherwise – you’ll be likely to encounter as a policy maker.
See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/ep
As crises arising from terrorism, civil war, and natural disasters dominate world news it is no surprise that security and crisis management - including the perception of risk - is at the top of the global societal and governance agenda.
During this multidisciplinary career-relevant master’s programme you become familiar with the political and social dimensions of the governance of (in)security and crisis. You study contemporary security challenges from both local and global pointsof view and gain deep understanding of the ‘wicked problem’ of security and crisis topics in a complex and globalising world. The combination of theory, practical insights and analytical skills prepares you for work in public or private organisations.
This MSc offers you unique multidisciplinary perspectives on the governance of security and crisis.
Then this is the programme for you!
In the two-year master’s programme ICT in Business and the Public Sector, you will expand your knowledge of ICT and develop business and organisational skills that are essential to become a modern IT professional.
Rapid changes in ICT and its applications over the last years have caused major changes for organizations, industries, and individuals. The Internet, information systems, and communication technology in general, have radically impacted our professional and personal lives. They challenged our thinking on physical, geographical and industry boundaries, on distance, speed and communication. This programme provides you with a deeper understanding of the issues, challenges and opportunities in this area, with a specific focus on the management and alignment of ICT in a business and socio-technical context.
Read more about our ICT in Business and the Public Sector programme.
Find more reasons to choose ICT in Business and the Public Sector at Leiden University.
Are you interested in managing ICT in complex organisations, in an international context? Are you a team player who likes to cooperate with colleagues from different departments? Then ICT in Business and the Public Sector is the right choice for you. Besides understanding of typical Business and organizational topics, this master’s programme covers the interface between IT and Management. The programme offers two specialisations: ICT in Business and ICT in the Public Sector.
Read more about the entry requirements for ICT in Business and the Public Sector.
