Programme Specification – MPA Public and Social Policy
1. Awarding Body
LSE
2. Details of accreditation by a
professional/statutory body, e.g. ESRC;
BPS etc
3. Name of final award
4. Programme Title
5. Duration of the course
6. Based in the Department/Institute:
7. Relevant QAA subject benchmark
statements
8. UCAS Code
9. First written/last amended
None
MPA
Public and Social Policy
21 months
Social Policy
N/A
L4UN
February 2010 / November 2012
10. The programme aims to:
The MPA programme is designed to provide students with rigorous and inter-disciplinary training in
economics and political science, complemented by a wide range of electives, to prepare them for
professional careers related to public service. This particular stream within the MPA programme will focus
on the assessment and evaluation of public policy programmes emphasising both efficiency and equity
issues. The aim is therefore to specifically equip students with the requisite analytical devices and
methods to assess and evaluate public policy programmes.
11. Programme outcomes: knowledge and understanding; skills and other attributes
The outcomes of the programme will ensure that students have a thorough understanding of the objectives
of social and public policy and the types of policies aimed at meeting these objectives. This will require
knowledge across a range of different international welfare systems and their objectives and policies.
The major outcome is to equip students with the various means of assessing and evaluating these social
and public policies. To do so students will be provided with the necessary analytical tools to ensure that
they have the appropriate rigorous understanding to enable them to apply data and appropriate
methodologies to specific assessments of social and public policy. The programme will therefore draw on
the inter-disciplinary approaches within the existing MPA programme to provide students with core training
in economics, political science, and quantitative techniques designed specifically for social and public
programme evaluation.
12. Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and
demonstrated
Teaching and learning strategies:
Normal formal teaching through lectures and seminars will be augmented with a formal dissertation (to
ensure that students have the opportunity to pursue a research topic in depth).
The second year teaching also includes the course GV4D5 Organisations, Power and Leadership which
addresses issues of leadership and group working in public sector organisations.
The second year also includes the Capstone project which is normal within the MPA programme. Here
students are organised into groups of between three and six people and briefed on a policy problem faced
by a major organisation active in the UK public sector (a government department or agency, regional or
local government, a public health service authority, or perhaps a non-governmental organisation or
consultancy firm closely involved with policy making). The group then has ten weeks of access to the client
organisation to investigate the issues and develop a workable solution to the problem, reporting to the
organisation at the end of this time.
Assessment strategies:
Assessment will be through the normal routes of examination and assessment (normally essay).
13. Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules and awards
The MPA in Social and Public policy will followed the structure approved by the MPA Teaching Committee
and the Department of Social Policy. This consists of 2 years of teaching divided as follows:
4.5 units of MPA core courses
EC440 Micro and Macro Economics (for Public Policy) (1 unit)
EC455 Qualitative Approaches and Policy Analysis (1 unit)
GV478 Political Science and Public Policy (1unit)
GV4D5 Organisations, Power and Leadership (0.5. units)
MPA Capstone project (1 unit)
1 policy stream course
SA4X6 Welfare Analysis and Measurement (1 unit)
In addition, students take one of the following:



the MPA Policy Paper (0.5 units) and two units of option courses*; or
the MPA Dissertation (1 unit) and 1.5 units of option courses*: or
2.5 units of option courses*
* Options courses to include at least 1 unit from an extended range of Social Policy options available to
students on the Social Research, Social Policy and Planning, International Health Policy, International
Health Policy (Health Economics) and European Social Policy programmes
See the MPA Public and Social Policy programme regulations for further information.
Additional information
14. Criteria for admission to the programme
Minimum of an upper second class honours degree or equivalent
15. Indicators of quality
1. High demand for the programme, and high qualifications required for admission.
2. The high fees paid by students taking the programme.
3. Consistently good examination results and very favourable remarks by external examiners.
4. Student questionnaires and feedback via staff-student liaison committees.
16. Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standard of teaching and learning
The Department of Social Policy has a number of quality control mechanisms in place. Student
representatives are elected for each Programme and attend the regular Programme meetings (at least 1
per term) and the Staff/Student meetings where any teaching issues are raised. Any issues are referred to
the Teaching Committee. All courses are discussed at the departmental Teaching Committee on a regular
basis and any pedagogic problems addressed here. External examiner issues are also discussed here if
necessary. The suggestions and outcomes are taken from this Committee to the Departmental Staff
meeting.
These are supplemented by the MPA programme maintaining the following mechanisms for assuring the
quality of its degrees: meetings of an MPA staff/student liaison committee which meets at least three times
per year; an MPA Teaching Committee made up of teachers on MPA core-courses which meets regularly
to discuss pedagogic and logistical MPA matters; an MPA Steering Group including all Heads of MPAowning Departments, which meets at least once per term to agree broader MPA strategy and evaluate
existing programmes.