International Public Policy Analysis (MIPPA)

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The MSc International Public Policy Analysis is designed to meet the increasing demand for expertise in international and comparative analysis of public policies. The programme offers:

* a rigorous, multidisciplinary understanding of social and public policy in international and cross-national contexts,
* advanced training in key techniques of policy analysis and policy evaluation in national, cross-national and international settings,
* opportunities for student-driven research in substantial social and public policy areas (such as, welfare and social security, family policy, migration policy, employment and labour market policy, health policy, environmental policy, international development), in a large number of national, regional (e.g. European Union, Asia, Africa, Latin America) and global (e.g. UN) settings.

The programme is designed for:

* Social science graduates or mid-career professionals pursuing careers in, national social and public administration, European or international organisations as well as national or international non-governmental organisations and agencies.
* Social science graduates who aspire to pursue an academic career related to the academic study of social and/or public policy.

Careers
The Social & Policy Sciences department is committed to ensuring that postgraduate students acquire a range of subject-specific and generic skills during their training.

Our graduates generally go on to work in a wide variety of organisations, such as:

* Social research in universities and research institutes, government, business, voluntary organisations and international organisations.
* Public policy analysis at local, national and international levels.
* Public information and campaigning within organisations concerned with wellbeing, sustainability and social justice.

Core Units
* Advanced Policy Analysis: approaches and techniques
* Policy Evaluation: methods and techniques
* The Politics of Policy: actors and arenas and conflict in international perspective
* Research for Policy: concepts, methods and values
* Dissertation

Optional Units (indicative):
* Comparative European Social Policy
* Comparative Research Methods
* International Family Policy
* Politics and Policy in Developing Countries
* Wellbeing and Human Development 1: concepts, measurement & policy
* Economics for Development
* Business Society and States: corporate power and accountability
* Wellbeing assessment in public policy and development practice,
* World Politics: conflict, security and development
* Political economy of globalisation
* Well-being, Welfare Regimes and Social Policy: a global perspective,
* Globalisation and Economic Insecurity
* Regional research specialisms (South Asia, Africa, Latin America and South East Asia; subject to staff availability)

Learning and teaching
Our programmes are modular, consisting of self-contained units, taught and assessed on a semester basis. As you progress through each semester and successfully pass the examinations, you will receive credit for the units, thus providing you with a clear indication of your academic progress.

Teaching takes the form of lectures, classes and seminars. Lectures are quite formal, whereas classes and seminars involve interaction between the lecturer and a small number of students for study skills and discussion.

Methods of assessment
Assessment consists of a combination of coursework essays, class exercises, projects, oral presentations and examinations.

We also place strong emphasis on developing presentation and discussion/communication skills, which in many units is part of the assessed work.

Academic requirements * A good first degree in a social science subject, or * an equivalent degree in another subject, together with substantial relevant work experience.Students should normally have prior experience of working in international policy (although this is not essential).English requirements * IELTS 7.0 (with not less than 6.5 in each of the four components), or * TOEFL 600 (paper-based test) or 250 (computer-based test) or 100 (internet-based test). English Language Requirements IELTS band: 7 TOEFL paper-based test score : 600 TOEFL iBT® test: 100 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.

Funding for Masters programmes and other taught courses is far from guaranteed, but there is some funding out there. Be prepared to compete. Apply for funding early, and if the most obvious sources don't work out, be ready for a more proactive search.

You can get information about sources of funding from the Careers Advisory Service.

Professional and Career Development Loans
Many postgraduates fund themselves through Professional and Career Development Loans. These place limits on subject of study, eligibility criteria and the amount of funding so read the details carefully. Loans have to be paid back and the terms may not be as favourable as those for undergraduate loans from the Student Loans Company.

Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships for international students funded each year.

Accreditation

The excellence of the research undertaken within the Department of Social & Policy Sciences has been recognised most recently by the award of the prestigious Queen's Anniversary Prize in 2011. We were also ranked 2nd in the country in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.