Public Policy

The Master of Public Policy (MPP) is a one-year taught degree course. It enables you to develop analytical and critical skills relevant for understanding the challenges of public policy and its implementation. It also equips you with skills that are essential for effective policy delivery.

Graduate destinations

The MPP prepares you to understand the challenges of working in public policy. The opportunity to develop and apply a range of skills throughout the course, alongside and complementary to the academic programme, enables you to master the key skills which are essential for effective public service, whether in government, non-governmental organisations or the private sector.

The MPP is a degree for professionals and is not designed to prepare you for research courses of study, such as the DPhil in Public Policy.

BSG maintains a network of mentoring and support among alumni and current students. BSG hosts an extensive range of events and brings public policy leaders to BSG to inspire and mentor students.

As a BSG alumna or alumnus, you will join a lifelong community of peers and you will be able to participate in a wide range of BSG activities after you graduate.

The MPP begins with a selection of introductory activities during the induction fortnight. These provide an introduction to policy-making and the MPP as a whole. The curriculum is then orientated around academic learning and developing skills necessary for effective policy-making and analysis.

The current curriculum includes six compulsory core modules:

• Foundations introduces philosophical concepts and dilemmas facing governments around the world
• Economics for Public Policy seeks to prepare you for interaction with professional economists by developing the skills necessary to become a critical consumer of economic thinking
• Politics of Policy-making explores the political challenges of policy-making across a range of national contexts and policy domains.  
• Science and Public Policy considers ways to understand scientific and medical evidence, the policy implications of this evidence, and the interplay between science and conflicting policy concerns
• Law and Public Policy discusses legal systems, legislation, and law both as a constraint on government and as applicable beyond the nation state
• Policy Evaluation demonstrates the contribution that research evidence can make to public policy and provides you with tools that allow you to be a more effective and critical consumer of research evidence

These core modules draw on insights and approaches found within a range of academic disciplines. Taught by academics with direct experience of working in or with institutions or individuals engaged with policy-making, the modules also include opportunities to learn from policy practitioners who will share with you their experiences of real-world problems and policies.

The academic modules are taken alongside a number of more practically oriented modules. These applied policy modules include topics such as strategy, communication, finance, and negotiation. There are also professional skills sessions throughout the year which are designed to help you develop specific skills for successful careers in public policy.

In the third term, you will have the opportunity to select two modules which allow you to specialise on issues of personal interest to you. You will then undertake a summer project placement, for a minimum of six weeks, with a governmental, non-governmental, or private organisation to work on a mutually agreed policy-relevant issue. The BSG website provides more information about the summer project. At the end of your placement you will be required to submit a related policy analysis report and reflective essay. Following successful completion of the course you will then have the option to return to Oxford later in the year to take part in graduation-related events.

Applicants are normally expected to be predicted or have achieved a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (or equivalent international qualifications), as a minimum, in any discipline. 

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.7 out of 4.0.

If you hold non-UK qualifications and wish to check how your qualifications match these requirements, you can contact the National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK NARIC).

Applicants should have an outstanding academic record with exceptionally high academic results throughout, or should show an impressive upward trajectory in performance. This may be further evidenced by scholarships or prizes awarded because of academic abilities/achievements or glowing academic references ranking you at the very top of your peer group.

It is strongly recommended that you also submit scores from a standardised test such as the GRE, GMAT or LSAT, though these are not required to complete your application. 

Commitment to public service

In addition to academic and analytical ability, applicants are also expected to demonstrate a high level of commitment to public service. Applicants should demonstrate a strong commitment to public service that goes beyond their own life to include the broader community, however defined. In some cases, this may be evidenced through an outstanding record of achievement in volunteering or working in the public, private, or NGO sector. 

Evidence of leadership and impact

Applicants should also demonstrate an ability to lead and have impact in their chosen field. This does not necessarily need to be shown through traditional leadership positions. Applicants should bear in mind that some of the best leaders are also the best followers, and that leadership often requires enabling and empowering others to succeed. Sometimes the most impactful work is also the quieter work which takes place behind the scenes, facilitating the more visible contributions of others. These qualities of leadership, drive or entrepreneurial spark may be demonstrated through voluntary, professional or other activities.

There is no preferred background for the MPP and applications are welcomed from all academic disciplines and professional backgrounds. Prior full-time or part-time professional experience is also viewed favourably, because of the ways in which it can develop and enhance commitment to public service and evidence of leadership and impact, and may in some exceptional cases help bolster a file that includes a weaker-than expected academic record. 

In considering applicants’ achievements and their suitability for a place on the MPP, contextual data including applicants’ place of residence and age, will be taken into account. All applications will be considered holistically and contextually and a less than stellar performance in one category can be made up for by stellar performances in the other two.

• Official transcript(s)
• CV/résumé
• Personal statement:Up to 800 words
• Written work:One essay of 1,500 words
• References/letters of recommendation:Three overall, generally academic

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Higher level

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

• Global Education
• Hill Foundation Scholarships
• A number of Research Council awards are available each year from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), and Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).