PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION MPA
Full-time 1 year | Part-time 2 years
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
You will normally have at
least a 2:2 UK undergraduate honours degree or international equivalent. If you have a different background you may be admitted if you have relevant postgraduate study, research or professional experience.
THE COURSE
In the last two decades, the public service landscape has changed dramatically with the expansion of the commission of services from the private and voluntary sectors, and the development of new models of regulation, governance, accountability and performance management. With change comes the demand for increased understanding of the new, complex, public service landscape from those who wish to work in this environment and researchers who wish to shed light on these trends. This course is designed to provide you with the intellectual foundations for a career in leadership of these public services, whether in the public sector or in private or voluntary sector organisations delivering public services, as well as access to relevant research being conducted into these services.
You will be taught by academics based in the Policy Evaluation Research Unit (PERU), an internationally recognised policy-research unit with particular expertise in models of public service delivery and policy making. PERU members have a 12-year track record of research in the UK and Europe and links with institutions in the US and South East Asia. They are actively involved in research programmes commissioned by public service organisations, including central government departments, and many members of the unit have worked in public services at a senior or non-executive board level. These international contacts and this practical and research experience will directly influence what you are taught, with the content of the course drawing on global public administration and policy case studies. All this means that you will be learning at the cutting edge of the latest developments in public services and administration.
FEATURES AND BENEFITS
+ Taught by academics based in the Policy Evaluation Research Unit (PERU), research-active scholars leading programmes of research and knowledge exchange in criminal justice, education, homelessness and poverty and inequality.
+ Take advantage of a rich programme of guest lectures from industry contacts and build your own professional network.
+ Opportunity to undertake projects in real world settings through the connections PERU has with a number of public and voluntary sector organisations.
+ In your final project explore a public administration
and/or policy issue that is relevant to your career goals and be supported to achieve real-world impact on policy and practice.
CORE UNITS
You will study the following core units:
+ Public Administration and the Economics of Public Policy
+ Leadership, Governance and Finance
+ Dissertation
You will have the opportunity to select further units from a range of options that will allow you to study public administration in more depth, and explore a number of contemporary policy issues, for example housing, poverty and inequality or health and social care.
CAREER PROSPECTS
The course aims to provide you with the skills to progress to a leadership role in public services, whether that be in the public, voluntary or private sectors. It also prepares you to continue a career in undertaking research into the new public service landscape.
EVALUATION AND POLICY ANALYSIS MSc
Full-time 1 year | Part-time 2 years
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
You will normally have at least a 2:2 UK undergraduate honours degree or international equivalent. If you have a different background you may be considered if you can demonstrate satisfactory evidence of relevant postgraduate study, research or professional experience.
THE COURSE
This course is designed to provide the intellectual foundations and specialist knowledge and skills needed for a career working in evaluation and quantitative analysis of public and voluntary services. Over recent years there has been a rapid increase in the use of evaluation and quantitative analysis as commissioners of service providers have been required to justify more rigorously their proposed use of public funds. The course aims to provide a core foundation in a wide range of research methods with a clear emphasis on quantitative methods, and specialist understanding and skills in evaluation. You will also have the opportunity to study cutting-edge methods as well as the economics of public policy. You will be taught by academics based in the Policy Evaluation Research Unit (PERU) who regularly undertake evaluations for UK government, national NGOs, local government and other local delivery organisations. This activity feeds directly into what you will be taught meaning you’ll be learning at the cutting edge of the latest developments in evaluation and policy analysis.
FEATURES AND BENEFITS
+ Taught by research-active academics based in PERU with an expertise in quantitative evaluation and a 12-year track record of research in the UK and Europe and links with institutions in the US and South East Asia.
+ Take advantage of a rich programme of guest lectures from industry contacts and build your own professional network.
+ Opportunity to undertake projects in real world settings through the connections PERU has with public and voluntary sector organisations.
+ In your final project explore an evaluation and/or policy issue that is relevant to your career goals and be supported to achieve
real-world impact on policy and practice.
CORE UNITS
+ Evaluation and the Economics of Public Policy
+ Foundations of Quantitative Analysis and Data Management
+ Final Project
CAREER PROSPECTS
This course will be of interest to you if you are looking to develop a career in evaluation and quantitative analysis. The demand for these skills can be seen across commissioning organisations including local authorities and health commissioners, providers in the public, voluntary and private sectors, and specialist agencies that provide evaluation services to commissioners and providers.