Masters Degrees in Public Policy

Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Public Policy (Extended) at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).

The MA in Public Policy is designed to provide a high level training in the study of public policy and policy making at international, national and sub-state levels.

Key Features of MA in Public Policy

The MA in Public Policy provides a solid grounding in the key theoretical approaches to the study of public policy, and seeks to develop the knowledge and skills of those wishing to engage in further academic study. At the same time, the Public Policy MA focuses on the necessary skills involved in working in a public policy landscape now increasingly characterised by change and interdependence. Consequently, it will also develop the knowledge and skills of those wishing to, or already, pursuing a career in public policy research, policy advice, lobbying, public sector management or journalism.

The full-time Public Policy course structure is split across the year with three modules taken in each academic semester (a total of six modules) and then a dissertation over the summer. Students study four compulsory modules and two optional modules. The dissertation is written on a specialist research topic of the student's choosing.

Part-time study is available.

The Swansea programme in Public Policy is uniquely placed to offer students a comprehensive knowledge of public policy in multi-level and comparative settings, with staff well-versed in the theoretical, empirical and methodological understanding of public policy, with specialisms including European Union policy, multi-level governance, political economy, development studies and British and regional politics.

The Extended MA (EMA) in Public Policy is a 240-credit postgraduate qualification that is equivalent to 120 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) and is thus a recognised Masters qualification throughout the European Union. The EMA is a standard UK MA plus an additional 60 credits (30 ECTS) and this additional coursework is undertaken in one semester at a partner institution overseas. The EMA is therefore not only an EU recognised postgraduate qualification it also adds a study abroad experience thus enhancing the qualification’s employability credentials.

The partner institution for EMA Public Policy is The Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. Founded in 1997, the Bush School is ranked in the top 12 percent of the

266 graduate public affairs schools in the USA, according to rankings published in U.S. News & World Report. Located in College Station, Texas, the School’s programmes are housed in the Robert H. and Judy Ley Allen Building, which is part of the George Bush Presidential Library Center on the West Campus of Texas A&M. This location affords students access to the archival holdings of the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, invitation to numerous events hosted by the George Bush Foundation at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center, and inclusion in the many activities of the Texas A&M community. Texas A&M is the sixth-largest university in the USA with 50,000 students. It holds membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities, one of only 61 institutions with this distinction.

Modules

Modules on the MA in Public Policy typically include:

• Governance,Globalization and Neoliberal Political Economy

• Comparative Politics in the New World Order

• The Policy Making Process

• Politics and Public Policy in the New Wales

• Approaching Political Theory: the challenge of democracy

• Politics in Contemporary Britain

• Violence, Conflict and Development

• Critical Security Studies

• Civil Society and International Development

• War, Technology and Culture

• State of Africa

• Human Rights and Humanitarian Intervention

MA Public Policy Programme Aims

- To develop and advance practical and academic knowledge and understanding of public policy

- To develop critical, theoretical and analytical skills, and to improve written and oral communication skills.

- To acquire research and practical skills in public policy relevant to academic, public- and private sector careers in policy-related areas.

Who should Apply for the Public Policy MA?

Students interested in politics, international relations, development studies, law, humanities, social science, International business or a related background. Professionals interested in public policy and administration. Students interested in preparation for postgraduate research, MPhil or PhD, or who wish to develop skills and knowledge related to Public Policy.

Careers

Career expectations are excellent for public policy graduates, who are well-placed for careers in a variety of sectors in the UK, Europe or internationally. MA degree holders may move on to doctoral study or enter employment sectors such as government and politics; the public sector; journalism; the diplomatic corps; the armed forces; intelligence and risk analysis; relief and humanitarian organisations; law and finance and international business.

Read less

Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Public Policy at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).

The MA in Public Policy is designed to provide a high level training in the study of public policy and policy making at international, national and sub-state levels.

Key Features of MA in Public Policy

The MA in Public Policy provides a solid grounding in the key theoretical approaches to the study of public policy, and seeks to develop the knowledge and skills of those wishing to engage in further academic study. At the same time, the Public Policy MA focuses on the necessary skills involved in working in a public policy landscape now increasingly characterised by change and interdependence. Consequently, it will also develop the knowledge and skills of those wishing to, or already, pursuing a career in public policy research, policy advice, lobbying, public sector management or journalism.

The full-time Public Policy course structure is split across the year with three modules taken in each academic semester (a total of six modules) and then a dissertation over the summer. Students study four compulsory modules and two optional modules. The dissertation is written on a specialist research topic of the student's choosing.

Part-time study is available.

The Swansea programme in Public Policy is uniquely placed to offer students a comprehensive knowledge of public policy in multi-level and comparative settings, with staff well-versed in the theoretical, empirical and methodological understanding of public policy, with specialisms including European Union policy, multi-level governance, political economy, development studies and British and regional politics.

Modules

Modules on the MA in Public Policy typically include:

• Governance,Globalization and Neoliberal Political Economy

• Comparative Politics in the New World Order

• The Policy Making Process

• Politics and Public Policy in the New Wales

• Approaching Political Theory: the challenge of democracy

• Politics in Contemporary Britain

• Violence, Conflict and Development

• Critical Security Studies

• Civil Society and International Development

• War, Technology and Culture

• State of Africa

• Human Rights and Humanitarian Intervention

MA Public Policy Programme Aims

- To develop and advance practical and academic knowledge and understanding of public policy

- To develop critical, theoretical and analytical skills, and to improve written and oral communication skills.

- To acquire research and practical skills in public policy relevant to academic, public- and private sector careers in policy-related areas.

Who should Apply for the Public Policy MA?

Students interested in politics, international relations, development studies, law, humanities, social science, International business or a related background. Professionals interested in public policy and administration. Students interested in preparation for postgraduate research, MPhil or PhD, or who wish to develop skills and knowledge related to Public Policy.

Careers

Career expectations are excellent for public policy graduates, who are well-placed for careers in a variety of sectors in the UK, Europe or internationally. MA degree holders may move on to doctoral study or enter employment sectors such as government and politics; the public sector; journalism; the diplomatic corps; the armed forces; intelligence and risk analysis; relief and humanitarian organisations; law and finance and international business.

