MA PUBLIC POLICY AND PUBLIC MANAGEMENT

What governments do and why they do it are perennially important questions. But 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. 

About

Our MA Public Policy and Public Management examines public policy-making and change from a political science perspective. 

You’ll complete two core public policy and public management modules, and will then be able to specialise in areas such as Public Policy and the Environment and International Public Policy. We have world-leading expertise in the research and teaching of public policy, international politics, media and society, and social and political theory. Depending on the path you choose, you could also have the opportunity to collaborate with, and be taught by, academics from other sectors such as UEA Law School, Norwich Business School and the School of International Development. 

You’ll also be able to choose several optional modules to tailor your course to your own interests in areas such as (but not limited to) environmental or electoral policies. 

You’ll take your interests even further through your Master’s 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 will 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, 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. 

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.

Career destinations

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.

Examples of careers you could enter include:

• Policy analyst 

• Lobbyist 

• NGO staff 

• Civil servant 

• Researcher 

• Consultant