Public Administration (MPA)

Gain the skills to analyse governance, policy-making and administration across different areas of government on our 1 year Master of Public Administration (MPA) course.

Explore public policy design and learn how organisations deal with major policy problems and the societal effects of policy choices. You’ll cover local, national and global perspectives.

Understanding the role of public administration in implementing government policy can benefit both individuals and society, on a local to global scale.

On this flexible UK master’s in public administration you’ll explore:

• modern policy-making and administration
• public policy design and delivery
• public and non-profit organisations and their approach to major policy challenges
• the effects of policy choices on society

You’ll develop understanding of the:

• core public administration theoretical and practice-related perspectives
• main issues and events shaping public administration in national and regional settings
• central philosophical and methodological debates related to the study and practice of public administration
• ways in which governance systems differ
• skills to design and complete a dissertation on a specialist topic in the field of public administration

You'll also receive training in research design and will carry out individual, original research as part of your dissertation.

Course lead

Your course leader is Dr John Boswell. John’s current research looks at public engagement in relation to health spending and the relationship between old and new media in understanding unfolding or unexpected events. Visit Dr Boswell’s profile page to learn more about his work.

You'll need a 2.1 with any background in social sciences, such as:

• politics
• public administration
• economics
• sociology
• social policy
• business management

Find the equivalent international qualifications for your country.

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