Read less

The Master of Governance and Public Policy (MGPP) degree aims to impart knowledge, skills, and analytic capability about the rational application of methods, practical tools and techniques in public governance including the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of public policy in the dynamic and complex era of globalization. The Program combines relevant contemporary theories, professional skills, practical knowledge, high level research skills and critical thinking to approach the questions of governance and policy management in the new millennium. The MGPP equips students with cutting-edge skills to undertake open, accountable, responsive, and inclusive leadership to address the administrative, ethical, financial, organizational, and political challenges in delivering superior governmental services and making effectual decisions. For more details on this program, click here: http://www.chss.uaeu.ac.ae/en/mgpp/index.shtml

Program Objectives

‌•To prepare professionals and public policy leaders to discuss, analyze, and evaluate public policies.
‌•To appreciate the complex and cross-sectorial nature of public policy, public policy challenges, and public policy solutions.
‌•To implement skills necessary to address important criteria of transparency, accountability, responsive, effectiveness, efficiency, and inclusive in all policy processes.
‌•To develop leadership skills necessary to lead national and local institutions and perform administrative, financial, organizational, and political activities.
‌•To exercise ethical and moral standards in public policy processes and leadership behaviors.
‌•To equip students with various analytical tools to effectively diagnose and proffer solutions to complex public policy issues .

Program Learning Outcomes

‌•Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:
‌•Comprehend selected theories and methods in public governance, policy analysis, market-government relations, macro and micro economics, public budgeting, leadership, and research in the analysis and formulation of public policy.
‌•Conduct governance and public policy research using appropriate research methods, ethics procedures, and statistical analysis
‌•Apply qualitative and quantitative skills in the formulation of public policy independently and in teams.
‌•Use different tools and techniques in policy analysis, stakeholder management, successful policy implementation, effective program evaluation, and financial management
Communicate descriptive and analytical knowledge effectively in written and oral format to various audiences.
‌•Demonstrate preparedness for continued reflective practice and lifelong learning in public policy and governance.
‌•Degree Requirements
‌•Required Credit Hours : minimum 36 hours
‌•Governance and Public Policy

Required Courses (24.00 hours)
‌•Economics for Policy Analysis
‌•Financial Management and Public Budgeting
‌•Public Policy Analysis Theory & Practice
‌•New Public Man & Governments
‌•Research Methods for Political Analysis
‌•Government, Leadership, & Pubic Management
‌•Public Policy Design and Tools
‌•Seminar in Government & Public Policy in the UAE

Elective Courses (6.00 hours)
‌•Globalization, International Agencies & Public Policy
‌•Environmental Policy & Sustainable Development Management
‌•Implementation, Evaluation & Monitoring of Strategic Issues
‌•Comparative Political Institutions
‌•Thesis

Required Course (6.00 hours)
•Master Degree Thesis

Read less

Programme description

This programme is designed for graduates who want an advanced professional qualification that will provide a launch pad for a career in the public sector, nonprofit sector or international policy community.

The programme aims to:

develop analytical and conceptual skills to enable critical evaluation of major policy issues, policy processes, policy implementation and policy linkages
examine in detail the political, economic and social context of policy-making at the local, regional, state and international levels
develop an in-depth knowledge of specific policy issues
provide a thorough training in analytical methods and approaches (qualitative and quantitative) used for policy development and implementation
develop an understanding of practical and ethical issues in policy-making
enhance knowledge and professional skills for public sector careers
provide professional experience through the work placement component

Programme structure

You will be taught using a variety of innovative teaching methods with a focus on providing a strong practice-oriented element to provide you with the skills necessary for a career in the public sector.

The types of assessment used will include:

writing short policy briefs of memos
problem-solving tasks
individual and group presentations
writing analytical reports
self and peer assessment
developing skills portfolios
other varied oral and writing tasks

Work placement

This programme offers an opportunity to undertake a work-based placement (approximately 8-10 weeks) with a policy organisation. Students undertaking a work placement are required to produce a professional analytical report, based on their placement, which explores an existing public policy problem faced by a real-life public or non-profit sector organisation and your recommendations for a strategy to address it.

Such places are not guaranteed and are dependent on a students overall academic performance as well as the availability of suitable placements. Students not undertaking a work placement will complete an analytical report in which they will be expected to engage with a policy problem, collecting data, and presenting policy recommendations.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the programme, you will have gained skills in the following areas:

Knowledge and understanding

Policy-making processes, including policy development and implementation.
Multi-level governance, policy interests, actors and power.
Domestic, European and International Policy Arenas.
Public Economics and Market Failure.
Analytical Methods for Policy.
Policy learning and transfer.
Theories of policy-making.

Intellectual skills

Analytical: involving the ability to analyse and critically evaluate major public policy issues, including their historical evolution; their social, political, economic, cultural and ethical dimensions and implications; and their strengths and weaknesses.
Methodological: involving the ability to appreciate a variety of methods and approaches available in the analysis of policy, to choose when particular approaches are relevant, and to employ them effectively.
Interdisciplinary competence: involving the ability to develop complex arguments using material from different related fields (e.g. politics, social policy, public management, economics, law, geosciences, public health).

Professional/subject-specific/practical skills

Ability to critically evaluate factors shaping the policy-making process.
Skills in applying theories and insights from scholarly research to practical issues.
Ability to write analytical reports regarding policy issues and problems.
Practical skills and professional experience gained through the placement.
Ability to form a research-driven goal (of an essay, report, presentation), identify methods necessary for a given project, and to complete a project on time.

Transferable skills

General analytical: ability to critically evaluate policies and arguments, and to analyse policy documents and datasets.
Organisational: ability to complete a project, setting up analytical and research goals, identifying necessary means and ways to completion.
Interpersonal: leadership, delegation and team-work or group-work (presentations, joint policy reports, discussions in class).
Communications: ability to prepare and present reports, papers and briefs to a mixed audience of academics and practitioners using powerpoint etc.
Methodological: ability to evaluate and apply different qualitative and quantitative analytical methods.
Reflective: ability to reflect on self-development, progress and skills.

Career opportunities

An MPP is a recognised professional qualification. The combination of academic excellence and practical experience ensure that MPP graduates are well placed for careers in public policy, government, think tanks, consulting firms, NGOs, party politics, and advocacy/lobbying organisations, among others.

The transferable skills you will gain from the programme, and the experience and networking opportunities from the Capstone placement, will give you a competitive edge in the employment market whatever your eventual career.

Executive Programme in Public Policy

The University’s Academy of Government also offers an Executive Programme in Public Policy, aimed at mid-career professionals from the public sector, international organisations, business and civil society organisations, on a flexible, credit-accumulation basis:

Read less

Public Policy & Management is comparative and international in focus. The MSc equips you to understand and evaluate policy options for organising and delivering contemporary public services. The programme is for both mid-career managers and recent graduates planning to enter public and voluntary sector Non Governmental Organisations.

Key benefits

• Unrivalled location in the centre of London.

• Regular and senior speakers from UK-based government departments, public sector bodies, NGOs and policy-making units who discuss the implementation and evaluation of public services policy.

• Offers opportunities to select different public service areas for in-depth study, drawing on King's-wide expertise.

• Combines in-depth treatment of underlying principles with practical applications, including Human Resource Management and Design of Programme Evaluations.

