Master of Public Administration
Manchester Metropolitan University
Key Information
Campus location
Manchester, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
1 - 2 year
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
GBP 17,000 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Aug 2024
* UK and Channel Island students: £9,000 per year | EU and non-EU International students: £17,000 per year
Introduction
In the last two decades, the public service landscape has changed dramatically, with the expansion of commissioning of services from the private and voluntary sectors, and the development of new models of regulation, governance, accountability and performance management. With change comes the demand for increased understanding of the new, complex, public service landscape from those who wish to work in this environment and researchers who wish to shed light on these trends.
This course is designed to provide you with the intellectual foundations for a career in leadership of public services, whether in the public sector or in private or voluntary sector organisations delivering public services, as well as access to the latest research. Career routes to leadership in these sectors require a combination of skills: understanding of the wider public service context, the economics of public services, governance, accountability and performance management, and skills in leadership, management and finance. Public service leaders must also have specialist knowledge of the services and policy areas in which they operate.
You will be taught by academics based in the Policy Evaluation Research Unit (PERU), an internationally recognised policy-research unit with particular expertise in models of public service delivery and policy making. PERU members have a 15-year track record of research in the UK and Europe and links with institutions in the US and South East Asia. They are actively involved in research programmes commissioned by public service organisations, including central government departments, and many members of the unit have worked in public services at a senior or non-executive board level.
These international contacts and this practical and research experience will directly influence what you are taught, with the content of the course drawing on global public administration and policy case studies. All this means that you will be learning at the cutting edge of the latest developments in public services and administration.
Features and benefits
- Study alongside work - designed to accommodate people who work and cannot relocate to Manchester, face-to-face teaching takes place in three or four short, intensive periods on campus combined with regular lectures and seminars online throughout the academic year.
- Taught by experts – a course designed and led by academics based in the Policy Evaluation Research Unit (PERU) - research-active scholars leading programmes of research and knowledge exchange in criminal justice, education, homelessness, and poverty and inequality. Meet our experts here.
- A rich programme of guest lectures - take advantage of a rich programme of guest lectures from industry contacts and build your own professional network.
- Real-world projects - opportunities to undertake projects in real-world settings through the connections PERU has with a number of public and voluntary sector organisations.
- A final project related to your career goals - in your final project, you will explore a public administration and/or policy issue that is relevant to your career goals and be supported to achieve real-world impact on policy and practice.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Several scholarship options are available. Please check the university website for more information.
Curriculum
Course information
Teaching will be carried out by members of staff who are active researchers on current policy issues from our Policy and Evaluation Research Unit.
Core units will provide a grounding in theoretical models of public services, the economics of public policy, and models of leadership, governance and finance. Options will allow you to study public administration in more depth – the use of evidence in public services, new models of public service delivery, and global challenges and solutions – and a number of contemporary policy issues, including housing, criminal justice, and poverty and inequality.
Face-to-face teaching takes place on campus in three or four short, intensive periods combined with regular lectures and seminars online throughout the academic year.
The programme leader for this course is Professor Ashwin Kumar.
Year 1
Core Units
- Dissertation
- Economics Of Public Policy
- Leadership, Governance And Finance
- Public Administration
Optional Units
- Criminal Justice
- Evaluation And Evidence-Based Policy
- Global Challenges And Global Governance
- Housing
- Placement
- Poverty And Inequality
- Social Innovation
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
The course aims to provide you with the skills to progress to a leadership role in public services, whether that be in the public, voluntary or private sectors. It also prepares you to continue a career in undertaking research into the new public service landscape.