PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION
Programme title:
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:
Teaching institution:
Faculty:
Parent Department:
(the department responsible for the administration of the programme)
Departmental web page address:
(if applicable)
Method of study:
Full-time/Part-time/Other
Criteria for admission to the programme:
MSc in International Public Policy
MSc
From 2014/15 intake onwards
University College London
University College London
Social and Historical Sciences
Department of Political Science http://www.ucl.ac.uk/spp/
The programmes can be taken either full-time or part-time.
Requires a good 2.1 degree or GPA 3.5 or country equivalent
An IELTS of Advanced level with 7.5 overall with min of 6.5 in all subtests.
In certain cases, some applicants with a 2.2 may be considered with substantial relevant work experience
One calendar year full-time, two calendar years part-time 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)
Level 7
No subject-specific benchmark available for Political Science at
Masters level
Students must take four compulsory core courses assessed by coursework and unseen written examination, optional courses equivalent to three one-term long courses (assessed by either coursework or unseen written exam), and submit a 10,000-word dissertation.

Board of Examiners: Name of Board of Examiners:
PUBLG – Public Policy Board of Examiners
N/A Date of next scheduled accreditation visit:
Professional body accreditation
(if applicable):
EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF THE PROGRAMME:
The MSc in International Public Policy programme aims to:
1. provide a detailed and systematic understanding of how political institutions, processes and public policies operate in a global economy.
2. situate this empirical knowledge within general theories of International Relations, political science, public policy and comparative politics,
3. introduce students to skills essential for the analytical study of politics and for the development of a normative assessment of the main issues currently facing international policy-makers.
PROGRAMME OUTCOMES:
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas:

Knowledge and understanding of:
1. The theoretical approaches and debates in International Relations theory, including realism and neorealism, liberalism and neoliberalism, social constructivism, Marxism and critical
A: Knowledge and understanding theory, and the relationship between
International Relations theory and public policy making.
Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
Acquisition of 1 through one-hour lectures and one-hour seminars. Several courses, especially the required course International Organisation, and the core optional courses Foreign Policy Analysis, Theories of
International Relations, and International Political
Economy. The required courses will emphasise theories and approaches to International Relations while the
2. The analysis of concepts such as power, agency, the State and the international system. Assessment of the growth of international organisations and institutional competencies and functions using the subfields of International law options will demonstrate their application with detailed examples from a range of topics including, interstate warfare and alliance formation, civil war and ethic conflict, foreign policy making, development, international political economy, international terrorism, diplomacy, international political identity building and global governance questions and the study of international organisations. and organisation theory, public policy theory, and new public management. In addressing these themes, particular attention to issues of conflict and cooperation among states, domestic influences on foreign policy, international institutions and regimes, and transnational relations.
Acquisition of 2 through the above mentioned required and optional courses. Additionally, the optional EU courses Policy-making and Regulation in Europe
The European Union in the World give a detailed
and example of an international organisation co-ordinating national and international negotiations. Finally, other policy-related courses will emphasise theory-driven and
3. How the social, political, economic and cultural dimensions of globalisation relate to international politics. The relationship between global processes and public policy making.
Knowledge of institutions and forms of governance, political identity formation and political allegiances in world politics, transnational social movements, equity, migration, and democratic accountability.
4. Skills for the analytical study of politics, political actors and their ontological premises, preferences and objectives, the role of institutions and strategic behaviour, communicative empirical analysis of policy processes and outputs from international bodies, for example, Political Economy of
Development, Governing Divided Societies, Terrorism, and Global Justice and Human Rights in an International
Order
Acquisition of 3 and 4 through the required and optional courses action and persuasion, hypothesis testing and empirical analysis.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed by a variety of methods:
‘unseen’ examinations, long essays and a dissertation.
The last mentioned is a required method of assessment.

Intellectual (thinking) skills: able to:
The programme aims to help students:
(a) approach the study of politics in a rigorous, systematic and theoretically informed way, and to question the premises of international relations and political analysis.
(b) 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 political science, particularly in comparative politics, public policy, and international relations.
(c) develop a normative approach to important political issues
B: Skills and other attributes
Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
Acquisition of (a) to (c) is fostered in all courses offered in the Programme, students will confront the main theories in political science and will be invited to question their premises and deduce the empirical observations, they will be introduced to the empirical evidence and invited to assess its validity.
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.

Practical skills (able to):
This programme aims to help students with the following practical skills:
(a) communicate effectively in writing
(b) improve their knowledge of international politics, institutions and policies across a range of issue areas
(c) improve their knowledge of world politics, institutions and policies of states,
NGOs, and international organisations
(d) use data-bases, digital and web resources, word-processing programmes, statistical packages
(e) present (non-assessed) seminar papers
(f) listen, discuss and debate ideas, interpretations and evidence introduced during seminars
(g) practice research and data collection of documents of governments and international organisations
(h) maintain a constant rhythm of learning and research
(i) choose their own long-essay and dissertation topics
(j) develop a research strategy and a working hypothesis
(k) learn a methodology for hypothesis testing
(l) adapt the working hypotheses developed in the long-essay and dissertation in light of the empirical evidence and its interpretation
C: Skills and other attributes
Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
(a) through the writing of long essays and dissertations
(b-c) through weekly lectures
(d) through instructions in the seminars
(e) through regular seminar presentations
(f) through seminar discussion
(g) through visits to the British Library
(h) through individual discussions with students
(i-l) through the production of long-essays and dissertation
Skills will be taught mainly in the required course
International Organisation, and the core optional courses
Foreign Policy Analysis, Theories of International
Relations, Global Public Policy and International Political
Economy.
They will be taught by scholars that have institution, policy or country 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:
(a-d) and (gl) through ‘unseen’ examinations, long essays and dissertation. The latter is a required method of assessment.

Transferable skills (able to):
The programme will encourage students to:
(a) write high quality essays and dissertations
(b) improve students’ knowledge of politics in general and of comparative politics and public policy in particular
(c) use computer resources and information technology
D: Skills and other attributes
Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
(a-c, f-n) long-essays, course work, dissertation
(b) reading academic works on politics, comparative politics and public policy
(c) submitting word-processed written work, using data bases, consulting on-line library catalogues, using website material
(d-f, I-l) seminar presentations and discussion
(d) present (non-assessed) material orally
(e) listen and contribute in class
(f) understand and assess contending ideas and arguments
(g) study a variety of written and digital materials available from libraries
(h) familiarise with documents of governments and of international organisations
(i) reflect on their own normative ideas by becoming acquainted with alternative points of view
(j) make original contributions to the study of politics, public policy and comparative politics
(k) understand and assess critically empirical evidence and develop methods to test predictions
(l) think both positively and normatively about politics
Assessment:
(a-c) and (fl) 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-benchmark-statements );

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:
Date of Review:
Date approved by Head of
Department:
Date approved by Chair of
Departmental Teaching
Committee:
Date approved by Faculty
Teaching Committee
Dr Rodwan Abouharb
May 2014
December 2014
December 2014
December 2014
January 2015