MA Political Science - Governance and Public Policy Pathway (Standard Route) / Course details
Year of entry: 2025
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Course description
Study the MA Political Science Governance and Public Policy course and explore some of the key political science and public policy issues of the 21st century.
These include:
- an examination of the nature and problems of policy making in the contemporary world;
- how in a globalised world public decision-making can be constructed in a way that delivers legitimacy and effective capacity to act;
- the impact of governance arrangements on policy outcomes and the relationship between the state and citizens.
It also involves in the course units on offer, an opportunity to apply insights gleaned in a variety of contemporary settings.
The course will appeal to those interested in governance and policy making at any level: neighbourhood, local, national, European and global. It provides a base for employment in a range of sectors from public service employment at the cutting edge, through corporate responsibility units in the private sector to a variety of non-profit organisations.
You will also benefit from a close connection to the Institute of Political and Economic Governance. The University established the institute in 2002, and its aim is to provide a major focus for research as well as practitioner and academic exchange over governance issues.
You'll take two core course units:
- Public Policy (in)to Practice;
- Governance and the State.
Alongside two compulsory course units:
- Comparative Political Analysis;
- Research Design and Skills.
In addition, you will be able to choose a minimum of two course units from the pathway specific unit choices and a maximum of two units from the politics-wide optional units.
Teaching and learning
Part-time students complete the full-time course over two years. There are no evening or weekend course units available on the part-time route.
You must first check the schedule of the compulsory units and then select your optional units to suit your requirements.
Updated timetable information will be available from mid-August and you will have the opportunity to discuss your unit choices during induction week with your course director.
Course unit list
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comparative Political Analysis | POLI60301 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Research Design and Skills | POLI60312 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Understanding Governance | POLI70271 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Governance and the State | POLI70892 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Dissertation | POLI72000 | 60 | Mandatory |
| Comparing Capitalisms in the Global Political Economy | POLI60031 | 15 | Optional |
| Political Parties in Contemporary Britain | POLI60122 | 15 | Optional |
| European Capitalisms: Crises, Transformations and Contestations | POLI60292 | 15 | Optional |
| Tools and techniques of applied quantitative analysis | POLI60341 | 15 | Optional |
| The European Union: Politics and Policy Making | POLI70381 | 15 | Optional |
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Scholarships and bursaries
The School offers a number of awards for students applying for master's study.
To find our more, please visit our master's funding opportunity search page.
Facilities
You will be supported by first-class resources, in addition to the networked study areas.
You will also have access to the one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the country, The University of Manchester Library .