13 Part time Master Programmes in Public Policy in United Kingdom for 2024

Based in the School of Global Studies, you’ll study in a unique department that encourages you to learn from the Global South as much as from the Global North. You’ll learn to think critically and practically about the effects different theoretical assumptions and policy approaches have on our ability to manage the relationship between environment, economy and society.

The world of public service has changed and with it the demand for a whole new set of skills and way of thinking. By introducing you to the latest, pioneering public service practices, strategies, and global perspectives, our 100% Online Masters of Public Administration (MPA) will prepare you for today’s public sector challenges, equipping you with the tools to effect positive change, wherever you are in the world.

The Public Policy MA is a multi-disciplinary course that covers policy making and analysis, comparative public policy, public sector economics, governance and public management, and ethics and public policy. You will focus on the critical issues and key developments relating to public policy, such as governance, globalisation and policy evaluation.

This program is designed to understand more about what constitutes effective leadership, and how it is evaluated and applied. Designed around a series of modules facilitated by academic and practitioner teams, the focus is on evaluating evidence from research and practice in live settings, case studies, and consultancy problems. Students will bring their own organizational experience to the course, if appropriate, and will also benefit from masterclasses with relevant speakers.

Policy making is becoming an increasingly complex process in the 21st Century. The context in which we make policy is radically changing, alongside the nature of the issues policymakers are required to address. Traditional models of policy making are facing challenges from below, through the drive to devolution, and from above, as supranational forms of governance continue to evolve. Alongside these developments social issues, such as pollution, crime and migration, increasingly transcend national boundaries to present further challenges to policy makers.

Our MSc Public Policy and Management programme will enable you with the conceptual tools and the practical skills to analyse, understand, and play a role in the policy and administrative process. The modules of the programme will equip students with theoretical knowledge about policy-making, policy implementation, and the management of public sector entities. A variety of modules will provide students the possibility to deepen their understanding of more specific areas such as, for example, the management of human resources in the public sector, the public financial management process, the decentralisation of public functions and the collaboration between public and private entities. Along the way, students will develop capabilities to analyse, critically appraise and communicate which will provide valuable assets for their professional activity and career prospects.

Our MSc Econ Politics and Public Policy programme is designed to give you a comprehensive understanding of policy analysis and governance within a multi-level context – from local to international settings.

The Global Health & Social Justice course will provide you with a demanding study pathway covering dynamic topics within global health. You will explore major issues and debates, as well as develop the capacity for critically assessing the scientific research and practices aiming to address global health inequalities. You with also cover the fundamental aspects relating to philosophical debates about social justice and health equity.

This programme is designed for recent graduates with first degrees in political science, public administration, economics, accounting and finance, sociology, and other social science subjects. The programme is also designed for individuals who already work in government or the public sector more generally, and who aim to strengthen their knowledge, capabilities and skills to improve career prospects. This programme aims to provide: 1) a deeper comprehensive knowledge set of theories on public policy, public management and public financial management; 2) a clear understanding of major contemporary issues in public policy, public management and public financial management across countries in the world, 3) distinguishing capacity to analyse, assess and explain salient topics in public policy, public management and public financial management and 4) Enhanced capacity to argue and communicate effectively about choices in the domains of public policy, public management and public financial management.

The MSc in Global Public Policy provides students with a detailed and systematic understanding of a range of explanations for change and continuity in public policymaking in an interdisciplinary, global context. Merging the study of public policy theory, global governance, global advocacy, international relations, political economy and diplomacy to interrogate policy processes beyond the nation-state.

The MA in Public Policy gives dynamic, high-level training in the study of public policy and policymaking at international, national and sub-state levels.