Public Administration MPA Postgraduate Programme By Ulster University |TopUniversities

Programme overview

Main Subject

Social Policy and Administration

Degree

MPA

Study Level

Masters

Study Mode

On Campus

Whether you're preparing for promotion or ready to broaden your impact, the MPA at Ulster University offers a flexible public administration course that allows you to study while working. Course highlights: Part-time public administration course completed over two years Eight modules designed with the NI civil service ensuring content is practical, relevant and directly applicable to current and future challenges Block-release teaching – each module is taught over a block of 4 days suited to professionals. Usually students will study no more than one module per month in part-time mode. Exit award available after six modules (PGDip in Public Administration) Be part of a learning community of public sector professionals: Students join us from government agencies, local councils, NHS bodies, voluntary and third-sector organisations, and more. You’ll collaborate with peers facing similar challenges and build a valuable cross-sector network. International experience: Join the European Master of Public Administration (EMPA) Network and gain a global perspective on governance and service delivery. Develop career-critical skills in: Public policy analysis and evaluation Strategic leadership and change management Comparative public administration Applied government and real-world case studies The MPA course modules offer a blend of theory and practical application relevant today’s public service challenges. Structure Year 1 Semester 1 Module Title: Public Administration and Governance (PUP709) Compulsory, 20 credits Module description: This module is designed to examine the activities of public servants and structures of government within a changing administrative landscape which has witnessed the decline in the traditional forms of bureaucracy and seen the emergence of a differentiated polity influenced by developments in the private sector. The relevance of traditional principles of public administration - public accountability, equity and legality, are being challenged by the adoption of management tools and techniques described broadly as New Public Management. Module Title: Strategic Leadership (PUP816) Compulsory, 20 credits Module description: This module examines the major issue of strategically managing and leading the organization in a changing environment. It develops generic issues in strategic management and provides the opportunity for critical appraisal of a range of theories on strategic management and leadership and to apply these theories to real life organizations in the public sector. Assessment is through a number of pieces of course work. Semester 2 Module Title: Policy Analysis (PUP802) Compulsory, 20 credits Module description: Policy analysis is concerned with how issues and problems come to be defined and constructed and how they are placed on the political and policy agenda of governments. But it is also the study of how, why and to what effect governments pursue particular courses of action and inaction or “what governments do, why they do it, and what difference it makes”. It is an approach to public policy that aims to integrate and contextualise models and research from various disciplines. Module Title: Applied Government (PUP892) Compulsory, 20 credits Module description: The module will demonstrate, through real-world case studies, how to achieve good government in ‘messy’ situations where authority is shared across individuals and organisations and where the context, mandate or original policy aims of an issue change over time. It will describe large-scale challenges from the perspective of Ministers, public servants and other stakeholders. It will demonstrate how ‘coalitions of the willing’ are established in these situations and how various tools of government can be brought to bear at different points to achieve real progress and deliver results on the ground. Year 2 Semester 1 Module Title: Policy Evaluation and Policy Co-design (PUP801) Compulsory, 20 credits Module description: The purpose of this module is to enhance students' understanding of the design and evaluation of public policy. This module introduces students to the principles and elements of policy design in contemporary governance. It does so through the study of the policy instruments used by governments in carrying out their tasks in adapting to and altering their environments, as well as by presenting the processes in government which lead to instruments selection and implementation. This includes an understanding of the role of different institutional actors in policy co-design. These instruments form the foundation or structures upon which all public policies and programmes rest. This module logically continues by introducing students to the concept of policy evaluation and to the concept of research-based evidence. Module Title: Comparative Public Administration (PUP712) Compulsory, 20 credits Module description: This module focuses on the study of how public administration deals with linguistic diversity, and it examines the resulting public policies. By presenting and discussing different cases from the United Kingdom (in particular, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), the Republic of Ireland, and other multilingual countries such as Canada, Switzerland, and Belgium, the module adopts a comparative perspective. Given the composition of the student body (public sector officials), the module offers an opportunity for them to link theory and practice, and an opportunity for a discussion of contemporary issues facing the public sector in the UK and beyond. Module Title: Contemporary Issues in Public Policy and Administration (Health and Social Care) (PUP827) Compulsory (only for students progressing from the PgDip in HSC Leadership & Management), 20 credits Module description: This module explores how public policy is made, analysing the policy making cycle. It considers the nature of contemporary public administration including an analysis of the size, scope and priorities of the public sector, as well as the challenges of how it is financed. The changing nature of the state is explored, including alternative perspectives on the principles of public sector organisation, and the infusion of innovative ideas from the private sector. While a brief assessment of UK is made, the emphasis is on public administration in Northern Ireland, considering the specific political, economic and social context within which it operates. The growth of the extended state (quangos) and regulation (the latter partly in response to earlier privatisation initiatives) is assessed as is the impact of devolution and regionalisation, together with the changing role of local government. The module enables students to share their experience as practitioners or observers of public sector changes in Northern Ireland beyond. Year