Visit the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-courses/public-policy-and-management-msc.aspx

Course detail

- Description -

Comparative and international in focus, our programme is suitable both for career professionals and for recent social science graduates. It is built around core modules and options, and collaborative internships are also available to selected students. The core modules, some of which are taught with the MA Public Policy, are: Organisation and Management of the Public Services; Economics of the Public Services; The Policy Process; and Research Methods (quantitative and qualitative). Optional modules relate to specific public service areas, including health and education but also include in-depth modules on Comparative Public Policy; Strategic Management in the Public Services; and People Management and Leadership in the Public Services. You may take options from more than one area. (Some optional modules are provided by other departments. Places on such non-departmental options may be capped.)

There is an emphasis on effective provision of public services (including their evaluation) and on the lessons of the 'new public management'; by comparison, the MA Public Policy emphasises the analysis and understanding of the political process.

Seminars are central to our course and focus on current research and policy implementation. They involve senior policymakers and practitioners including individuals actively involved with current UK government policymaking. There is an active alumni network which organises events during the year, including seminars for current students.

- Course purpose -

Our MSc equips you to understand and evaluate policy options for organising and delivering high-quality public services. It combines study of theoretical concepts with analysis of real-world policies and their lessons for managers and policymakers.

- Course format and assessment -

Required Modules:

- Research Methods in Public Policy Management
- Dissertation
- Organisations And Management Of The Public Services
- The Economics Of The Public Services
- The Policy Process

Mixture of examination and written coursework.

Career prospects

Students are employed in a variety of public sector management and policy-oriented positions and there is an active alumni network. Examples of past student's current occupations include: working in the policy and analysis section of a large London embassy; health service management positions with responsibility for multi-million pound budgets; policy adviser to the chairman of a major transport organisation; senior analyst in the ministry of industry and trade of a developing country; member of a national legislature; policy development for a large NGO; running a policy website. Students have usually progressed to higher level management positions and overseas students typically return home to new fast-track governmental and public service positions which build on their expertise.

How to apply: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/taught-courses.aspx

About Postgraduate Study at King’s College London:

To study for a postgraduate degree at King’s College London is to study at the city’s most central university and at one of the top 20 universities worldwide (2015/16 QS World Rankings). Graduates will benefit from close connections with the UK’s professional, political, legal, commercial, scientific and cultural life, while the excellent reputation of our MA and MRes programmes ensures our postgraduate alumni are highly sought after by some of the world’s most prestigious employers. We provide graduates with skills that are highly valued in business, government, academia and the professions.

Scholarships & Funding:

All current PGT offer-holders and new PGT applicants are welcome to apply for the scholarships. For more information and to learn how to apply visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/funding/sources

Free language tuition with the Modern Language Centre:

If you are studying for any postgraduate taught degree at King’s you can take a module from a choice of over 25 languages without any additional cost. Visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/mlc

Read less

The MSc in Public Policy and Management seeks to provide an interdisciplinary training and education that will enable policy-makers, economists, planners, managers and researchers to be fully conversant with current issues of public policy and management, in an international development setting. In doing so the programme will provide participants with the conceptual and analytical tools needed to understand and critically review issues relevant to public policy and public sector reform. While the programme was conceived primarily for those already working in the public sector environment, it has evolved into a highly successful multidisciplinary programme that is appropriate to modern professionals, from a wide variety of backgrounds, who have an interest in issues of public policy.

Aims

By the end of the programme students will:
-Have an understanding of the different conceptual and theoretical perspectives applied to public policy and management, and public sector reform
-Have an understanding of the principles and practices underlying the implementation of public policy processes, and have acquired knowledge of `real world' examples of public policy/sector reform from leading experts
-Have an understanding of the role and importance of institutions for public policy and management
-Have developed skills in initial analysis of development economics, public policy, management and development studies, and in communicating their analysis in the form of clearly written and readable documents
-Have a good command of current theory, policy and practice in relation to some of the following specialist areas; public policy process and methods; public sector economics; development and economic policy; privatisation and public enterprise reform; public sector accounting and organisational change
-Have developed basic research skills through a supervised dissertation research project

Teaching and learning

Part-time students complete the full-time programme over 24 months. There are NO evening or weekend course units available on the part-time programme, therefore if you are considering taking a programme on a part-time basis, you should discuss the requirements with the Programme Director first and seek approval from your employer to have the relevant time off. Timetabling information is normally available from late August from the Programme Administrator and you will have the opportunity to discuss course unit choices during induction week with the Programme Director.

Coursework and assessment

The taught elements of the programme, carrying 120 credits overall is continuously assessed by a variety of methods (project based reports, essays), involving largely individual submissions, but also elements of group work.

Participants must also complete a 12,000-15,000 word dissertation on a topic of their choice approved by the Programme Directors. Students are encouraged to base their dissertations on topics of direct professional concern to themselves.

Career opportunities

The course is intended primarily for those with experience of the public sector and those involved in public policy formulation and implementation. The nature of the course also ensures that graduates are well equipped to pursue careers in the public sector or in public policy and development as researchers, advisers or consultants.

The Global Development Institute (GDI) has a large and diverse postgraduate population, including a large number of students from outside the UK (85% of our students are drawn from outside the UK, particularly from Africa, Asia and Western Europe, but also reaching out to Latin America, the Middle East, North America and the Pacific). Many of our alumni have gone on to prestigious careers in the public service or in the NGO/charitable and private sectors, as policy officers, managers, consultants or development practitioners - while others have pursued further academic study leading to a PhD and academic careers. Since its foundation, GDI has trained over 7000 individuals from 170 different countries.

Read less

This MSc aims to educate a new generation of public policymakers and policy analysts, familiarising them with the necessary concepts, theories, methods and principles involved in the formulation and analysis of public policy. The programme draws on many disciplines, including political science, economics, law, public management and public health.

Degree information

Students develop a working knowledge of many aspects of political science theory relevant to understanding how public policies are formulated, implemented and evaluated. They gain a basic understanding of economic approaches to public policy analysis and of the concepts of economic efficiency and equity as societal objectives. Students also learn extensively about research methods which gives them the tools necessary to understand political processes and to analyse important policy issues.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of four core modules (75 credits), three optional modules (45 credits) and a research dissertation (60 credits).

