School of Humanities and Social Sciences to offer new Master's course in Public Policy

Our MA Public Policy offers an interdisciplinary and practice-based approach to developing a wide range of skills in policy making. Taught by academic staff with hands-on experience of public policy, the programme provides an integrated approach to understanding how the policy process works both in theory and practice.

The course has been designed with the input of policy professionals to enhance students’ skills, knowledge, and employability, and is aligned to the Government’s Policy Profession Standards. There are core modules, including Policy Challenges taught by Dr Jolanta Shields and The Politics of Public Policy taught by Dr Christopher Byrne, together with Developing & Managing Projects, Research Methods, and a (potentially work-based) Dissertation.

Then there are a range of electives which allow students to pursue their interests across different policy fields, including health, law, urban regeneration and planning, human rights, criminal justice, and youth work. Many modules have standard (on-campus) and distance learning options to increase flexibility and student choice. The programme provides a solid framework for developing a wide range of competencies including ‘soft’ skills and behaviours (team working, collaboration, influencing), and has diverse assessments, including policy proposals, reports, portfolios, presentations, group work, timed exercises, data analysis, essays, oral assessment, a funding proposal, and the (work-based) dissertation.