MA Political Science - Governance and Public Policy Pathway (Standard Route)

• Study at a centre for public policy research with an international reputation.
• Engage in unique opportunities with academics, politicians and policy makers through Policy@Manchester.
• Develop your skills through policy placements with policy makers and organisations in and around Manchester.

Study the MA Political Science Governance and Public Policy course and explore some of the key political science and public policy issues of the 21st century.

These include:

• an examination of the nature and problems of policy making in the contemporary world;
• how in a globalised world public decision-making can be constructed in a way that delivers legitimacy and effective capacity to act;
• the impact of governance arrangements on policy outcomes and the relationship between the state and citizens.

It also involves in the course units on offer, an opportunity to apply insights gleaned in a variety of contemporary settings.

The course will appeal to those interested in governance and policy making at any level: neighbourhood, local, national, European and global. It provides a base for employment in a range of sectors from public service employment at the cutting edge, through corporate responsibility units in the private sector to a variety of non-profit organisations.

You will also benefit from a close connection to the Institute of Political and Economic Governance. The University established the institute in 2002, and its aim is to provide a major focus for research as well as practitioner and academic exchange over governance issues.

You'll take two core course units:

• Public Policy (in)to Practice;
• Governance and the State.

Alongside two compulsory course units:

• Comparative Political Analysis;
• Research Design and Skills.

In addition, you will be able to choose a minimum of two course units from the pathway specific unit choices and a maximum of two units from the politics-wide optional units.

Full entry requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English should meet the following language requirements:

• IELTS Academic test score of 7 overall, including 7 in writing with no further component score below 6.5
• TOEFL IBT 100 with 25 in writing and no further score below 22 in each section. TOEFL code for Manchester is 0757
• Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 76 overall, with 76 in writing and no further score below 70

Pre-Sessional English Courses

We will consider applicants who do not meet these scores but you may be required to complete a pre-sessional English language course at the University of Manchester prior to the start of the course.

To be considered for a pre-sessional English language course for this programme we require the following minimum IELTS (Academic) scores:

6 Week Pre-Sessional Course : IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.5 in writing and no more than one sub-skill of 6.0.

10 Week Pre-sessional Course : IELTS 6.0 overall with 6.0 or above in each sub-skill

If you have not yet completed your current academic study and are interested in studying a pre-sessional course, you must hold an IELTS for UKVI (Academic) test certificate to ensure that you are eligible for a separate visa for the English language course.

Career opportunities