Core modules
-Theories and Actors of the Policy Process (30)
-Public Policy Economics and Analysis (15)
-Introduction to Qualitative Methods or Advanced Qualitative Methods (15)
-Introduction to Quantitative Methods or Advanced Quantitative Methods (15)

Optional modules - choose one of the following 15-credit modules (the other two remain available as options):
-Law and Regulation (15)
-Public Management: Theories and Innovations (15)
-Agenda Setting and Public Policy (15)

Choose further modules up to a value of 30 credits in total. The following are suggestions:
-Health, Policy and Reform (15)
-Non-Profit and Voluntary Sector Policy and Management (15)
-Policy-Making and Regulation in Europe (15)
-The European Union in the World (15)
-Making Policy Work (15)
-Democracy and Accountability: Holding Power to Account (15)
-British Government and Politics (15)
-International Political Economy (15)
-The Political Economy of Development (15)
-Democratic Political Institutions (15)

Dissertation/report
All MSc students undertake an individual research project, which culminates in a dissertation of 10,000 words.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and case studies, and is taught by scholars who have carried out theoretical and empirical research in the field. Students will be assessed by a variety of methods: unseen examinations, long essays, course work and the dissertation.

Careers

Graduates go on to a range of destinations both nationally and internationally including:
-Civil servants in central or local government in the UK and overseas, think tanks, NGOs and consultancies.
-Policy officers and researchers for UK members of parliament and members of the European Parliament.
-The European Commission.
-Other public and private sector organisations in a range of sectors, for example, Universities UK, Transport for London, the Legal Services Commission, Accenture, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Overseas Development Institute, United Nations Development Programme, Deloitte and Touche, Serco, KPMG, Confederation of British Industry, Civil Service Faststream, the Institute of Government, the Legatum Institute.
-Further research study at UCL or elsewhere.

Top career destinations for this degree:
-Policy Adviser, The Law Society
-Economist, Government of Japan
-Policy Adviser, HM Treasury
-Principal Clerk Assistant, Parliament of Kenya
-PhD Political Science and International Relations, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje

Employability
The training that students receive in policy analysis, research methods, political science, economics and other disciplines equips them to work in a range of different organisations engaged in policy-making and policy analysis. Additionally, the emphasis on independent research, through the dissertation, enables students to think critically about policy problems and devise innovative solutions to such problems.

Why study this degree at UCL?

UCL Political Science is recognised as a centre of excellence in the field and offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of public policy.

The interdisciplinary aspect of this programme provides participants with the opportunity to address some of the key issues of contemporary governance and public sector reform.

UCL is uniquely well placed to draw together theory and practice in the field of public policy in health, where perhaps the most far-reaching of all public sector reforms has taken place.

Read less

What is public policy? Who are the key actors and which institutions are involved? Who is it shaped by and how does it have an impact on an economic, social and cultural environment that is increasingly globalised?

This programme investigates the international public policy environment in terms of global political economy and the impact of business, voluntary sector and public policy agents in the field of multi-level governance. The programme encompasses both a theoretical understanding of the policy process and models of appraisal with a practical orientation to evaluating research evidence.

As well as considering generic policy concerns, the programme gives you an opportunity to choose from a range of substantive policy issues. These include: the economics of public policy; poverty and social exclusion; penal policy; cities, housing and public policy; health and public policy; migration, asylum; and sustainability. All the programme units consider policy in an international and comparative context.

Programme structure

Core units
-Governance, Institutions and the Global Political Economy
-Informing and Evaluating Policy: Research Methods and Analysis
-Power Politics and the Policy Process
-Public Management and Organisations.

Optional units - Optional units can vary, but may include:
-The Economics of Public Policy
-Gender and Violence: International and Global Perspectives
-An International Analysis of Poverty and Social Exclusion
-Social Policy and Social Change in East Asia
-Critical Policy Studies and the Internationalisation of Public Policy
-The State of Labour
-International Analysis of crime, harm and justice
-Environmental policy and social justice
-Migration, asylum and human rights
-EU and global perspectives
-Social Policy and Social Change in East Asia
-Public Policy for a complex and uncertain world

Dissertation
You must complete a dissertation of 15,000 words. The dissertation accounts for 60 credit points. You begin work in late April and must submit by September.

Careers

Graduates from our MSc in Public Policy frequently work in roles that focus on strategy, policy development and implementation or policy research. Potential employers include local or central government departments; national or international non-governmental organisations; and international institutions, such as the European Union and the United Nations.

Read less

The Masters in Public Administration is a well established and prestigious programme aimed at students who aspire to access or progress within a public service or a voluntary sector career. Benefiting from a work placement with an organisation from our wide network of public and voluntary sector employers, this programme offers an intensive year of professional and academic development at the highest standards. In the most recent (2014-15) Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey, 100% of graduates from this course were in work or further study within six months.

More about this course

The aim of this course is to equip present and future public service practitioners with the skills and understanding needed to play a significant role as change agents within their home professional environments.

The programme places great emphasis on:
-Developing a variety of academic capacities and transferable skills related to public administration
-Instilling flexibility of thought and innovation as guiding principles to public sector management and reforms
-Developing a commitment to lifelong learning and reflective practice in students.

This innovative public policy oriented and public management based course is taught by an experienced and dynamic team of academic staff who are active in the international research community in the fields of public management reform in transitional countries, comparative public policy and governance, strategic management in public sector organisations, corruption in transitional countries, and local and regional governance.

Our aim is to develop high quality administrators and managers who will play a critical role in their home country environments. This will be achieved through an interdisciplinary programme of study, which is intellectually rigorous and professionally relevant to your local context and organisation. The course is particularly attractive to graduates working in public services abroad who want to develop expertise in public service reform, capacity strengthening and institutional development.

The course meets the demands of an ever more complex and dynamic sector comprised of government departments, local authorities, public agencies and voluntary organisations from Britain and abroad, thus reflecting the need for skilled and innovative public managers, administrators and policy makers acting as agents for change.

Using a blended learning approach incorporating a variety of teaching and learning strategies appropriate to postgraduate level study, the course introduces you to the latest strategic management and planning tools applied in public agencies, overviews emerging trends and best practice in public policy within a comparative context and provides a strong theoretical and methodological grounding. Uniquely, the programme benefits from a bespoke research methodology component focused on public policy and management research and analysis. Moreover, the University’s vanguard Virtual Learning Environment, coming to support the teaching and learning process, as well repeated opportunities to reflect upon personal academic development, add value to your student experience and to the overall value of the programme.

The core teaching team on this course is both experienced and dynamic. The team is involved, on a regular basis, in civil service training, in consultancy and advisory work for public sector organisations, as well as in internationally recognised academic research, thus providing the Master in Public Administration teaching with relevant, informative and contemporary case-studies. One of the course’s greatest strengths is that it achieves a fine balance between its theoretically informed structures and the practical application of skills developed throughout. Expert practitioners from a range of public and voluntary sector organisations contribute to the course.

The course has historically attracted students sponsored by the Commonwealth, the governments of Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan, Romania, South Korea, Vietnam, and students from (amongst others) Afghanistan, Germany, Kosovo, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and the USA. Our graduates access managerial and decision-making positions in a range of public and voluntary sector organisations.

