Public Policy MA

The Public Policy MA is a multi-disciplinary course that covers policy making and analysis, comparative public policy, public sector economics, governance and public management, and ethics and public policy. You will focus on the critical issues and key developments relating to public policy, such as governance, globalisation and policy evaluation. This course will equip you with the analytical and critical skills relevant for understanding the challenges of public policy and its implementation.

Key benefits

• You will learn to think analytically and independently about key issues and develop essential skills to support critical policy and qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• Project placement (internship) providing you with future employment opportunities and the chance to study different public service areas.
• A highly flexible study programme, drawing on a broad range of professional and disciplinary expertise and experience.
• Regular speakers from UK-based government departments, public sector bodies, NGOs and policymaking units who discuss the implementation and evaluation of public services policies.

Course essentials

The Public Policy MA course provides a unique opportunity to study politics, policy and social issues in a range of non-UK settings. The course offers you flexibility with the choice to study either full or part-time. You will explore a range of required modules such as The Policy Process and Comparative Public Policy. You will also study a range of optional modules allowing you to create a unique study plan that reflects your interests. The study programme is made up of optional and required modules. The course requires modules totalling 180 credits, 60 of these credits will come from a dissertation of around 10,000 words.

Base campuses

Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

Waterloo Campus

Waterloo campus is home of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and facilities for other faculties

Regulating bodies

King's is regulated by the Office for Students

Entry requirements

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Teaching & structure

Teaching methods - what to expect

Lectures

Seminars

Self-Study

Curious to find out more? Access on-demand content including taster lectures and talks, and meet our current staff and students on our subject hub page.

We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face to face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that students also experience elements of digital learning and assessment.

We use lectures, seminars and group tutorials to deliver most of the modules on the course. You will also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study.

Module	Lectures, seminars and feedback	Self-study
Per 15-credit taught module	The total contact time for each 15-credit taught module is 15-25 hours. These sessions will include lectures, teacher-led and student-led group discussions based on the main areas of study.	Each 15-credit taught module has 130 hours of self-guided learning time.
Dissertation	At least 8 dissertation workshops plus one-to-one dissertation consultations.	592 hours.

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Assessment

• Written Examinations
• Coursework
• Dissertation

The primary method of assessment for this course is a combination of written examinations and coursework. Typically, a 15-credit module will comprise of assessments, essays and a written examination. Grades awarded for each module will reflect your attendance and lecture participation. The assessment of the dissertation module will be by a 1,000-word research proposal (10 per cent) and a 10,000-word dissertation (90 per cent).

Structure

Required modules

You are required to take the following modules:

The Policy Process (15 credits)

Comparative Public Policy (15 credits)

Dissertation (60 Credits)

Optional modules

In addition, you are required to take 90 credits from a range of optional modules, which may typically include:

Public Policy Internship (15 credits)

The History of the Prime Minister 1945-1979 - in partnership with No10 Downing St (15 credits)

The Treasury and an Introduction to Economic History: In Partnership with HM Treasury (15 credits)

Liberty, Equality & Justice (15 credits)

The Media & Public Policy (15 credits)

The Politics of Regulation (15 credits)

Gender, Politics and Public Policy (15 credits) [Political Economy]

The Political Economy of Corruption (15 credits)

From Blair to Brexit: Britain since 1997 (15 credits)

Evaluating Public Policy (15 credits)

Ethics and Public Policy (15 credits)

Out of these 90 credits, students may take a maximum of 30 optional credits from level 7 modules outside of their programme’s approved module list, subject to approval by the Course Director. Students may also take an additional non-assessed credit modern language module in addition to their 180 credits. Part-time students complete the required taught modules in their first year and the dissertation in their second year. Students are also welcome to attend optional pre-sessional courses during induction week in September. Pre-sessionals include introductory courses on economics, political theory, political science and public policy.

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Careers

Employability

Our graduates go on to work in a variety of public sector management and policy-oriented positions. Recent graduates’ employment opportunities:

• Working in the policy and analysis section of a large London embassy.
• Health service leadership positions with responsibility for multi-million-pound budgets.
• A policy adviser to the chairperson of a major transport organisation.
• A senior analyst in the ministry of industry and trade of a developing country

Fees & Funding

Tuition Fees

UK:

Full time: £14,070 per year (2022/23)

Part time: £7,035 per year (2022/23)

International:

Full time: £25,950 per year (2022/23)

Part time: £12,975 per year (2022/23)

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Deposit

When you receive an offer for this course you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. The deposit will be credited towards your total fee payment.

The UK deposit is £500.

The INTERNATIONAL deposit is £2,000.

• If you receive an offer on or before 31 March, payment is due by 25 April 2022.
• If you receive an offer between 1 April and 30 June, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 1 July and 31 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 1 August and 21 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer from 22 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.

