Master of Public Administration (Online)

Enabling citizens to influence policy decisions around public services and ensuring that the actual delivery of services meets the demands of users are critical objectives in a democratic society. This module explores the different facets of public service democratisation, including its benefits, obstacles and problems.

Social leadership is crucial for ensuring ethical conduct of organisations as well as for the pursuit of public value. This module introduces you to the importance of ethical social leadership, how it is developed, and how it can contribute to the pursuit of organisational ethics as well as wider public value. 

Effective policy-making and public administration depend on good research. This module enables you to critically reflect on the strengths, limitations and appropriateness of different research approaches and techniques, and you acquire the skills needed to evaluate and commission research for public policy and administration contexts.

This module explores the theory and practice of managing change in organisational contexts. The overall aim is to develop your capacity and confidence not only in initiating and responding to change, but in taking control of change situations, helping you to deal more effectively with change within your own organisation.

This module explores and analyses the complexity inherent in contemporary social and public policy development and reform. It critically examines the role of ideas, interests, institutions and actors in the policy process and explores the wider social, economic and political processes that shape contemporary policy making. It equips you with the conceptual and analytical tools to undertake advanced applied policy analysis in a range of local, national and international policy settings.

Decisions that governments make about public finance – the revenue they raise and how this revenue is allocated in the form of public spending – are one of the core functions of government. An appreciation of this function is crucial for a full understanding of the role of government and the management of public services. Studying this module, you will develop an understanding of public finance decision making, including an examination of tax avoidance and public debt as major contemporary challenges.

The delivery of many public services involves a partnership between the public and the private or voluntary sector, which creates both opportunities and challenges. This module unpacks these, and equips you with the knowledge and skills to critically evaluate public-private partnerships in their many guises.

Regulation is an inevitable part of modern governance, not only where businesses undermine the principle of free market competition but also where, without intervention by state or non-state actors, it is not possible to deliver on elementary non-economic standards such as those relating to ensuring the minimum of social protection, safety and quality assurance. This module introduces you to the concept of regulation as a mode of governance, the key actors in the regulatory process and the range of instruments and strategies that can be employed in regulatory governance.

This module introduces you to the main themes, concepts and practices of strategic planning and management, equipping you with practical skills and providing you with opportunities to use these skills in work-based and case study scenarios. The module enables you to analyse and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of strategic planning in the public and not-for-profit sectors.

This module prepares you for your Independent Study Project. It outlines the requirements for this project, covers key advice for its successful completion, and provides support in developing a precise and detailed plan, enabling you to start effectively on your study project in the following term.

The Independent Study Project is designed to assess your ability to define and investigate a researchable question or thesis, drawing on academic knowledge and skills acquired during your studies as well as your own professional experiences and practice.