A key feature of this course is that it includes a work placement module that offers students the chance to experience directly the work of a relevant area of public service in a London-based organisation over a substantial period of time. You will also benefit from the skills and support from our full-time placement and employability officer.

The course’s variety of teaching and learning styles is reflected in the variety of assessment tools employed throughout the course. Within the general principle of mixed mode formative and summative assessment, we use a diversity of assessment instruments: a range of written assignments, such as essays, reports, portfolios, individual or group classroom presentations, and the dissertation.

The MPA dissertation is a 60 credit project that allows students to pursue individual research on a topic of their choice, within the public administration and public policy fields.

Detailed verbal and written feedback is given on all assessments, and significant tutorial support is given during the dissertation, including bespoke dissertation workshops.

Modular structure

The course consists of five taught modules, a work experience placement in a UK public service organisation (two days a week over 15 weeks), and a triple-module dissertation (which may be completed in your home country).

Core modules cover:
-Strategic Planning and Change Management Core (20 credits)
-Comparative Public Policy Core (20 credits)
-Researching Public Services Core (20 credits)
-Public Administration Dissertation Core (60 credits)

A range of subject-related optional modules within management, community development and European studies. You have the opportunity to specialise in, for example, health management, development and administration, or project and human resources management.

After the course

Graduates can expect a host of public administration job opportunities in the contexts of transition and modernisation – the course is ideal for those already employed in the sector who wish to update their skills, or progress to further study.

The work placement is also an excellent opportunity for you to practice the skills and apply the knowledge acquired during the programme, but also to forge long lasting professional relationships within the sector. The network of employers that offer work placements for our students include: the London Boroughs of Hackney, Harrow, Havering, Islington, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, Westminster; government bodies such as the Department of Work and Pensions, and voluntary sector organisations such as Thames Reach, amongst others. Students have praised the work placement for its relevance to their career development and the employability skills it fosters.

Our recent graduates have accessed positions in central governments in Romania, Poland, Bangladesh, in executive agencies and local government in the UK and in wide range of voluntary sector organisations in the UK and abroad – to name just a few.

International links

The London Met MPA operated two international franchises in Russia, in conjunction with the Higher School of Economics in Moscow and the Urals Academy of Public Administration in Ekaterinburg. London Met MPA staff are regularly invited to contribute to programmes abroad.

Additionally the International Summer School in Public Administration, delivered by core MPA staff, has run since 2003, attracting students of politics, management and public administration.

Moving to one campus

Between 2016 and 2020 we're investing £125 million in the London Metropolitan University campus, moving all of our activity to our current Holloway campus in Islington, north London. This will mean the teaching location of some courses will change over time.

Whether you will be affected will depend on the duration of your course, when you start and your mode of study. The earliest moves affecting new students will be in September 2017. This may mean you begin your course at one location, but over the duration of the course you are relocated to one of our other campuses. Our intention is that no full-time student will change campus more than once during a course of typical duration.

All students will benefit from our move to one campus, which will allow us to develop state-of-the-art facilities, flexible teaching areas and stunning social spaces.

Read less

The University of Bath Institute for Policy Research offers a pioneering Doctorate in Policy Research and Practice (DPRP). The course is designed to enable experienced professionals working in a range of policy arenas – locally, nationally, and globally – to develop their policy analysis expertise without having to take a full career break. Combining advanced training in policy research and analysis with a thesis based on original research, it is based on a cohort model and can be spread out over up to six years.

Key features

- A combination of advanced policy research and analysis training with a thesis component based on original research
- Part-time programme structure designed to cater for busy professionals
- A means to enable participants to draw on their working experience at the same time as engaging with up-to-date academic research and thinking
- A cohort structure based around an annual two-week residential to provide networking with other participants as part of the programme
- Access to a wide range of sector-specific expertise across the University, including Technology Policy, International Development, Health, Education and Social Policy

Visit the website http://www.bath.ac.uk/study/pg/programmes/prof-doct-in-poli-rese-and-prac/

Why take a professional doctorate in policy research and practice?

In all areas of government and public administration – whether in local government, national civil services or international organisations – the world of policy making is changing fast. There is an increasing recognition of the need for a secure and transparent evidence base on which to make policy, but there are also a range of approaches and methods that policy makers can use to assess the evidence base and consider the likely impact of different policies. This Doctorate will enhance professional capability and critical reflection on the theories, methods and practices of policy making.

The course involves a blend of face-to-face and distance learning. The academic coherence of the course is built around a ‘hub and spoke’ model comprising two core policy analysis units (in Transformational Policy and Practice and Policy Research Methodology) and two specialist units to enable students to broaden and deepen their understanding of policy research across a range of disciplines. You are required to complete four ‘taught’ units over three years of study – two core and two optional – followed by a supervised piece of original research over up to three years.

Educational aims of the programme

The Professional Doctorate in Policy Research and Practice is designed to:

- give particular priority to the transfer of multidisciplinary research and learning to the workplace, to enhance the academic and the professional contribution that policy makers and practitioners can make to theory and practice in their field
- engage current practitioners with knowledge, awareness and understanding of philosophical, organisational, political, social, economic, managerial, interpersonal, and technical dimensions of policy
- develop the capability to broaden an understanding of critical issues facing policy makers today
- provide you with a broad foundation from which you can hone your specific interests towards the conduct of supervised research and make an original contribution to your field
- support you in publishing and disseminating your research

Course structure

The Professional Doctorate in Policy Research and Practice is built around a part-time cohort model. You will advance through the course with a cohort of other participants from a range of countries, sectors and organisations. Teaching is focused on a two-week residential held in early September each year, with subsequent virtual seminars, tutorials, and supervision throughout the rest of the year.

This structure will enable you to interact, learn, and network with a stable cohort of participants, while ensuring the flexibility to continue your own professional career.

The course is structured into two stages: the taught stage and the thesis stage.

If your circumstances change and you are unable to complete the course, there are alternative qualifications that may be awarded depending on the number of credits accumulated.

- Taught stage:
The taught stage is based on four units. In the first year, two compulsory core units provide advanced training in policy analysis and research methods. The first year is designed to equip you with the knowledge and capability to understand and use a range of research methodologies, novel analytical frameworks and toolkits to address key issues within a broad policy context. The two core generic analysis units include:

- Transformational Policy and Practice – to introduce you to theoretical understandings of ‘policy’ and policy making and how they relate to practice. This will include a series of case studies of policy making and implementation from different countries

- Policy Research Methodology – to develop your knowledge and understanding of the methodologies (philosophic frameworks) employed in policy research, their advantages and disadvantages, as well as the merits of particular quantitative and qualitative methods.

Each of these generic units carry 18 credits and are assessed with an 8,000 assignment or equivalent. Successful completion of these units would normally entitle you to the PG Certificate exit award if appropriate.

