Government, Policy and Politics

MSc

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Year of entry: 2026-27

Start date:

October 2026 | January 2027

Study route:

October start:

One year full-time, on campus
One year full-time, online
One year full-time, flexible learning
Two years part-time, on campus
Two years part-time, online
Two years part-time, flexible learning

January start:

Two years part-time, on campus
Two years part-time, online
Two years part-time, flexible learning

Status:

Fully approved

Location:

Birkbeck Campus, Central London

Awarding body:

University of London

Study options:

Full-time | Part-time | Flexible learning | On campus | Online

Course overview

This MSc Government, Policy and Politics gives you the chance to examine the day-to-day practice and reality of government by analysing contemporary politics and public policy in the UK and around the world.

Why choose this course?
- It helps you develop a wealth of analytical skills and encourages the kind of rigorous, critical thought that can be easily transferred to other settings after your degree.
- It combines theoretical approaches with empirical knowledge and real-world case studies, exploring topics in political theory, political science and sociology.
- Taught by academics with expertise in researching, writing about and participating in politics, it gives you the opportunity to debate and engage with the everyday practicalities of the field.
- It is ideal if you wish to make progress in a career in politics, policy, research, lobbying or journalism.
What will I learn?
This course equips you with the ideas and concepts needed to analyse political debates and engage with contemporary politics and policy in a critical manner.
You will explore:
- the UK’s political and constitutional order
- central ideas in political science around the nature of social cleavages and the role of party politics
- the organisation of the political executive and the role of the civil service and the judiciary
- how and why policy is made
- developments in a wide range of policy areas, including health care, social policy, migration, the environment, education and macroeconomics.
You will be able to tailor the course to your interests with option modules on a wide variety of topics, and you will learn qualitative and quantitative research methods that will enable you to complete a dissertation on a subject of your choice.
How will I learn?

You will learn through lectures, seminars, online resources and activities. This course is available to study full- or part-time starting in October, and part-time starting in January. It has classes taking place in the evening, making it ideal for those wishing to balance study with other commitments.
How often will I attend classes?

Full-time October start: Minimum two evenings a week, October to July.
Part-time October start: Minimum one evening a week, October to July.
Part-time January start: Minimum one evening a week, January to December.
Flexible Master's

This course is part of our Birkbeck Flexible Master’s UK, which gives you the choice of how you want to study - on campus, online or via flexible learning, which combines both.

If you require a Student visa to study in the UK, you will only be able to apply for the on-campus study option for this course. Online and flexible options will not be available to you because they may affect the conditions of your visa.
Course disclaimer

Birkbeck makes all reasonable efforts to deliver educational services, modules and programmes of study as described on our website. In the event that there are material changes to our offering (for example, due to matters beyond our control), we will update applicant and student facing information as quickly as possible and offer alternatives to applicants, offer-holders and current students.
Most of our courses are taught in the evenings, however some of our courses offer a daytime timetable. Where there is an option to attend daytime teaching sessions, this is stated in the How will I learn? section.

More highlights

You will have the opportunity to engage with the lively programme of seminars and conferences run by our research centres, such as the Birkbeck Centre for British Political Life.
You will be taught by academic staff who are international authorities in their respective fields, publishing and delivering stimulating teaching in a wide range of political topics including public policy, foreign policy, international security and terrorism, gender and the welfare state, British politics, and the politics of Asia and the Middle East.
Our location in central London puts you at the heart of the UK’s political life and at the centre of academic London. Parliament and Whitehall are a short distance away, while Bloomsbury contains some of the world’s most famous libraries and centres of research. One of our campus buildings was once a key location for members of the Bloomsbury Group, so you could be studying in rooms that have hosted distinguished visitors, including T.S. Eliot, George Bernard Shaw and Maynard Keynes.
You can take advantage of the rich research collections nearby, including Senate House Library, which is right next door to Birkbeck, the British Library, which is five minutes’ walk away, and the British Library of Political and Economic Science at the London School of Economics, which is also walkable from Birkbeck. Birkbeck Library has a large politics collection, including the major specialist journals, and provides you with access to an extensive range of online materials.

Modules and Teaching

One year full-time or two years part-time, on campus or online or flexible learning, starting in October 2026 or January 2027
Course structure
For this course you must complete modules worth a total of 180 credits, consisting of:
- one core module (30 credits)
- one compulsory module (30 credits)
- two to four Level 7 option modules (two 30-credit, one 30-credit and two 15-credit, or four 15-credit)
- a 12,000-15,000-word dissertation due in September (60 credits).
Please note: you may select no more than 30 credits at Level 6 but any modules at this level will not contribute to the determination of the grade for the overall award.
You can apply to take this Flexible Master’s course either on campus, online or via flexible learning, which combines both. If you require a Student visa to study in the UK, you will only be able to apply for the on-campus study option for this course.

Core module (on campus and online)
- Power and Politics in the UK
Compulsory module (on campus and online)
- Public Policy: Interests, Ideas, Institutions
Indicative Level 7 option modules (on campus and online)
Indicative Level 7 option modules (on campus only)
Indicative Level 6 option modules (on campus only)
MSc Government, Policy and Politics dissertation (on campus and online)
- Dissertation MSc Politics
Teaching

We encourage innovative and engaging ways of teaching to help ensure you have the best learning experience and provide a range of different modes of learning to help you juggle study with work and other commitments.
Find out more about our teaching and teaching hours.

What are the methods of teaching?
A mix of lectures and seminars for taught modules, employing a variety of formats.
How will I be assessed?

Core modules are assessed by written examinations; option modules are assessed by coursework and written examinations. You also write a dissertation.

Please see individual modules for more details.
Find out more about assessment at Birkbeck, including guidance on assessment, feedback and our assessment offences policy.

School of Social Sciences

The school offers an invigorating and enriching educational experience, and students are taught by internationally renowned researchers with an exciting range of expertise.

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Entry requirements

Our standard entry requirements for postgraduate courses are a second-class honours degree (2:2), or equivalent, in any area of study.

We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential.

On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.

Apply now to secure your place. The earlier you apply, the sooner your application can be considered, and you can enrol. You do not need to have completed your current qualification to start your application.

What are the English language requirements?

If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. We also accept other English language tests.
If you don't meet the minimum English language requirements, please Global Recruitment at Birkbeck or see our international study skills page for more details about how we can help.
Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country.
What are the visa and funding requirements?
If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa.
The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:
- Courses of more than six months' duration: Student visa
- Courses of less than six months' duration: Standard Visitor visa
International students who require a Student visa should apply to study on our courses full-time as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Student visa, you will not be eligible to enrol to study part-time courses at Birkbeck (with the exception of some modules).
As a Student visa student, you should also apply to study on campus only, as online and flexible options of study (if they are available for your course) may affect the conditions of your visa.
For full information, read our visa information for international students page.
Please also visit the international section of our website to find out more about relevant visa and funding requirements by country.
Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.
Credits and accredited prior learning (APL)

If you have studied at university (or have an HND or Foundation Degree), you may have accumulated credits. It may be possible to transfer these from your previous study to Birkbeck or another institution.

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