MSc Science and Technology Policy with a Professional Placement Year
University of Sussex Business School
Key Information
Campus location
Brighton, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
2 - 3 years
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
GBP 27,000 / per year
Application deadline
Request Info
Earliest start date
Request Info
Join us in on campus for our Masters Open Day on Saturday 2 March
Meet our Business School faculty and discover the right course for you.
Introduction
Advances in science and technology continue to transform the way we live. This makes designing effective policies for science and technology a priority for governments worldwide. The challenge is not just to advance science and technology, but to set directions and priorities for their development.
On the Science and Technology Policy (with a professional placement year) MSc, you’ll learn about the language, logic and tools of policy formulation and analysis. You’ll be taught by world-leading researchers and scholars, and benefit from the global networks enjoyed by the University of Sussex Business School and SPRU – Science Policy Research Unit.
You’ll investigate science and technology policy challenges, and learn to evaluate and recommend policy solutions. This includes:
- frameworks and tools to understand the complex dynamics of policy development;
- critiquing and contributing to science, technology and innovation policy and industrial strategy;
- analysing science, technology and innovation policy using an array of methodologies, from a number of perspectives.
Curriculum
Choose to study this course full-time or part-time to fit your work and personal life. Modules for the full-time course are listed below.
We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2022/23. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to COVID-19, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let our applicants know of material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.
We’ll do our best to provide as many optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown below.
We’ll display the modules running in the academic year 2023/24 as soon as possible.
Year 1
Core modules
Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.
Autumn teaching
- Democratizing Science and Technology
- Introductory Data Science for Innovation
- Policy Making and Policy Analysis
- Science, Technology and Innovations: Markets, Firms and Policies
Spring teaching
- Perspectives, Methods and Skills for Science, Technology and Innovation Studies
Summer teaching
- Dissertation (Science and Technology Policy)
Options
Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example, in response to student feedback or the latest research.
While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped, and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.
Spring teaching
- Artificial Intelligence and Policies for Technological Revolutions
- Industrial and Innovation Policy
- Infrastructure, Innovation and Sustainability
- Innovation for Sustainability
- Introduction to Quantitative Research
- Network Analysis and Infographics
- Quantitative Methods for Science, Technology and Innovation Studies
- Transformative Innovation Policy for Inclusion
Summer teaching
- Dissertation STP - with Internship
Year 2
Core modules
All year
- MSc Professional Placement Year
Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Challenge
Develop novel science, technology and innovation policy ideas. Compete for a prize for the idea with the most transformative potential. Our Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Challenge help you develop skills in:
- presenting
- communication
- critical thinking.
You can work on your own or in a small team. At the end of the year, you'll pitch your idea to a panel of industry experts and a live audience.
The Challenge is optional. It's designed to enrich your academic studies and give you the opportunity to apply knowledge gained from the course. It'll also allow you to explore essay and dissertation topics.
Please note
If you’re receiving – or applying for – USA federal Direct Loan funds, you can’t undertake your placement/internship in the USA if the number of credits for the placement/internship exceeds 25% of the total credits for your course.
Career Opportunities
Scientific advice and evidence to inform public policies are in high demand. From climate change to cyber-security, poverty to pandemics, food technologies to fracking – controversies continue to erupt at the boundaries between science, politics and society. Across many countries, methods for scientific advice are being actively debated. We see a growing willingness to acknowledge uncertainties and experiment with new governance processes.
As an aspiring professional, you’ll gain the knowledge and skills in this course to analyse and guide policy, as well as to manage scientific change and technological innovation. Career paths could include public-, private- and charitable-sector organisations working to tackle society’s most important economic, social and environmental challenges. The Science and Technology Policy (with a professional placement year) MSc will also open up opportunities in a wide range of businesses and NGOs all over the world. And it’s an ideal grounding for PhD-level study and a career in academia.
Gallery
Admissions
Rankings
- 1st in the world for Development Studies (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022)
- 1st in the UK among science and technology policy think tanks for SPRU – Science Policy Research Unit (Global Go To Think Tank Index Report 2020)
- 1st in the UK for annual research income in 2020/21 (Chartered Association of Business Schools)
Program Tuition Fee
Scholarships and Funding
Scholarships
Our goal is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to regardless of financial barriers so that we continue to attract talented and unique people.
- Sussex Alumni Award
- Sussex Bangladesh Scholarship
- Sussex Egypt Scholarship
- Sussex Graduate Scholarship
- Sussex India Scholarship
- Sussex Nigeria Scholarship
- Sussex Pakistan Scholarship
- Sussex Turkey Scholarship
- Sussex Vietnam Scholarship
Working while you study
Our Careers and Employability Centre can help you find part-time work while you study.