- Specialist streams:
Over the subsequent two years you elect two specialised units, relevant to their field of practice, from a choice of up to four units. These are designed to enable you to develop and hone specific interests towards the conduct of supervised research: current optional units are listed below. The five initial units are:

- international development policy
- education policy
- health policy
- technology policy
- social policy (awaiting final approval).

Each specialist unit carries 18 credits and is assessed by an 8,000 word assignment.

You will be asked to choose a specialist unit in the first year, while undertaking your core modules so that teaching resources can be planned for the following year.

- Research enquiry:
You will spend the final three years of your study developing a supervised research enquiry. Supervision is primarily provided virtually over this period but it would normally be expected that you adhere to a minimum number of face-to-face contact hours. We also provide other online support for you during this time including webinars and online forums.

About the IPR

The University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR) brings together many of the University’s research strengths to foster inter-disciplinary research of international excellence and impact. It bridges the worlds of research, policy and professional practice to enable us to address some of the major policy challenges we face on a local, national and global scale.

Read more (http://www.bath.ac.uk/ipr/)

Find out how to apply here - http://www.bath.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/index.html

Read less

Who is this programme for?:

- professionals with a strong interest and need in gaining a thorough academic foundation in, and understanding of, current developments in the area of global economic governance.

- graduate students from other disciplinary backgrounds wishing to further their understanding of global economic policy issues and debates through systematic academic study.

- economics graduate students wishing to specialize in global economic policy and governance.

Prior knowledge of economics is not a requirement.

The MSc Global Economic Governance and Policy is the most recent addition to the Department of Economics’ portfolio of masters programme. The programme builds on the department’s unique combination of expertise – in policy analysis, regional economics and critical theoretical perspectives – to provide students with an in-depth understanding of core policy debates in the area of global economic governance. Specifically, the programme focuses on:

- global economic governance: It offers in-depth specialisation in this area of wider global governance.

- economic policy: It provides high-level training in the understanding and critical evaluation of economic policy issues, design and solutions, their foundation in the evolution of economic theory and methods, as well as critical discussion of the application of policy design to real-world problems, such as issues of implementation and monitoring.

- regional specificities within the global economy: It provides a differentiated analysis of problems of global economic governance from a range of regional perspectives, in advanced as well as developing country regions.

The programme is taught through two dedicated core courses (Global Economic Governance I: Global Economic Policy Debates and Analysis and Global Economic Governance II: Institutional and Governance Debates on Economic Development and Growth). In addition, students can choose from a wide range of optional courses and will write a 10.000 word dissertation.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/economics/programmes/msc-global-economic-governance-and-policy/

Structure

The MSc in Global Economic Governance and Policy is a new masters programme designed for professionals and postgraduate students, with or without a prior background in economics, who wish to gain a focused and in-depth understanding of contemporary economic governance and policy debates.

The MSc is taught through two dedicated core courses. The first, Global Economic Governance 1 deals with issues of Global Economic Policy. This covers international trade and investment relationships between countries, trade and industrial policies, global capital markets, the international monetary and financial system, multinationals, global production networks and labour in the global economy. The second core paper, Global Economic Governance 2 deals with issues of institutions and governance. This includes issues of governance reforms for developing countries, the theory of institutional economics informing these debates, the policy and theoretical debates around property rights reforms, anti-corruption, industrial policy, rents and rent seeking, democratization and related governance issues. In addition, students will choose one, two or three optional courses, depending on the weight of the courses (see the list below), from across a range of SOAS departments plus a 10,000 word dissertation.

Students can, but do not have to, choose a course structure that, in addition to the programme’s focus on policy analysis and training, provides research method training.

- Optional Courses

MSc GEGP students can choose either one (1 unit) course or two (0.5 unit) courses or three (0.33 unit courses) to make up a total of 1 unit from the following list of courses by department. The availability of open option courses in other FL&SS departments from the below list is conditional on the approval of individual course convenors as well as the usual restrictions with regard to pre-requisites, timetable compatibilities and availability of individual courses in any one academic year. Students should note that some courses are capped in terms of student numbers, and that students from home departments will be given priority in case the relevant caps are reached. All law courses are open only for students with an LLB or who take the Law pre-sessional course offered by the School of Law at SOAS.

- Economics Department

MSc GEGP students will be eligible to take any of the post-graduate courses offered in the Economics Department, pending permission by the course convenors on the basis of the students’ prior academic qualifications in economics. Economics options with CATS 22.5 (0.5 unit) modules will be made available subject to approval.

Programme Specification

MSc Global Economic Governance and Policy programme specification (pdf; 392kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/economics/programmes/msc-global-economic-governance-and-policy/file97019.pdf

Materials

- SOAS Library
SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.
Access to other London Universities will be provided, where relevant to specific courses.

Teaching & Learning

Courses are taught in lectures and tutorial groups. Degrees are awarded on the basis of assessed coursework, examinations and the dissertation. Courses are generally assessed on the basis of a final examination (70%) and an essay or project-based coursework (30%). MSc degrees are taught over a period of twelve months of full-time study within a structured programme. In the case of part-time study, the degrees will be taught over two or three years.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

- Students will learn about core policy debates on global economic governance.
- Students will study the current institutional and organisational architecture of global economic policy-making and governance.
- Students will have an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of differing economic theories and methods, and of how these relate to economic policy debates and designs in the area of global economic governance.
- Students will study regionally specific economic policy challenges in the context of the evolution of the global economy, and will have an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of different regional perspectives on global economic governance.
- Students will be trained in the understanding and use of economic policy tools and design, as well as issues of policy implementation and monitoring.
- Students taking the research pathway of the MSc GEGP will acquire sound knowledge of statistical research techniques and economic research methods.

Intellectual (thinking) skills:

- Students will learn to develop intellectual initiative and to analyse, evaluate and reflect critically on current research in the area of global economic governance.
- Students will acquire the ability to discriminate between competing economic theories and methods underlying the design of global economic policies, and to critically appraise the policy implications of these differing approaches.
- Students will learn to apply theoretical, empirical and technical knowledge about core features of current global economic governance to practical policy analysis through coursework and the dissertation.
- Students will have an opportunity to translate a complex understanding of issues in global economic governance into reform proposals, and to learn how to present these in an articulate, informed and coherent manner.

Subject-based practical skills:

- Students will learn how to gather, organise and employ data, information and evidence for economic policy analysis and design in the area of global economic governance.
- Students will gain the ability to critically assess economic policy tools and to design economic policy proposals in a case study context.
- Students will learn how to identify core problems in economic policy design, implementation and monitoring
- Students will acquire the ability to marshal arguments lucidly, coherently and concisely to present core analyses and policy messages or suggestions in clear language (written and verbal).
- Students taking the research pathway of the MSc GEGP will learn how to apply one or more research methods systematically to a chosen topic or project.

