MA Public Policy and Public Management
Key Details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Arts
- Course Length
- 1 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2024
Chat to us on Unibuddy
Any questions? Chat online with current students, staff and experts. This is your chance to ask anything about UEA, university life, Norwich and more.
Course Overview
What governments do and why they do it are perennially important questions. In today’s complex and ever-changing world, a critical understanding of the processes and their results is more vital than ever before.
This MA will help you develop an in-depth understanding of public policy and management at both national and international levels. Flexible and multidisciplinary, it’s ideal if you have a social science degree and are hoping to specialise, or a degree in environmental studies or geography and are looking for wider applications of your subject knowledge, or if you’re a professional who’s interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the processes you deal with every day.
You’ll develop transferable skills applicable to many careers, the ability to think critically and to constructively question ‘received wisdom’, presentation and teamwork skills, project work, critical analysis and synthesis of arguments, independent research, and the application of theory to real-world cases.
Public policy is concerned with big, complex issues, such as how we deal with environmental crises, or how we approach migration. It’s not only about what government should do, but how they do it. On this course, students gain a rich and wide appreciation of the many ways that policy is made and the factors that influence it.
This Masters’s in Public Policy and Public Management is anchored in two core modules, which will give you a strong foundation in theory and practical problem-solving. You’ll then be able to specialise in areas of public policy such as migration, electoral management, and the environment.
You’ll take your interests even further through your dissertation – a piece of in-depth independent research which you’ll complete with the supervision of a faculty member.
As a member of our postgraduate community, you’ll also have the opportunity to attend numerous events and talks during your time here. We regularly attract distinguished lecturers, with previous guests including Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party; Caroline Lucas, MP for the Green Party; Gary Gibbon, Political Editor for Channel 4 News; Owen Jones, author and columnist for The Guardian; Caroline Flint, Labour MP; John Bercow, former Speaker of the House of Commons; Shami Chakrabarti, former director of Liberty; Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Shirley Williams; Professor Anthony Giddens of the London School of Economics; Douglas Carswell, former UK Independence Party MP; Sir Stephen Wall, retired diplomat; and Lord Richard Dannatt, formerly Chief of the General Staff.
See our webpages to find out more about our postgraduate community and experience some of these lectures.
Study and Modules
Structure
Our Master’s course lasts one year for full-time students, and two years part-time. As a full-time student you’ll have classes during your first two semesters, then over the summer you’ll work on your dissertation, which you’ll submit at the start of September. If you’re a part-time student, you will have classes in both years and over the summer of the second year you’ll work on your dissertation, which you will submit at the start of September.
The programme includes two compulsory modules, which will give you an advanced understanding of the main theories, models and concepts of both public policy and public management. You can then specialise in a number of different policy areas through a wide range of optional modules, including those on electoral management, rural policies, policy elites, migration, digital media, foreign policy, and much more.
Finally, you’ll complete your Master’s by writing your dissertation, which is a fantastic opportunity to conduct independent research into a subject area that stimulates you. If you’re a full-time student, you’ll be assigned an individual supervisor from the faculty to advise you, and after the Easter break you’ll be able to discuss your work in progress with students and staff at our Postgraduate Dissertation day. For part-time students this will take place after the Easter break in your second year.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 20)Optional B Modules
(Credits: 60)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Our teaching is research-led, in that we ask the same questions of our students as we do in our research. So you can be sure your learning will be at the cutting-edge of the discipline, taught by leading experts in public policy and management, political philosophy, political communications and media studies.
The department comprises more than 30 members of staff, all of whom actively engage with research in the field. We take an interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary approach to our work, linking theory to practice, to create a distinctive programme of research. This has given us a strong international reputation for research in a wide variety of areas, including international relations, international security, terrorism, human rights, religion, Britain, the EU, Japan, Africa, the mass media (including digital media), political communications, popular culture, identity politics, public administration and public policy, political theory, and political rhetoric.
Many of our modules use small-group seminar teaching, encouraging you and your peers to communicate and inspire each other with your own unique insights. Our postgraduate community includes students from across the globe, adding many different perspectives on – and approaches to – the subjects we study. And our rich programme of research seminars, visiting speakers, panel debates and high-profile public events all contribute to making UEA a stimulating environment within which to study.
How you'll spend your time during semester 1 and 2:
Teaching: 25%
Independent Learning: 75%
Assessment
You’ll be assessed on the basis of the module work that you complete across the year, and on your 10,000 word dissertation, which you’ll hand in at the end of the year.
We use a range of assessment methods across our modules, but you can expect to undertake essays, project reports, examinations, group work and presentations.
Entry Requirements
- Degree Classification
- Bachelors (Hons) degree - 2.2 or equivalent
- Degree Subject
- Humanities or Social Sciences
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
-
IELTS: 6.0 overall with minimum6.0 in Writing and Speaking and 5.5 in Listening and Reading
Test dates should be within 2 years of the course start date.
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies for a list of qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
If you do not yet meet the English language requirements for this course, INTO UEA offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the English skills necessary for successful undergraduate study:
-
- Intakes
This course is open to UK and International applicants. The annual intake for this course is in September each year.
Additional Information or Requirements
f you have alternative qualifications that have not been mentioned above then please contact university directly for further information.
If you do not meet the academic requirements for this course, you may be able to study the International Pre-Masters programme offered by our partner INTO UEA. This programme guarantees progression to selected Master's degrees if students achieve the appropriate grade. For more details, please click here:
International Pre-Masters in Business, Economics and Social Sciences
Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2024/25 are:
-
UK Students: £9,975 (full time)
-
International Students: £21,200 (full time)
If you choose to study part-time, the fee per annum will be half the annual fee for that year, or a pro-rata fee for the module credit you are taking (only available for Home students).
We estimate living expenses at £1,023 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here.
Scholarships and Bursaries
The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships; please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form.
FURTHER INFORMATION
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying, please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students section of our website.
Employability
After the Course
The flexibility and breadth of our Master’s course will open up a wide range of career opportunities to you. If you have a specific profession in mind, you can specialise; if you are looking for a broader understanding, you can take a wider focus.
Recent graduates have gone on to pursue high-level careers in the media, local and national government and non-governmental organisations, taking up roles such as business executive, policy analyst, consultant, subject specialist, lobbyist, adviser, NGO staff and civil servant. Some have gone on to research in a university or research institute, having pursued further postgraduate study such as a PhD.
Careers
A degree at UEA will prepare you for a wide variety of careers. We've been ranked 1st for Job Prospects by StudentCrowd in 2022.
Example of careers that you could enter include:
-
Policy analyst
-
Lobbyist
-
NGO staff
-
Civil servant
-
Researcher
-
Consultant
Discover more on our Careers webpages.