Compare 18 MSc Programs in Public Policy

Rethink public policy from the ground up in this distance learning course. Explore creative approaches for making and influencing policy design and delivery.

This specialist MSc in Public Policy offers you the opportunity to delve into how public policy is made, what shapes it, and how you can make a real difference as a policymaker.

You will explore the political, economic and social dynamics and forces that influence contemporary public policy issues. This will enable you to think creatively about public policy design and delivery, and your role within it.

Highly applied in nature, the course draws on diverse cases from policymaking globally, as well as from Europe and the UK. You’ll work with academics from the Institute for Policy Research, Department of Social & Policy Sciences and Department of Politics, Languages & International Studies with international expertise in this area, and have links to senior and experienced policymakers from around the world.... [-]

This course provides rigorous training in the analytical frameworks and methods required in the study of public policy.

It’s ideal for those wanting professional skills to become a policy practitioner, analyst or to proceed to a PhD.

You’ll explore the various methodological tools and their connections to real-world problems facing governments and related organisations. You’ll learn a range of key skills:

You can study this course full-time over 12 months or part-time over 24 months.

The MSc in Public Policy is organised into core and optional classes. The core classes provide an introduction to the theory and practice of public policy, as well as a range of skills and methodologies to design, conduct and report on social research.... [-]

Duration: One calendar year (full-time). Two or Three calendar years (part-time)

Entry Requirements: Minimum first degree with good grades in any subject equivalent to a UK upper second class honors.

Start of programme: September intake only

Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time

The programme aims to provide students with a conceptual understanding of the core principles of public policy and public management and with the tools to apply knowledge to solve problems in the public sector. These competencies and skills are extremely important to cope with the challenges that governments, public sector agencies, NGOs, and businesses face nowadays. From migration to the eradication of poverty, from unemployment to the development of energy power, the many issues that societies encounter call for the capacity to analyze, understand and formulate interventions to bring about improvements to the living conditions of the many. The core modules of this programme will provide you with the means to tackle issues of policy-making and implementation, strategy in the public sector, and managing organizational change.... [-]

Duration: 2-5 years

Entry Requirements: Minimum first degree with good grades in any subject equivalent to a UK upper second class honours

Start of programme: November / January / March / May / July

Mode of Attendance: Online Learning

The programme aims to provide students with a conceptual understanding of the core principles of public policy and public management and with the tools to apply knowledge to solve problems in the public sector. These competencies and skills are extremely important to cope with the challenges that governments, public sector agencies, NGOs and businesses face nowadays. From migration to the eradication of poverty, from unemployment to the development of energy power, the many issues that societies encounter call for the capacity to analyse, understand, and formulate interventions to bring about improvements to the living conditions of the many. The core modules of this programme will provide you with the means to tackle issues of policy-making and implementation, strategy in the public sector, and managing organisational change.... [-]

In the Master’s in Public Policy and Governance, you will learn to critically analyse public policies in often controversial political settings. The programme focuses on both research and practice and links theory and practice by looking into interesting cases and inviting inspiring guest speakers.

The Public Policy and Governance track prepares students to meet demands for effective and legitimate public action in complex and often controversial political settings. The programme helps students develop as critical analysts and innovative designers by linking research and practice, theory and action on the ‘shop floor’ on the local, national, European, and international levels. Opportunities are provided to study policy work at and across these levels.... [-]

The track Public Policy in the Master’s programme in Economics is a fascinating single-year analysis of how governments intervene in the economy. Evaluate the billion-euro auctions of telecommunications frequencies; analyse the merits of public-private partnership; learn all about the current debates and formulate your own positions, based on literature as well as field research.

The Master's programme in Economics offers six fascinating academic specialisation tracks:

Each track provides you with an advanced level of understanding of the economics core (microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics) in combination with an upper-advanced level of understanding in your chosen specialisation.... [-]

RIT’s public policy program offers an innovative master of science degree in science, technology, and public policy, with an emphasis on engineering, science, and technology policy. The program builds on RIT’s strengths as a technological university, enabling students to interact with faculty members and researchers who are working on scientific developments and technological innovations that drive new public policy considerations.

