The School for Government works with the Civil Service Policy Profession to offer high-quality, postgraduate-level education for mid-career civil servants in public policy and related subjects.
Delivered in a research-active and intellectually challenging environment, this offer equips policy professionals with the cutting-edge academic and practical skills needed to meet the pressing policy challenges they face in a rapidly changing world.
We combine the rigour and standing of a world-class education from King’s with the unique opportunity of bringing together experienced policy professionals as peers, to learn together, share perspectives, and cultivate an ongoing collaborative professional network – across ministries, departments, and policy areas.
We offer a flexible approach in our delivery, allowing policy professionals to choose from a range of short standalone online modules, or alternatively committing to a full Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma.
Programmes are taught using a blended format, allowing professionals to study with us around the continued demands of professional life, and wherever they are based.
For those participants completing the Postgraduate Diploma, there is also a separate option to upgrade to a full masters by completion of a final dissertation.
Transferable skills developed across the curriculum include:
- Undertaking complex policy problem solving tasks with minimum guidance, including the ability to apply knowledge, systematically analyse evidence, and structure presentations and conclusions.
- Directing one’s own learning to plan and complete projects at professional level, including skills related to time management, motivation and initiative.
- Communicating effectively, orally and in writing, drawing on a full range of learning resources and a range of media widely used in the organisations in which students work.
- Being self-aware, open and sensitive to diversity in terms of people, cultures, and policymaking contexts.
- Performing effectively within a team environment, developing leadership, team building and influencing skills.
My reflections are that the day was brilliant. I have neurodivergences which mean lectures can be very challenging, so I had some personal reservations about a full day of lectures in one go due to my personal struggles with focus (not at all a criticism, just sharing for context), so the fact I was able to stay focussed all day is a real credit to Kings and all involved with setting up this award. Prof Sander's lecture style meant we were all engaged throughout and the day flowed nicely as an interesting and interactive discussion of the topics they presented. All teaching points were illustrated with real life examples from recent memory and discussed in the context of how we would experience them in our daily jobs, not just as abstract theories. Many thanks to the Policy Profession and PG Award teams for organising.
Senior civil servant on Postgraduate Learning Offer