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Innovation and Public Policy MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

UK students International students

Study mode

UK tuition fees (2026/27)

£6,400

£3,200

Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)

£31,300

£15,650

Duration

4 calendar years

5 calendar years

Programme starts

October 2026

February 2027

May 2027

Applications accepted

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis but should be submitted at least three months prior to your preferred start date.

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, in a relevant subject (economics or political economy), is essential. Exceptionally: where applicants have other suitable research or professional experience, they may be admitted without a Master's degree; or where applicants have a lower second-class UK Honours Bachelor's degree (2:2) (or equivalent) they must possess a relevant Master's degree to be admitted. We expect any successful application to include a sufficiently strong and convincing proposal, and those holding a Master's degree are typically well prepared to provide one. Relevant work experience is highly desirable.

The English language level for this course is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

This route is an interdisciplinary Doctoral Research Programme focusing on rethinking innovation in the context of public value creation. The programme aims to develop the next generation of world-leading interdisciplinary scholars in innovation, industrial policy, public sector governance and public policy. The PhD focuses on providing you with a bespoke programme of scholarly development designed to improve applied conceptual, theoretical and analytical skills. Its key goal is to prompt you as a doctoral researcher to blend and synthesise different disciplinary tools to offer truly interdisciplinary analysis on how innovation can be harnessed to tackle global challenges. There are no formal subject-based entry requirements for this route, however you should have a strong academic background and clear evidence of interest in your chosen topic.

We also offer a PhD in Economic Policy and Political Economy, an interdisciplinary doctoral programme that supports students to explore the relationship between states and markets and to research structural change, innovation, and the political economy of sustainability, finance and global development.

Who this course is for

The UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose is a policy-oriented institute, and we recognise the importance of our PhD students in contributing new knowledge to areas of policy research. As such, we bring together economists, philosophers, political scientists, designers, architects, anthropologists, and natural scientists to undertake research that rethinks innovation in the context of public value creation.

Applicants should be highly self-motivated, have a master’s degree and a passionate interest in a topic relevant to the Institute's research areas (see section on ‘Research areas and structure’), and some experience of independent research.

Read about what it takes to become a UCL graduate research student

What this course will give you

The UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose leads the debate about the direction of economic growth and governments' use of mission-oriented policies to confront the world's most urgent challenges: from climate change to inequality and the problems facing aging societies. Our research uses multidisciplinary perspectives to rethink economics and economic policy and the ways in which innovation leads to transformative change. Our main focus is on new approaches to policy across a range of spheres, including innovation policy, industrial policy, digital innovation in public and private sectors, environmental policy and macroeconomic and financial policy.

Our faculty features well-known names including Founder and Director of the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose Mariana Mazzucato and Graduate Tutor and Professor in Economics and Finance Josh Ryan-Collins, all situated within the heart of London, the best city for students in the UK and Europe, and third place worldwide (QS Best Student Cities 2026).

UCL has been ranked ninth best university in the world for the second year in a row, marking UCL’s 14th year among the top 10 universities worldwide (QS World University Rankings 2026). Across the university, UCL’s students and faculty are tackling grand challenges, ranging from climate change to healthcare for ageing populations.

As well as the opportunity to focus on new approaches to policy across a range of spheres from multidisciplinary perspectives at the Institute, the Innovation and Public Policy MPhil/PhD offers you research skills training delivered through a Research Methods series, regular PhD seminars for you to present new work to your peers, and we invite guest speakers to our research seminar series. These training sessions will develop your capabilities to research and collaborate between actors – skills needed within both public and private spheres to drive innovation across society-wide missions.

Not only will you be studying course content that matters both to your future career and to tackling the grand challenges of the 21st century, but you will also gain access to an active and growing alumni network, exchanging knowledge and skills with like-minded individuals from across the globe who are experienced in the realms of public policy, organisational and institutional innovation, and strategic design and digital transformation of public services.

Find out how your research could have an impact

The foundation of your career

The world is facing pressing challenges - social, technological and economic. What is the future of the welfare state? How can digital platforms be governed in democratic and inclusive ways? What new forms of investment, regulation and collaboration can best tackle global warming?

The answers to these questions require public and private organisations to collaborate in new ways and become more purpose-driven. In this context, governments require different tools and capabilities to co-create and co-shape markets, not just fix market failures. The Innovation and Public Policy MPhil/PhD nurtures the research capabilities of the next generation of world-leading interdisciplinary scholars in innovation theory, public policy, economics of innovation, innovation policy and its governance.

Many public sector organisations, policy think tanks and other policy analysis organisations, NGOs and large private organisations are looking for employees who are well-versed and skilled in new ways of justifying, evaluating and implementing public policies, and as a student of the Innovation and Public Policy MPhil/PhD you will be supported through your research to respond to the changing demands of these organisations.

All PhD students are also encouraged to gain valuable teaching experience and additional income by becoming postgraduate teaching assistants to Master’s students on our Innovation, Public Policy and Public Value MPA. You can also choose to teach on a number of different modules depending on your background and interests.

Faculty from the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose are active within their research and policy active and frequently have opportunities for PhD students to support you with paid research or policy engagement activities in fields related to your studies. You will also be encouraged to apply for additional small funding pots to further support their research.