Programme overview

Main Subject

Social Policy and Administration

Degree

MPA

Study Level

Masters

Study Mode

On Campus

Whether you're preparing for promotion or ready to broaden your impact, the MPA at Ulster University offers a flexible public administration course that allows you to study while working. Course highlights: Part-time public administration course completed over two years Eight modules designed with the NI civil service ensuring content is practical, relevant and directly applicable to current and future challenges Block-release teaching – each module is taught over a block of 4 days suited to professionals. Usually students will study no more than one module per month in part-time mode. Exit award available after six modules (PGDip in Public Administration) Be part of a learning community of public sector professionals: Students join us from government agencies, local councils, NHS bodies, voluntary and third-sector organisations, and more. You’ll collaborate with peers facing similar challenges and build a valuable cross-sector network. International experience: Join the European Master of Public Administration (EMPA) Network and gain a global perspective on governance and service delivery. Develop career-critical skills in: Public policy analysis and evaluation Strategic leadership and change management Comparative public administration Applied government and real-world case studies The MPA course modules offer a blend of theory and practical application relevant today’s public service challenges. Structure Year 1 Semester 1 Module Title: Public Administration and Governance (PUP709) Compulsory, 20 credits Module description: This module is designed to examine the activities of public servants and structures of government within a changing administrative landscape which has witnessed the decline in the traditional forms of bureaucracy and seen the emergence of a differentiated polity influenced by developments in the private sector. The relevance of traditional principles of public administration - public accountability, equity and legality, are being challenged by the adoption of management tools and techniques described broadly as New Public Management. Module Title: Strategic Leadership (PUP816) Compulsory, 20 credits Module description: This module examines the major issue of strategically managing and leading the organization in a changing environment. It develops generic issues in strategic management and provides the opportunity for critical appraisal of a range of theories on strategic management and leadership and to apply these theories to real life organizations in the public sector. Assessment is through a number of pieces of course work. Semester 2 Module Title: Policy Analysis (PUP802) Compulsory, 20 credits Module description: Policy analysis is concerned with how issues and problems come to be defined and constructed and how they are placed on the political and policy agenda of governments. But it is also the study of how, why and to what effect governments pursue particular courses of action and inaction or “what governments do, why they do it, and what difference it makes”. It is an approach to public policy that aims to integrate and contextualise models and research from various disciplines. Module Title: Applied Government (PUP892) Compulsory, 20 credits Module description: The module will demonstrate, through real-world case studies, how to achieve good government in ‘messy’ situations where authority is shared across individuals and organisations and where the context, mandate or original policy aims of an issue change over time. It will describe large-scale challenges from the perspective of Ministers, public servants and other stakeholders. It will demonstrate how ‘coalitions of the willing’ are established in these situations and how various tools of government can be brought to bear at different points to achieve real progress and deliver results on the ground. Year 2 Semester 1 Module Title: Policy Evaluation and Policy Co-design (PUP801) Compulsory, 20 credits Module description: The purpose of this module is to enhance students' understanding of the design and evaluation of public policy. This module introduces students to the principles and elements of policy design in contemporary governance. It does so through the study of the policy instruments used by governments in carrying out their tasks in adapting to and altering their environments, as well as by presenting the processes in government which lead to instruments selection and implementation. This includes an understanding of the role of different institutional actors in policy co-design. These instruments form the foundation or structures upon which all public policies and programmes rest. This module logically continues by introducing students to the concept of policy evaluation and to the concept of research-based evidence. Module Title: Comparative Public Administration (PUP712) Compulsory, 20 credits Module description: This module focuses on the study of how public administration deals with linguistic diversity, and it examines the resulting public policies. By presenting and discussing different cases from the United Kingdom (in particular, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), the Republic of Ireland, and other multilingual countries such as Canada, Switzerland, and Belgium, the module adopts a comparative perspective. Given the composition of the student body (public sector officials), the module offers an opportunity for them to link theory and practice, and an opportunity for a discussion of contemporary issues facing the public sector in the UK and beyond. Module Title: Contemporary Issues in Public Policy and Administration (Health and Social Care) (PUP827) Compulsory (only for students progressing from the PgDip in HSC Leadership & Management), 20 credits Module description: This module explores how public policy is made, analysing the policy making cycle. It considers the nature of contemporary public administration including an analysis of the size, scope and priorities of the public sector, as well as the challenges of how it is financed. The changing nature of the state is explored, including alternative perspectives on the principles of public sector organisation, and the infusion of innovative ideas from the private sector. While a brief assessment of UK is made, the emphasis is on public administration in Northern Ireland, considering the specific political, economic and social context within which it operates. The growth of the extended state (quangos) and regulation (the latter partly in response to earlier privatisation initiatives) is assessed as is the impact of devolution and regionalisation, together with the changing role of local government. The module enables students to share their experience as practitioners or observers of public sector changes in Northern Ireland beyond. Year

Admission Requirements

We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements. Entry Requirements Normally a UK second class honours degree, or better, in any discipline or the equivalent of this for international students. Additionally, applicants should normally have gained at least 3 years’ relevant work experience in a supervisory or managerial position in the UK or Irish civil service. English Language Requirements English language requirements for international applicants The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes. Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores. English language requirements Your country Exemptions and transferability Students who have successfully completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Health & Social Care Management may be exempted for up to 120 credit points. Students on the NICS Postgraduate Certificate in Public Administration who are successful may progress to complete the MPA having already collected 60 credits.

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