The program is interdisciplinary and draws significantly from disciplines and courses of study in RIT’s colleges of Liberal Arts, Business, Science, Engineering, and Applied Science and Technology. The program is geared toward graduates who will make significant contributions in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors.... [-]

The Master of Science in Environmental Science and Policy is a springboard to leadership for environmental professionals. The program gives students a powerful understanding of where the sciences overlap and inform policy while providing insight into how policy is implemented and affects environmental outcomes. The program was designed by academic leaders in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Johns Hopkins, in conjunction with experts in applied science at regional and federal institutes and agencies. The focus is on studying the environmental effects of current use on the creation, updating, regulating, communicating and enforcing of environmental policy.

The core curriculum provides the strong foundation of fundamental environmental science and policy required to work at the forefront of the field. A broad range of electives provides curricular flexibility to allow students to tailor their academic experience to suit personal needs and interests.... [-]

The New School is a progressive university in New York City where scholars, artists, and designers come together to challenge convention and create positive change. Founded in 1919, the university consists of Parsons School of Design, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, the College of Performing Arts, The New School for Social Research, and numerous renowned graduate programs. The New School’s rigorous, multidimensional approach to education gives students the academic freedom to shape their unique, individual paths of study for a complex and rapidly changing world.

The Master of Science in Public and Urban Policy challenges you to develop innovative solutions for the world’s thorniest challenges, which are increasingly urban and global. The New School's community of scholars examine today’s urban policy issues in real time and design creative solutions, all while working closely with policymakers in government agencies and nonprofit organizations.... [-]

Want to advance the public good, influence public policies, and start a career in an international organisation, NGO or private sector? Then this course will provide you with an in-depth analysis of the concepts, stakeholders and processes involved in international public policy.

The International Public Policy course can be studied flexibly online at Masters, Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip), or Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) level.

It combines the specific theories, concepts and cases of public policy with international relations studies to ensure you gain a firm grasp of the decision-making and implementation processes involved in international public policy.... [-]

The Master of Science in International Policy Management (MSIPM) is a cohort-based online degree program that builds on Kennesaw State University’s strong tradition and long-standing commitment to international education. The program prepares future leaders in the private and public sectors to understand the interaction between political and economic dynamics in the global context.

The curriculum offered by the program will enhance understanding of international policy in an interactive collaborative learning environment, whether students are recent college graduates or have experience working in public, private, or nongovernmental organizations. Students will learn how to assess political risk, better understand the regulatory environment in which corporations function, and deal with the cultural nuances inherent to the global negotiation process. The online nature of the program offers flexibility for students to complete an academically solid degree program while continuing current employment, whether working in-state, nationwide or abroad. Additionally, the cohort model builds a learning community for mutual support.... [-]

This MSc aims to provide an advanced education in Political Science and the topics of public policy analysis. Students will understand the complex political, economic and social dynamics of the modern world, how national and international institutions deal with them and how to act in such contexts. They will acquire advanced training in the methods of analysis and study of both public policies and the institutions which lead the decision making process.

Specifically, the program:

The Master of Public Policy degree program (MPP) is open to students who wish to pursue analytic careers in government, non-profit agencies or in businesses subject to government regulations. The MPP program is structured to prepare graduates to work as analysts and as program managers.

Core courses in the MPP program cover public policy, policy analysis, quantitative methods, and economic policy.

This is a two-year program for students taking 8 or more units per term. The program consists of 60 approved units (not including courses necessary to compensate for deficiencies). The degree culminates with a two-term seminar focused on analytical projects where students will develop, present, and discuss individual research.... [-]

The M.S. in Environmental Policy and Planning prepares students for careers in policy, science, and research in the environmental sector. Offered through the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning (UEP) at Tufts, the program prepares the next generation of leaders—‘practical visionaries’—who will contribute to the development and promotion of environmentally sustainable communities.

This degree offers students the opportunity to focus on environmental science, policy, and planning issues that are increasingly relevant in today’s world. Tufts UEP graduate students learn to confront current social and environmental challenges and gain the necessary skill set to work towards effective solutions.... [-]

Welcome to the future of public policy practice, a future where long-standing techniques of policy analysis meet the power of big data and new capabilities in policy analytics.

Carnegie Mellon University in Australia has designed a new program that combines its rigorous public policy syllabus with its leading-edge courses in information technology and management.

The availability of massive data sets and of new capabilities for analyzing that data will change the face of public policy formulation and analysis. The winners will be the professionals capable of understanding the generation of big data, its potential and limitations and how to utilise it. These professionals will be capable of using this data to generate evidence-based and predictive policy options; know how to communicate those options, and be able to implement and evaluate them.... [-]