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Politics and International Relations at UEA
Find out more about studying Politics and International Relations at UEA, and browse our other courses.
Find out moreMA Public Policy and Public Management with Applied Area Studies (Two Years)
Key Details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Arts
- Course Length
- 2 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2026
Other Start Dates
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Why you should choose us
14th
UEA is ranked 14th overall for research quality Politics and International Studies
Times Higher Education REF 2021 AnalysisTop 20
UEA is ranked top 20 in the UK for Research Quality
UEA is ranked top 20 in the UK for Research QualityTop 51-75
institutions in the world for Public Administration
Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS) 2024Course Overview
This two-year course is specially designed to empower you to take a career in public policy or government to the next level.
This course's first year constitutes our MA Public Policy and Public Management, an advanced training ground in issues that are shaping public policy globally. These include the digital transformation of the public sector, environmental crisis, migration, healthcare policy, and the impact of the emergence of a new multipolar international order. This course intersects closely with our MA International Relations, giving you a uniquely international perspective on the public policy environment. The year culminates in your MA dissertation studies, giving you the opportunity to conduct a piece of policy research that's closely related to your own.
On this version of the course, you will then spend your second year (September-June) taking your ideas and applying them further in real-world contexts. To do so, you will work closely with UEA's world-leading specialists in New Area Studies - for which UEA's research was ranked 5th in the UK in the Times Higher Education's analysis of the most recent Research Excellence Framework (2021). This innovative field operates at the intersection of global studies and the latest methodologies in the social sciences and humanities. It will enable you to analyse governance and policy contexts comparatively and empower you to effect real-world, data-driven change. You will be part of a truly vibrant environment of specialist interdisciplinary seminars and policy workshops. You will have the opportunity to take your dissertation to the next level - for instance, by developing a project management plan to implement your findings in your own career context.
Beyond the classroom, and throughout your MA, we offer enriching experiences including internships, placements, and our popular speaker series featuring leading academics, policymakers and politicians discussing contemporary policy issues.
Join a vibrant community where theory meets practice, preparing you to navigate and influence the complex world of public policy globally.
Note that you may prefer the one-year version of the course (available for both September and January starts), which welcomes students from a diverse array of academic and professional backgrounds.
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Study and Modules
Structure
The first year of your Master's begins with core modules that establish a sophisticated understanding of key theories and frameworks in public policy. You'll explore fundamental concepts in public policy formation and analysis, examining how political, economic, and social factors interact to shape governance approaches. Alongside this, you'll develop critical insights into public management principles, from strategic leadership to organisational behaviour within public institutions.
In the second semester, depending on your interests and career aspirations, you might choose to delve into electoral management systems, examine rural policy challenges, analyse the influence of policy elites, explore environmental governance, investigate digital media impacts on policymaking, or study foreign policy development. This flexibility allows you to build a personalised curriculum that aligns with your professional goals.
Over the summer of your first year, you will complete your Master's dissertation. This independent research project allows you to explore a topic that's closely relevant to your career or professional aspirations. You'll be matched with an academic supervisor whose expertise aligns with your research area, providing personalised guidance throughout the process. This project offers an invaluable opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world policy challenges, develop advanced research skills, and potentially contribute meaningful insights to your chosen field.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 20)Optional B Modules
(Credits: 60)Important Information
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
At the heart of our programme is research-led teaching that places you at the cutting edge of public policy and management. Our academics are leading experts in their fields, bringing specialised knowledge in policy, Area Studies, communications, and global governance directly into the classroom.
We've designed a dynamic learning environment that blends theoretical depth with practical applications. Our distinctive interdisciplinary approach connects diverse perspectives, ensuring you develop a comprehensive understanding of complex policy challenges. You'll experience a thoughtful mix of teaching methods—from lectures that provide conceptual foundations to interactive seminars where ideas are vigorously debated and tested against real-world scenarios.
Small-group teaching forms a cornerstone of our approach, creating spaces for meaningful engagement with both academic staff and fellow students. Our diverse postgraduate community includes students from across the globe, enriching discussions with international perspectives and varied approaches to policy questions. This collaborative learning environment helps develop the communication and analytical skills essential for professional success.
