
Master's Programme in Public Policy Analysis, Social Science Research
Tampere, Finland
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline *
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 10,000 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* Application for studies starting in autumn 2025 begins 11 December 2024 and ends 3 January 2025
** per academic year for non-EU/EEA students
Introduction
Economic approaches to policy design and analysis
Public policy analysis involves an approach that combines insights and techniques from economics and political science.
Public Policy Analysis teaches students to use economic tools to address broad societal problems. Studies extend the economic analysis beyond the traditional focus on market interactions to examine the intended and unintended consequences of policies and to explore how and when individual self-interest among politicians, interest groups, etc. helps or hinders public interest.
Public policy analysis involves the understanding institutional design, policy evaluation and implementation, and decision-making. The methods include microeconomics, game theory, experimental economics, spatial econometrics, social choice theory, and econometrics.
Public policy studies prepare students for doctoral research or for careers as professional policy analysts in policy planning and evaluation units of government agencies or ministries, the staff of elected and appointed public officials, consulting firms, and non-government organizations. It also provides an essential background in policy for people wishing to work as translators for government institutions.
Master’s Programme in Social Science Research focuses on the contemporary issues and problems of governance, conflicts, and policy in the globalizing world/society. The program consists of the following academically independent specializations with distinct study profiles:
- Comparative Social Policy and Welfare
- Public Policy Analysis
Admissions
Curriculum
Study contents
Public Policy Analysis teaches students to use the tools of economics to address broader social scientific problems. The analysis of public policy requires an approach that combines insights and techniques from economics and political science.
The methods used include microeconomics, game theory, experimental economics, spatial econometrics, social choice theory, and econometrics. Specific courses (e.g. healthcare economics, crime, and criminal policy) give the students practical applications for the tools learned in other courses.
Public Policy Analysis studies extend the economic analysis beyond the traditional focus on market interactions to examine intended and unintended consequences of policies and to explore how and when individual self-interest among politicians, interest groups, voters, etc. can either help or hinder the public interest. Public policy analysis involves the understanding institutional design, policy evaluation and implementation, and decision-making. The program also recognizes that, while, ideally, the policy is designed to incentivize or deter certain behavior, the actors involved may react differently than anticipated. Therefore, the study of policy analysis must also include behavioral/experimental economics.
The coursework emphasizes practical and theoretical understanding of these issues. In addition to building quantitative skills, Public Policy Analysis incorporates a comparative and multidisciplinary perspective drawn from case studies in North America and Europe.
Structure of studies
Studies in the specialization of Public Policy Analysis in the Master’s Programme in Social Science Research consist of the following elements:
- Advanced Studies in Public Policy Analysis (90 ECTS) form the core of the degree. They enable the students to acquire in-depth theoretical, methodological, and conceptual knowledge in the public policy field. The studies include a Master’s thesis (40 credits) which is an individual research project that enables the student to demonstrate his/her in-depth knowledge in an area relevant to the content of this specialization.
- Joint Studies (17-22 credits) focus on general orientation to studies, research methods, language studies, and academic writing skills.
- Free Choice Course Units (8-13 credits)
Scholarships and Funding
Tampere University Tuition Fee Scholarships
Tampere University tuition fee scholarship is an exclusive opportunity awarded to a limited number of the best-performing applicants in each programme.
Tampere University tuition fee scholarships awarded at admission cover 50% of the tuition fees for the programme duration.
Early bird offer
While Tampere University scholarships are available to a limited number of applicants, the early bird offer is available at admission to all fee-paying students. The early bird offer gives a 1500 € reduction on the programme tuition fee during the first year of studies.
Gallery
Career Opportunities
Public Policy Analysis studies prepare students for doctoral research or for careers as professional policy analysts, for policy planning and evaluation units of government agencies, governmental staff, the personal staffs of elected and appointed public officials, consulting firms, and non-government organizations. The area of study also provides an essential background in policy and other social science issues for people wishing to work as translators for governmental institutions.
Postgraduate study opportunities
The degree provides eligibility for doctoral studies in Social Sciences and Humanities. At Tampere University, students can continue, for example, to doctoral studies in the Doctoral Programme in Social Sciences.