Public Policy and Management (MSc / MRes) - 2012/2013 entry

A unique strength of this programme is that it addresses both policy-making and policy implementation issues with equal weight. As well as understanding how policy choices are made (and indeed how policy may develop by default, without clear choices and priorities being established), you will analyse the issues involved in decisions about how public services are managed, and explore how levels of government interact and how the private sector is involved in the implementation of public policy.

The MSc is suitable if you are interested in acquiring the skills necessary for the systematic analysis of government policies and programmes, while the MRes also provides qualitative and quantitative research methods training.

Find out more about studying at Birkbeck's Department of Politics.

• Addresses the central issues that face everyone participating in the public policy process, whether as advisers, civil servants, managers or campaigners.
• Highly topical material within contemporary UK political debates.
• Ideal for people working in central and local government, or in other public and private organisations engaged in delivering government programmes, undertaking regulatory functions and participating in public policy processes.

You will take core and option modules, and will write a dissertation.

Core modules:

• Public Management: Theories and Innovations
• either Public Policy: Ideas, Institutions, Interests; or Public Policy: Equality and Redistribution.

Option modules are normally available in:

• British, US and European government and politics
• international relations, international security, and US foreign policy
• politics of globalisation and international political economy
• politics, policy and administration of the EU
• political theory and political sociology
• war, conflict, nationalism, politics and religion
• policy analysis, policy-making processes and comparative public policy
• public management and public sector reform
• research methods.

For MRes students, research methods training forms part of the programme's core elements.

Birkbeck Library has an extensive teaching collection of books and journals in politics and sociology. It also has an impressive range of electronic resources, including bibliographic databases and over 17,000 electronic journals. Most of these resources can be accessed online 24-hours a day. It is worth spending some time on the library website to familiarise yourself with its collections and services.

Students can also take advantage of the rich research collections nearby, including those of the Senate House Library, the British Library of Political and Economic Science (LSE Library) and the British Library.

Find out more about our learning resources and student support.

If you are interested in further research, we offer a PhD/MPhil in Politics/Sociology.

Graduates go on to careers in local and national government, the diplomatic service, policy work, the voluntary sector, and as researchers or journalists.

• Applications from January.
• Most applicants will be interviewed.
• Interviews March–September.