If you are a current King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.

Please visit our web pages on  fees and funding for more information.

Additional Costs

In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:

• Books if you choose to buy your own copies
• Clothing for optional course related events and competitions
• Library fees and fines 
• Personal photocopies 
• Printing course handouts 
• Society membership fees 
• Stationery 
• Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses 
• Graduation costs

Funding

• Course essentials
• Entry requirements
• Teaching & structure
• Careers
• Fees & Funding

The Public Policy MA course provides a unique opportunity to study politics, policy and social issues in a range of non-UK settings. The course offers you flexibility with the choice to study either full or part-time. You will explore a range of required modules such as The Policy Process and Comparative Public Policy. You will also study a range of optional modules allowing you to create a unique study plan that reflects your interests. The study programme is made up of optional and required modules. The course requires modules totalling 180 credits, 60 of these credits will come from a dissertation of around 10,000 words.

Base campuses

Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

Waterloo Campus

Waterloo campus is home of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and facilities for other faculties

Regulating bodies

King's is regulated by the Office for Students

Loading...

Teaching methods - what to expect

Lectures

Seminars

Self-Study

Curious to find out more? Access on-demand content including taster lectures and talks, and meet our current staff and students on our subject hub page.

We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face to face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that students also experience elements of digital learning and assessment.

We use lectures, seminars and group tutorials to deliver most of the modules on the course. You will also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study.

Module	Lectures, seminars and feedback	Self-study
Per 15-credit taught module	The total contact time for each 15-credit taught module is 15-25 hours. These sessions will include lectures, teacher-led and student-led group discussions based on the main areas of study.	Each 15-credit taught module has 130 hours of self-guided learning time.
Dissertation	At least 8 dissertation workshops plus one-to-one dissertation consultations.	592 hours.

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Assessment

• Written Examinations
• Coursework
• Dissertation

The primary method of assessment for this course is a combination of written examinations and coursework. Typically, a 15-credit module will comprise of assessments, essays and a written examination. Grades awarded for each module will reflect your attendance and lecture participation. The assessment of the dissertation module will be by a 1,000-word research proposal (10 per cent) and a 10,000-word dissertation (90 per cent).

Structure

Required modules

You are required to take the following modules:

The Policy Process (15 credits)

Comparative Public Policy (15 credits)

Dissertation (60 Credits)

Optional modules

In addition, you are required to take 90 credits from a range of optional modules, which may typically include:

Public Policy Internship (15 credits)

The History of the Prime Minister 1945-1979 - in partnership with No10 Downing St (15 credits)

The Treasury and an Introduction to Economic History: In Partnership with HM Treasury (15 credits)

Liberty, Equality & Justice (15 credits)

The Media & Public Policy (15 credits)

The Politics of Regulation (15 credits)

Gender, Politics and Public Policy (15 credits) [Political Economy]

The Political Economy of Corruption (15 credits)

From Blair to Brexit: Britain since 1997 (15 credits)

Evaluating Public Policy (15 credits)

Ethics and Public Policy (15 credits)

Out of these 90 credits, students may take a maximum of 30 optional credits from level 7 modules outside of their programme’s approved module list, subject to approval by the Course Director. Students may also take an additional non-assessed credit modern language module in addition to their 180 credits. Part-time students complete the required taught modules in their first year and the dissertation in their second year. Students are also welcome to attend optional pre-sessional courses during induction week in September. Pre-sessionals include introductory courses on economics, political theory, political science and public policy.

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Employability

Our graduates go on to work in a variety of public sector management and policy-oriented positions. Recent graduates’ employment opportunities:

• Working in the policy and analysis section of a large London embassy.
• Health service leadership positions with responsibility for multi-million-pound budgets.
• A policy adviser to the chairperson of a major transport organisation.
• A senior analyst in the ministry of industry and trade of a developing country

Tuition Fees

UK:

Full time: £14,070 per year (2022/23)

Part time: £7,035 per year (2022/23)

International:

Full time: £25,950 per year (2022/23)

Part time: £12,975 per year (2022/23)

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Deposit

When you receive an offer for this course you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. The deposit will be credited towards your total fee payment.

The UK deposit is £500.

The INTERNATIONAL deposit is £2,000.

• If you receive an offer on or before 31 March, payment is due by 25 April 2022.
• If you receive an offer between 1 April and 30 June, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 1 July and 31 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 1 August and 21 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer from 22 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.

If you are a current King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.

Please visit our web pages on  fees and funding for more information.

Additional Costs

In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:

• Books if you choose to buy your own copies
• Clothing for optional course related events and competitions
• Library fees and fines 
• Personal photocopies 
• Printing course handouts 
• Society membership fees 
• Stationery 
• Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses 
• Graduation costs

Funding

Application closing date guidance