Public Policy MA

University of Warwick

Warwick's Public Policy MA combines understanding normative theory with the practice of policy analysis and world leading work on transnational policymaking. Warwick's Politics and International Studies Department is one of the largest and most highly regarded of our kind in the UK.

Course Overview

Why do bad ideas become policy and good ideas languish for years? Does democracy get in the way of policy or is the policy profession itself anti-democratic? Governments are facing more complex demands every day. If we want to make a difference in the world we need to understand the limits and possibilities of policy making in modern democracies. This programme combines an understanding of descriptive and normative theory with the practice of policy analysis and our world-leading work on transnational policy making. You will identify and analyse the main traditions of policy studies the core concepts of policy analysis and theories of policy change.

Teaching

Modules are taught via one 2-hour seminar per week. Seminars give you the opportunity to interact with leading scholars as well as with your peers to explore a set topic each week. Every seminar will be based on extensive guided reading you will do each week but there is no strict pattern to how sessions are run. This may include mini-lectures followed by discussion Q&A sessions organised debates peer presentations policy briefs small group work and other projects.

Careers

Graduates from these courses have gone on to work for employers including: Deloitte; Japan Ministry of Defense; Nationwide Building Society; The Cabinet Office; University of Kent; Transport for London and West Midlands Police. They have pursued roles such as: business and financial project management professionals; economists; finance officers; management consultants; business analysts and public services associate professionals.

Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant offering impartial advice and guidance together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include:

• Your future awaits - the many things you can do after your degree in the PaIS department
• Careers in Government and Politics
• Warwick careers fairs throughout the year
• After your PAIS Master’s – What Next?
• Assessment Centres and Interviews: an overview of what to expect for PaIS students