PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION
PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION
Programme title:
Executive MPA: Global Public Policy and Management
Final award (BSc, MA etc):
(where stopping off points exist they
should be detailed here and defined
later in the document)
UCAS code:
(where applicable)
Cohort(s) to which this programme
specification is applicable:
(e.g. from 2015 intake onwards)
Awarding institution/body:
MPA
Teaching institution:
NYU Wagner/University College London
Faculty:
SHS
Parent Department:
(the department responsible for the
administration of the programme)
Departmental web page address:
(if applicable)
Department of Political Science.
Method of study:
Full-time/Part-time/Other
FT
Criteria for admission to the
programme:
2.1 or 3.5 GPA in any subject and at least 5-7 years
appropriate work experience.
Length of the programme:
(please note any periods spent away
from UCL, such as study abroad or
placements in industry)
Level on Framework for Higher
Education Qualifications (FHEQ)
(see Guidance notes)
Relevant subject benchmark
statement (SBS)
(see Guidance notes)
Brief outline of the structure of the
programme and its assessment
methods:
(see guidance notes)
One calendar year FT.
From 2014/15 intake onwards
Joint Award from NYU Wagner/University College London
www.ucl.ac.uk/spp
Level 7
4 core courses, 4 options and a capstone project report in
a 12 month period. Term 1 (50% of the taught assessment)
is in NYU and term 2 (50% of the taught assessment) at
UCL. The course will be assessed with a mix of exams and
essays. Students can opt to take the capstone module at
NYU or UCL.
Board of Examiners:
Name of Board of Examiners:
MPA Board of Examiners
Professional body accreditation
(if applicable):
NA
Date of next
scheduled
accreditation visit:
EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF THE PROGRAMME:
The EMPA-GPPM is intended to serve experienced public service professionals—analysts, decision
makers and managers—who wish to refresh their knowledge base and to reinvent how they approach
their work. The programme provides core courses that bridge cutting edge concepts, topics and skills in
policy analysis, management, implementation, and facilitating change. Students in the programme,
depending on their needs and interests, can then take advantage of the offerings of both the UCL School
of Public Policy and the NYU Wagner School to craft a specific approach that best positions them to
meet their personal educational and professional goals.
PROGRAMME OUTCOMES:
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and
understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas:
A: Knowledge and understanding
Knowledge and understanding of:
1. The theoretical approaches and
debates in Public Policy—
especially the relationship between
national and internal authories,
theories of policy-making and new
public management, Policy
Implementation, and organisational
change.
2. The analysis of concepts such as
Agenda-setting, Cost benefit
Analysis, Policy Evaluation, Policy
Delivery Choices and Program
performance.
Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
Acquisition of 1 through one-hour or two-hour
lectures and seminars. Several courses, especially
the core required courses in Global Public Policy
Analysis Reform, Institutions, Governance and
Public Sector Reform, Policy Implementation and
Managing Organisational Change, and the advance
professional project for an international
organisation in public policy.
Acquisition of 2, 3, 4, and 5 through the above
mentioned required and optional courses, which
give students the opportunity to specialise in either
empirical or normative dimensions of the issue of
international public policy.
3. Empirical and normative
arguments and models of the
proliferation of various forms of
political violence, drawing upon
theoretical literatures from across
the sub-disciplines of Public Policy,
Economics and Political Science,
as well as Management and
Planning.
4. How domestic, transnational, and
international forms of public Policy
can me managed. Toward this
end, attention is also placed upon
the role of international institutions,
decision-making frameworks,
pluralistic political systems, and
social movements in the
international system.
Skills for the analytical study of
politics, political actors, preferences
and objectives, the role of institutions
and strategic behaviour, hypothesis
testing and empirical analysis.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed by a variety of methods:
‘unseen’ examinations, essays and a a capstone
group project. The last mentioned is a required
method of assessment.
B: Skills and other attributes
Intellectual (thinking) skills:
The programme aims to help
students:
1. approach public policy in a
rigorous, systematic, and
theoretically-informed way, and to
question the premises of much
contemporary domestically
focused public policy literature
and political analysis.
Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
Acquisition of 1 and 2 is fostered in all courses
offered in the Programme. Students will confront
the main theories in public policy, economics and
political science and will be invited to question their
premises and to assess the empirical validity of
their hypotheses.
2. collect and use empirical
evidence in a selective and
systematic way, and to question
the explanatory power and
reassess the validity of the most
authoritative works in public
policy, political science, and
particularly in Globalisation
debates.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed by a variety of methods:
‘unseen’ examinations, long essays, and a
dissertation. The latter is a required method of
assessment.
C: Skills and other attributes
Practical skills (able to):
This programme aims to provide the
students with the following practical
skills:
1. communicate effectively in writing
2. improve their knowledge of Public
Policy and international politics,
and policies across a range of
issue areas
3. improve their knowledge of the
politics of historical and
contemporary cases of Global
public policy and policy-making in
a international environment.
4. use data-bases, digital and web
resources, word-processing
programmes, and statistical
packages
5. present (non-assessed) seminar
papers
6. listen, discuss and debate ideas,
interpretations and evidence
introduced during seminars
7. practice research and data
collection of documents of
governments and non-state
actors
8. maintain a constant rhythm of
learning and research
9. choose their own long-essay and
dissertation topics
10. develop a research strategy and
project work
11. learn a method for hypothesis
testing
12. adapt the working hypotheses
developed in the long essay and
dissertation in light of the
empirical evidence and its
interpretation
Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
1) through the writing of long essays and
dissertations
2-3) through weekly lectures
4) though instructions in seminars
5) through regular seminar presentations
6) through seminar discussion
7) through visits to the British Library
8) through individual discussions with staff and
students
9-12) through the production of long essays and
dissertation
Skills will be taught in both required and optional
courses. They will be taught by scholars that
have subject-specific knowledge and have
carried out theoretical and empirical research in
the field. The classes will also provide general
instructions on research design and practical;
instructions on data sources, collection, and
analysis.
Assessment:
1-4) and 7-12) through ‘unseen’ examinations, long
essays, and dissertation. The latter is a required
method of assessment.
D: Skills and other attributes
Transferable skills (able to):
Transferable skills (able to):
The programme will encourage
students to:
1. write good essays and
dissertations
2. improve their knowledge of
International governance in
general and of public policy in
particular
3. use computer resources and
information technology
4. present (non-assessed) material
orally
5. listen and contribute in class
6. understand and assess
contending ideas and arguments
7. study a variety of written and
digital materials available from
libraries
8. familiarise with documents of
governments and non-state
actors
9. reflect on their own normative
ideas by becoming acquainted
with alternative points of view
10. make original contributions to the
study of International
Governance and public policy
11. understand and assess critically
empirical evidence and develop
methods to test predictions
12. think both positively and
normatively about public policy
issues
Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
1-3, 7-12) through long essays, course readings,
and Project work
2) reading academic works on Public Policy,
politics, international relations, and Economics.
3) submitting word-processed written work, using
databases, consulting online library catalogues,
using web-site material and field projects.
4-12) seminar presentations and discussion
Assessment:
1-3, 7-12) through ‘unseen’ examinations, long
essays, and dissertation. The latter is a required
method of assessment.
The following reference points were used in designing the programme:
 the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications:
(http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/qualifications-frameworks.pdf);
 the relevant Subject Benchmark Statements:
(http://www.qaa.ac.uk/assuring-standards-and-quality/the-quality-code/subject-benchmarkstatements);
 the programme specifications for UCL degree programmes in relevant subjects (where applicable);
 UCL teaching and learning policies;
 staff research.
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and
the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if
he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided. More detailed information on
the learning outcomes, content and teaching, learning and assessment methods of each course
unit/module can be found in the departmental course handbook. The accuracy of the information
contained in this document is reviewed annually by UCL and may be checked by the Quality Assurance
Agency.
Programme Organiser(s)
Name(s):
Date of Production:
Professor Albert Weale
Date of Review:
December 2014
Date approved by Head of
Department:
Date approved by Chair of
Departmental Teaching
Committee:
Date approved by Faculty
Teaching Committee
December 2014
May 2014
December 2014
January 2015