MPA Master of Public Administration with Applied Study

University of Exeter

The MPA offers the opportunity to develop the skills that managers need to address and respond to complex problems in the public sector and beyond. Our focus is on the challenges facing government but the analytical and decision-making skills you will develop will be valuable in other sectors. We focus on practical and problem-centred teaching, informed by high quality research. The MPA offers a range of tailored modules which are designed to fit together in terms of content and teaching style. The MPA is suitable for students who want to build a career in government or related fields but you will also develop generic analytical skills which are useful in other sectors. It is also suitable for students who already have experience in a managerial role in government or beyond. If you are more interested in an academic career (for example continuing to a PhD) then the MSc in Public Policy would be more suitable. We welcome students from the UK and over the last decade we have also welcomed students from, among other places, the Republic of Korea, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the US and Turkey. Many of our students do not have experience in the UK university system and so support for academic skill development is integrated into the MPA degree’s core module. There is also support for English language skills available through INTO. The teachers on the MPA modules are accustomed to working with students from various backgrounds. The MPA degree is available full-time (1 year) or part-time (up to 3 years). If you are currently in a government role with a training sabbatical you can also consider the MPA with Applied Study (21 months full-time). This entails taking the standard MPA for the first year (worth 180 credits) and then completing a further in-depth policy project and additional training and learning (worth 60 credits) over the following 9 months. This is only available full-time.