Beyond scheduled teaching, you'll benefit from our vibrant intellectual community. Our programme of research seminars, visiting speaker events, panel debates and high-profile public lectures creates numerous opportunities to engage with leading practitioners and thinkers in the field. These events provide valuable networking opportunities while keeping you connected to current developments in policy and governance.
Assessment
Your assessments are designed to enable you to develop and demonstrate your professional skills.
Throughout the academic year, you'll complete module assessments including analytical essays, policy briefings, project reports, and presentations. These varied formats mirror the diverse communication demands of policy careers. Group work develops your collaborative abilities, while independent projects build research capabilities.
Your dissertation demonstrates your ability to conduct sustained independent research. All assessments are carefully designed to build practical professional competencies alongside academic understanding.
Structure
In the second year, you will undertake a 60-credit ‘Applied Area Studies' module over two semesters. Here, you will master the methodologies of the New Area Studies. You will experience the benefit of sector-leading strengths in Area Studies at UEA and its formidable expertise in the field. Opportunities include:
To continue to advance your dissertation research and develop its practical applications. For instance, you may make a project management and implementation plan to apply the findings of your dissertation research in real-world contexts relevant to your own career or governance context.
Participate in the thriving network of research seminars, conferences , and policy workshops, that constitute the interdisciplinary environment of New Area Studies Research Centre (NASRC) at UEA. You will be able to share your ongoing work as peers in this collaborative environment. These will also offer ideal networking opportunities to enhance your contacts book as well as your
Encountering first-hand the policy and governance environment of the UK, learning how the UK is responding to challenges such as digitalisation or healthcare provision. This first-hand, applied experience will directly inform both your ongoing work and your professional development.
Participating in the running of our international, peer-reviewed and open access journal, New Area Studies, learning what it takes to coordinate research publications that operate at the intersection between academia and policy application.
Compulsory Modules
Important Information
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
In your second year, 60 credits of learning are spread over two semesters. You will therefore have approximately 3 hours of contact term per week. This may take a variety of forms. There will be regular teaching seminars aimed at introducing you to core concepts, practices, and applied possibilities of New Area Studies. In some weeks, these will be replaced by tutorials which will help you to frame your ambitions for your summative assessment portfolio. Tutorials will be held with your Applied Area Studies mentor, who will be a member of our New Area Studies Research Group. In addition, contact hours will also take a variety of innovative forms, as appropriate for the more Applied Studies framework. These will include professional policy and academic seminars within the New Area Studies Research Centre, as well as opportunities to visit and experience local government and policy settings.
Assessment
In your second year, you will produce another extended dossier of submissions totalling c.12,000 words. This will all be due for submission at the end of Semester 2. The exact make-up of the dossier will be agreed in one-to-one tutorials with your New Area Studies expert mentor and developed to suit your career goals. However, the envisaged structure will include a 5-7000 word extension of your Master's Dissertation, which develops your applied policy implementation plan in your chosen regional context; reflective writing based on your experiences of the New Area Studies research environment and the UK policy context; policy analysis, evaluation and implementation strategies which. draw on the interdisciplinary methodologies of the New Area Studies.
Employability
Careers
Examples of careers that you could enter include:
- Civil Service and governmental roles in policy and public administration
- Roles in international organisations e.g. UN-affiliated bodies
- Roles in NGOs e.g. managing Climate Change policy
- Researcher or analyst in a policy institute or think tank
- Policy and regulation in the corporate/tech sector
Discover more on our Careers webpages.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
This course is open to UK and International applicants. The annual intake for this course is in September each year.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
Degree classification
Bachelors degree - 2.2
Degree Subject
Any subject area
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
- This course is open to
This course is open to UK and International applicants. The annual intake for this course is in September each year.
- Typical International Entry Requirements
Degree classification
UK Bachelors degree - 2.2 or equivalent
Degree Subject
Any subject area
- 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):
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IELTS: 6.0 overall with minimum 5.5 in each component
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 meet the English language requirements for this course, our UEA International Study Centre offers a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the required English skills.
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- UEA International Study Centre
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 UEA International Study Centre. 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.
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Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2026/27 are:
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International Students: £31,800*
*Fees are charged by year of study: £23,850 for 180 credits in 2026/27, followed by £7,950 for 60 credits in 2027/28.
We estimate living expenses at £1,171 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here.
Course Related Costs
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
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.