Start date
September 2026
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Length
1 year full-time
MSc Public Policy and Management
Providing you with the skills and knowledge to shape public policy, and preparing you for leadership roles.
Year of entry: 2026 (September)
MSc in Public Policy and Management—your gateway to a career in the dynamic world of public policy and leadership.
Bridging the gap between policymaking and practice, this course will prepare graduates for leadership roles in the public management field and beyond. You’ll build in-depth skills and knowledge to analyse, critique and shape public policy processes, by learning how they interact with economic, social, political and organisational contexts.
Explore your passion with our range of option modules. Apply your learning in real-world contexts, from delivering policy analysis, leading and managing change, social and ethical leadership for public good, and the use of AI in the management of modern organisations, and more. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to refine your area of interest by taking a deep dive into a policy — or public management — project of your choice.
Enhance your learning in our modern facilities, featuring bespoke teaching, learning and study spaces to help you gain the most from this full or part-time course. You’ll be taught by interdisciplinary staff with extensive policy and management experience, giving you the best of both worlds. They’ve worked as, and with, government advisors, consultants, analysts, researchers and academics.
The course will equip you with high-level analytical and problem-solving skills and enhance your employability, and you’ll have access to support from the careers and employability teams. Gain industry connections and prepare for your career and professional life in the public, private or non-profit sectors, both in the UK and abroad. There’s never been a better time to study at York.
Course content
The MSc in Public Policy and Management combines insights and skills from public policy analysis and public management studies, equipping you with the key theoretical and analytical tools to shape public policy and be an effective public manager. Thanks to a wide choice of option modules, the course offers opportunities to explore in more detail those issues that are of most interest to you. At the end of your studies you'll have the opportunity to apply the skills that you have learned into practice through the Independent Study/Applied Policy Policy Project, under the guidance of an individual supervisor.
Most people study full-time for 12 months, but part-time study over 24 months is also available.
Modules
Modules
In Semester 1, students choose between two optional modules from the area of leadership - either 'Leadership: Theory and Practice' or 'Leading and Managing Change'.
In Semester 2, students can select one further optional module from the list of optional modules indicated below.
Core modules
- Advanced Policy Analysis
- Investigating Contemporary Policy Problems
- Public Management and Delivery
- Principles of Policy Advice
- Policy Masterclass
Option modules
- Leading and Managing Change OR Leadership: Theory and Practice
- Social and Ethical Leadership
- Public Finance: Principles, Politics and Contemporary Issues
- Social Policy in Global Context
- Management, Society and Artificial Intelligence
- The Changing Nature of Work
The options available to you will be confirmed later in the year. For further information, please get in touch.
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
Dissertation
Dissertation
At the end of your studies, the Independent Study/Applied Policy Project, will enable you to apply your learning about the complexities of the public policy process and its contextual variables to a real-world policy challenge of your own choice.
Through independent research, supported by a dedicated academic supervisor, you can demonstrate the knowledge and skills you have developed on the course with regards to a project that aligns with your professional or personal interests.
Learning outcomes
Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.
Learning outcomes for this course
- Critically apply theoretical frameworks to the analysis of complex policy processes and competing responses to real-world public policy problems.
- Recognise, analyse and evaluate the multi-level intersections of policy-making with the distribution and operation of power and resources in diverse socio-economic and political contexts.
- Analyse and address challenges surrounding the formation, implementation and evaluation of public policy.
- Assess the evolution of public management approaches and related challenges in public sector operations and management.
- Apply leadership theories to organisational structures and processes in public management.
- Communicate in ways that can engage specialist and policy-interested audiences, balancing academic rigour with accessible presentation of complex material.
- Design rigorous policy-focused research, drawing from a range of theories, methods and types of evidence within appropriate ethical codes of research conduct.
- Critically apply knowledge, understanding and skills to the shaping of social progress, both within and beyond the academic context.