Transferable skills:

- Students will be able to analyse, evaluate and reflect critically on information received.
- Students will learn how to present ideas coherently and concisely, in writing and orally, extracting key elements from complex information.
- Students will be given the opportunity to engage with independent research on well defined tasks or topics.
- Students will learn how to identify policy problems and design solutions, selecting and applying competing theories and methods appropriately.
- Students will gain an understanding of how to gather, organise and deploy data and evidence to form a balanced judgement and to develop and support critical argument and policy recommendations. S
- Students will have an opportunity to present written and oral materials clearly and effectively and to engage constructively with feedback.

Employment

The MSc Global Economic Governance and Policy is a new programme, starting in 2016/17.

Students enrolling in this programme will return to or pursue careers in a wide range of positions in public, private and non-governmental project management and policy advice, for which a thorough understanding of on-going issues in global economic governance is essential.

This includes, for example, government officials from developing and advanced countries whose remit requires a wider understanding of global economic governance issues; employees of international organisations whose remits are not primarily concerned with economic policy-making, but increasingly require a thorough understanding of global economic governance issue to co-ordinate their approaches with those of other national and international organizations; private sector managers and consultants requiring a systematic understanding of current economic crises and imbalances in the world economy as well as regulatory approaches to this; employees of NGOs working in areas affected by current global economic crises and imbalances and policy responses to these; graduate students wishing to build a career in any of the above, and economics graduates with a special interest in global economic policy debates and design.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

Read less

Social and policy research coupled with comparative analysis that has an international dimension.

Overview

This masters programme is ideal for mid-career professionals. You'll find the course useful if you are, or intend to, work with policy; either as an adviser, researcher, analyst or consultant.

You'll study a strongly international curriculum that is based around a combination of comparative social and public policy management and advanced research skills training. This course builds directly on our applied policy research expertise, both in the taught modules which draw heavily on our own research and in the practice-relevant activity that provides an opportunity to participate in ongoing policy research projects.

Course content

This is a 21-month course that specialises in social and public policy analysis and social research. You'll focus on comparative cross-national and international policy. You'll also spend time analysing policy development and policy lessons from OECD member states.

The first half of this MPA will enable you to study and explore a combination of comparative social policy and public management. In the second half you'll get advanced research skills training. You'll undertake practice related activities including small group projects that will expose you to applied policy research in practice with the support of a learning mentor.

Modules
You'll study six modules in your first year that will introduce you to the concepts and techniques you'll use later in the course. You'll also build on your knowledge with a series of masterclasses and your own policy analysis.
-Social Policy Analysis
-Comparative and International Social Policy Research Methods
-Globalisation and Social Policy
-Comparative Social Policy - Governance, Management and Delivery
-Applied Policy Transfer Project
-Comparative Applied Social and Public Policy, Evaluation and Research Master Classes

Placement
You'll undertake a placement which is selected, where possible, to match your interests, expertise and career aspirations. You'll work alongside a mentor with expertise in policy-related activities.

In your second year you'll study five modules that build advanced research skills and allow you to deepen your understanding of applied social and public policy. You'll also write an experiential analysis of your placement experiences and undertake detailed independent study on a topic that links to your professional interests and experience.
-Introduction to Social Research Methods
-Applied Policy Research Placement Report
-Advanced Quantitative Methods
-Advanced Qualitative Methods
-Placement Linked Systematic Review Report

You'll work on two independent projects that will be assessed as part of your course.

In your first year you'll work on the Applied Policy Transfer Project to produce a 8,000 word report under the supervision of your mentor. You'll be able to specialise on a specific policy issue in which you'll explore cross-national evidence to identify policy solutions that may be transferred from one country to another.

Towards the end of your second year you'll undertake a longer independent project in which you'll produce a structured scoping review of up to 10,000 words.

Careers

This course is ideal for mid-career professionals that aim to work in, or already work in, social or public policy.

Read less

UCL's School of Public Policy and NYU Wagner have created a unique partnership to offer the first truly joint degree designed for international civil servants. The robust blend of theoretical and applied policy analysis and management studies is intended to provide a distinctive edge enabling public service leaders to function with many actors in a global environment to devise and implement strategies for change.

Degree information

Students will spend the first semester at NYU Wagner in New York City, the Spring Term at UCL and the summer in locations across the globe working on a client-based Capstone project. Core modules bridge cutting-edge concepts and skills in policy analysis, management, implementation, and facilitating change. Students will then select from the offerings of both institutions to craft an approach best suited to their specific needs.

Students undertake modules to the value of 150 credits (equivalent to 30 credits at NYU or 75 ECTS credits).

The programme consists of four core modules (two at UCL and two at NYU), four optional modules (two at UCL and two at NYU) and a Capstone project.

Core modules
Term One at NYU Wagner
-Global Public Policy Analysis Reform
-Institutions, Governance, and Public Sector Reform

Term Two at UCL
-Strategy and Organisational Change
-Policy Implementation

Optional modules - students select two from NYU Wagner and two from UCL. The below are suggestions.
Term One at NYU Wagner
-Design Thinking: A Creative Approach to Problem Solving and Creating Impact
-Global Health Policy
-Conflict Management and Negotiation
-International Economic Development: Government Markets
-International Development Project Planning
-Politics of International Development
-Sustainable Cities

Term Two at UCL
-Agenda Setting and Public Policy
-Policy and Regulation in Europe
-Human Rights: Accountability and World Politics
-International Trade Policy
-Law and Regulation
-Making Policy Work
-Public Management: Theories and Innovations

Capstone Project
All students undertake a Capstone group project which allows them to expand on their own experiences, knowledge and skills acquired through the programme to deliver a concrete task for a public services organisation. The project can be conducted at an international organisation in the EU or USA.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, presentations and educational visits e.g. the British Library. Assesment is through examinations, essays and the Capstone group project.

Careers

Graduates of this programme are likely to find themselves moving across a variety of international public, not-for-profit and private sector institutions during their careers in executive positions.

Employability
Students will improve their ability to craft effective solutions to problems in the face of global and local policy and management challenges. They will learn to balance advantages of public and private sector actors; promote successful inter-governmental co-operation at all levels; more effectively link policy analysis with policy implementation; and broadly ensure that policy is meeting its intended objectives and improving public welfare.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The Global Public Policy and Management Executive MPA is an innovative world-class programme. Unlike many public policy and management programmes which remain focused on the domestic environment, this Executive MPA promotes internationalisation of the curriculum, student body and locations.

The combination of policy and management change skills and exposure to the world of practice, will provide a substantial and pedagogically distinctive experience.

The programme fosters a strong community and provides learning opportunities beyond the traditional classroom. These cohort-based events include tailored orientation sessions, a dedicated lecture series with inspiring leaders in public service, advisory sessions, and departmental activities. Students also benefit from a strong alumni network across NYU Wagner and UCL.