The School also organised regular career and placement events and drop-in sessions to assist with CV writing and mock interviews. Students can also become a part of various student societies at the University and maintain their social and study life simultaneously.
Fees and funding
Annual tuition fees for 2026/27
| Study mode | UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £12,000 | £26,900 |
Fees information
UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.
Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.
Additional costs
There are no mandatory additional fees but we do recommend that you set aside some money for photocopying. Course books will be available to you from the Library either in print or online format but you may wish to buy your own copies (book prices vary, with new books usually costing between £20 and £60). All other teaching resources will be available online.
Funding information
Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2026/27 throughout the year.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
Funding opportunities
Chevening Scholarships
We are pleased to work with Chevening Scholars to offer funding for our Masters programmes. Chevening Scholarships provide one year of fully-funded postgraduate study in the UK for international (including EU) students. The scholarships are open to early and mid-career professionals who have the potential to become future leaders.
The people who are teaching are experts on the actual topic you are learning. From previous NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation) officials, to experts who have advised government officials. York continues to make sure that their employees are not only adding to your knowledge, but the field too.
Teaching and assessment
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.
Teaching format
The modules for this course have been specifically developed for postgraduate study. You'll be taught through a combination of hands-on workshops, lectures and seminars. You'll find that small group working and establishing your own perspective on social issues will become a core part of your studying process.
- One-to-one supervision while undertaking an extended social and public policy research project on a topic of your choosing
- A friendly, supportive and intellectually stimulating environment in which to study
- Small group teaching with lectures typically no larger than 40 people and workshops and seminars typically no larger than 20 students
You'll also be able to attend the School's lectures and University lectures from visiting speakers from across the world.
Teaching location
You'll be based in the School for Business and Society in the Church Lane Building on Campus West. Teaching will take place in Church Lane Building and Alcuin College and other locations across Campus West.
About our campus
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
Assessment and feedback
Your assessment will be continuous and based mainly on essays and reports. You'll receive written feedback on all assessed work.
You'll complete a 8,000 word applied policy report as part of your own specialist research project.
Careers and skills
The MSc in Public Policy and Management, develops the skills that employers need in a number of areas, especially policy analysis and research. You'll also find you develop transferable skills that will allow you to progress to different career areas or to continue your studies at PhD level.
Career opportunities
- Civil servant
- Government officer
- International organisation officer/consultant
- Public management consultant
- Campaign assistant for a political party
- Research manager
- Policy analyst
- Academia
See our graduates' careers in roles around the world
Transferable skills
- Communicate effectively, drawing on a range of skills and presentation techniques for different settings and audiences.
- Manage time effectively to work independently to deadlines.
- Work effectively in a group and as a member of a team in a variety of roles, including taking on leadership responsibilities.
- Working effectively in a variety of workplace settings by understanding the internal dynamics of institutions and being self-aware..
- Evaluate, analyse and design effective policy delivery and outcomes
- Retrieve and interpret data from a variety of sources, including electronic databases.
- Use computer skills to present and analyse data.
Turn ambition into achievement with our expert guidance and connections. From your first day here to life after graduation, we'll help you find your career advantage.
Entry requirements
| Qualification | Typical offer |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:2 or equivalent. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
English language
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Qualification | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic and Indicator) | 6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component |
| Cambridge CEFR | B2 First: 176, with 169 in each component |
| Oxford ELLT | 7, minimum of 6 in each component |
| Oxford Test of English Advanced | 136, minimum 126 in each component |
| Duolingo | 120, minimum 105 in all other components |
| LanguageCert SELT | B2 with 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert Academic | 70 with a minimum of 65 in each component |
| Kaplan Test of English Language | 478-509, with 444-477 in all other components |
| Skills for English | B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component |
| PTE Academic | 61, minimum 55 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87, minimum of 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all requirements |
For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.
If you haven't met our English language requirements
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
Next steps
Contact us
Get in touch if you have any questions
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