Read less

This is an ideal course if you want to develop your capacity to analyse social and public policies nationally and internationally. It will enable you to deepen your understanding of the major aspects of social and public policy, including competing conceptions of citizenship and how these inform social policy; contemporary forms of governance and public policy implementation, and the use of theories and research evidence to analyse and explain social and public policy change.

The course is suitable for those who have recently completed undergraduate courses of study, as well as those working in the community and voluntary sector, think-tanks, as researchers, or at different levels of government. It has been designed to be of value and relevance to students both from the UK and overseas, so interested individuals from all nations are encouraged to apply.

We aim to equip you with the theoretical, conceptual and analytical tools to examine contemporary social and public policies in both national and international contexts. It will enable you to draw on theories and concepts and interpret a range of forms of evidence in analysing policy developments and their social impacts.

Distinctive features

This MSc in Social and Public Policy is one of the few such courses in the UK to be offered by an interdisciplinary School of Social Sciences. As such, the approach to social and public policy offered here is shaped by a strong belief in the value of interdisciplinary social science theory and research and the importance of understanding the relationship between social and public policy and the other social sciences.

Structure

The course can be completed in one year with full-time study or in two years by part-time study.

The MSc in Social and Public Policy is organised around a sequence of up to three 20-credit specialist modules, two 30-credit modules in social science theory and research methods, and one 60-credit supervised dissertation on a social or public policy topic of your choice.

You will conduct your own analysis and present these in written work and oral presentations. In addition to specialist modules which deepen your understandings of social and public policy analysis, you will undertake modules in social science and research methods. The skills developed on these modules will enable you to complete your own dissertation on a social or public policy topic of your choice.

For a list of modules for the FULL-TIME route, please see website:

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught/courses/group/social-and-public-policy

For a list of the modules for the PART-TIME route, please see website:

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught/courses/course/social-and-public-policy-msc-part-time

Teaching

You will be expected to attend lectures, seminars and tutorials as set out in the timetable for MSc students. These sometimes sit outside the regular pattern of university attendance and may include day, evening and weekend study and on occasion may fall outside the standard semester dates. You will also be expected to undertake independent study in preparation for lectures, seminars and assessments. A 20 credit module comprises 200 hours of study, including about 30 hours of contact time, and the MSc as a whole, 1800 hours of study.

Modules employ a diverse range of teaching including lectures, seminars, group and individual tutorials, and independent guided study.

The programme benefits from being located in an inter-disciplinary environment so that in parts of the course, you will come into contact with staff and students from other subject areas and, in other parts of the course, with staff and students in the same substantive area.

Assessment

Modules are assessed by a combination of essays, reports, reviews and presentations.

Career Prospects

The programme is designed to be of particular interest to individuals who have experience of working with, or an interest of working for, social or academic research organisations, departments at different levels of government (e.g. local, Welsh, UK-wide, European), international organisations (e.g. UNICEF), or at community and voluntary sector organisations. It is also relevant for students who seek to pursue other avenues but who wish to deepen their understanding of social and public policy in Wales, the UK and internationally.

Read less

Understand and influence how policies are made and how public services are managed.

Overview

This course is ideal for professionals in the public sector, in not-for-profit organisations or in for-profit organisations involved in public policy or the delivery of public services. During your studies you'll develop the skills and knowledge required to influence policy and how policy decisions are translated on the ground. You'll deepen your understanding of policy-making and its intersection with public management. You will prepare yourself for more strategic roles and help your organisation operate more effectively in complex and challenging environments.

By choosing this part-time online course you will be able to combine your study with your career and family. You'll also be studying with one of the top universities in the world, with teaching and support from experienced academics and practitioners. Our Department is ranked 25th in the world, and 4th in the UK (QS World Rankings 2016). All our courses are run directly by us, so you can always count on coherent and strong support from your academic tutors, personal supervisor and our dedicated support team.

You'll study alongside your peers working in similar organisations around the world. You'll be able to actively engage with them and share your ideas, learning and experience as you progress through the course. You'll also be in a position to immediately apply your learning and insight to your work and your organisation.

Course Content

This masters course will develop your knowledge of public policy, so you'll gain a better understanding of how policies are made and then implemented on the ground. You'll also acquire skills in public management, and learn to analyse and influence how public services are run and how organisational change can be best managed.

The first year of the course will ensure you have a foundation in all key aspects of public policy and management. In your second year you can choose areas of study that are most interesting or most applicable to your own work

Towards the end of the course you'll start to prepare for your dissertation which will allow you to explore an area of particular interest with support from a dedicated dissertation supervisor.

You can also study for a shorter period of time and graduate with a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma.

Modules
To graduate with a masters degree, you will need to take 140 credits of taught modules and complete a dissertation worth 40 credits.

You'll study these modules to a schedule. This will allow you to participate online with academics and fellow students from around the world.

Year one: foundation
In the first year you'll study 80 credits with the following modules:
-Public Management and Delivery (20 credits)
-Governance and Public Administration (20 credits)
-Policy Analysis and Process (20 credits)
-Reflective Practice for Professional Development - Part One (10 credits)
-Digital Government: Policy and Practice (10 credits)

Year two: specialisation and dissertation
In your second year you'll study a combination of taught modules and work on your dissertation. You will choose one of these modules:
-Comparative Social Policy (20 credits)
-Leading and Managing Organisational Change (20 credits)
-Social Policy: Evidence, Ideas and Institutions (20 credits)
-Work, Welfare and Citizenship (20 credits)

You'll then choose to study one of these modules:
-Globalisation and Social Policy (20 credits)
-Project Management (20 credits)
-Public Finance (20 credits)
-Public Service Reform: Economic and Political Perspectives (20 credits)

You will also need to complete a dissertation, as well as modules designed to develop your professional and research skills:
-Reflective Practice for Professional Development - Part Two (10 credits)
-Dissertation workshop (10 credits)
-Dissertation (40 credits)

Throughout your studies your assignments will help you to apply theory to practice and to combine academic work with case studies or examples relevant to your work.

One of your taught modules, the Dissertation Workshop, will help you prepare for your dissertation. You'll learn how to plan and schedule your independent literature-based research project. With the help of your dissertation supervisor you'll work on finding the appropriate scope and focus for your project, and develop a workable structure. You'll also receive feedback on draft chapters and guidance on conducting your literature review and any further research.

Your dissertation is worth 40 credits and will be 12,000 words long.

Careers

This course is ideal for people working in the public and not-for-profit sectors as well as people working in for-profit organisations that deliver public services. It will allow you to develop the skills required for management in a large and complex organisation. You'll also gain a thorough understanding of public policy so that you can analyse and influence policy-making and implementation.

Read less