Employability

With a unique set of skills, including analysis, leadership, public policy, organisational and institutional innovation, new models of innovation policy (mission-oriented innovation), and strategic design and digital transformation of public services, our graduates are sought after for their knowledge and new thinking on public sector innovation and innovation policy, as well as for their connection to the globally recognised policy work of the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose.

Networking

You gain exclusive opportunities to network with a wide range of organisations within the United Kingdom and around the globe. You will also connect with your peers, many of whom are already working in the public sector, and with the Institute’s academics. These opportunities are supported through our partnership programme, the Mission-Oriented Innovation Network (MOIN). MOIN is the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose’s policy network and peer-learning platform, bringing together global public sector organisations to share the challenges and opportunities they face when tackling the grand challenges of the 21st century.

Throughout the year, the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose hosts public lectures, seminars and panel discussions featuring global experts in innovation, policy and public value. These events give you the opportunity to engage with leading ideas and expand your professional network.

Teaching and learning

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) consists of a piece of supervised research, normally undertaken over a period of three years full-time. The MPhil/PhD will also offer you research skills training delivered through a Research Methods series which addresses methodological and ethical challenges, regular PhD seminars for you to present new work to your peers, and we invite guest speakers to our research seminar series. These training sessions will develop your capabilities to research and collaborate between actors – skills needed within both public and private spheres to drive innovation across society-wide missions.

Assessment is by means of a thesis, which should demonstrate your capacity to pursue original research based upon a good understanding of the research techniques and concepts appropriate to the discipline.

A typical full-time PhD student is expected to spend an average of approximately 36.5 hours per week working on their PhD, although this will vary, with some periods of more intensive research.

Research areas and structure

Research at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose is driven by three cross-cutting themes - innovation, public value and inclusive growth – which address how public value is imagined, practised and evaluated to tackle societal challenges to achieve sustainable, inclusive and innovation-led growth.

The current streams of our research explore the following areas:

Public value and public purpose
Governance and digital transformation
The state's role in technological revolutions
Green economy for sustainable growth and sustainable finance
Development and decolonisation economics
Macroeconomic and financial policy
Mission-oriented innovation policy
Patient finance, state investment banks and public finance
The economics of land and housing

Research environment

To support you in your PhD, you will receive the support of a minimum of two supervisors, with your primary supervisor being a faculty member of the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose. Our faculty at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose have strong relationships with many other departments and can advise students on subsidiary supervision. Your secondary (or subsidiary) supervisor will either be from the Institute or working within another department at UCL. Subsidiary supervisors will not normally be faculty staff but may be chosen from the wider research community at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (Research Fellows or Honorary Research Fellows/Professors) or be based at another department at UCL. You may also propose additional (tertiary) supervisors who can be from other external universities where appropriate.

As such, you will have regular meetings with your supervisors where you can exchange ideas and receive feedback on written work and guidance on relevant literature, research design and methods. The number of times you meet with your supervisor is agreed upon consultation with your primary supervisor. We also encourage our PhD students to present papers at conferences and share their research with peers to receive important feedback that will guide your research.

The Innovation and Public Policy MPhil/PhD completed in a full-time mode will normally take four calendar years.

In your first year, you will be registered as an MPhil candidate and will then be expected to upgrade to PhD status within 18 months of registration. The upgrade process is an opportunity for you to present an in-depth research proposal that hones in on a specific area of study, and to look at preparation and resources required in order to complete the full PhD on time. Your primary supervisor and subsidiary supervisor will then provide you with feedback and guidance, and render a decision to upgrade you or not. Full details of the upgrade procedure can be found on the UCL website.

Formal PhD supervision is provided over three years after which time you should have completed your research and have an initial draft completed. You may apply for ‘continuing research status’ (CRS) to write up your thesis in your fourth year if needed but only informal supervision will be provided.

The Innovation and Public Policy MPhil/PhD completed in a part-time mode will normally take five calendar years.

In your first year, you will be registered as an MPhil candidate and will then be expected to upgrade to PhD status between 18 to 36 months of registration. The upgrade process is an opportunity for you to present an in-depth research proposal that hones in on a specific area of study, and to look at preparation and resources required in order to complete the full PhD on time. Your primary supervisor and subsidiary supervisor will then provide you with feedback and guidance, and render a decision to upgrade you or not. Full details of the upgrade procedure can be found on the UCL website.

Primarily, you will conduct independent research with the guidance of two supervisors. You will have a close one-to-one working relationship with your primary supervisor at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, and receive additional guidance from your secondary supervisor, either working within the Institute or from another department within UCL. Your supervisors may suggest that you enrol in, or audit, additional taught modules to supplement your research. The auditing of taught modules is not a formal part of the Innovation and Public Policy MPhil/PhD, and so is not formally assessed.

Accessibility

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time	Part-time
Tuition fees (2026/27)	£6,400	£3,200
Tuition fees (2026/27)	£31,300	£15,650

Postgraduate Taught students benefit from a cohort guarantee, meaning that their tuition fees will not increase during the course of the programme, but UCL reserves the right to increase tuition fees to reflect any sums (including levies, taxes, or similar financial charges) that UCL is required to pay any governmental authority in connection with tuition fees.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Where the course is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

As a research student, your additional costs may include expenses such as books, conference attendance and field research, in the UK or overseas. These expenses are optional, and will vary depending on your choice of research.

For in-person teaching, UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2025. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

In our faculty, The Bartlett Promise Scholarship aims to enable students from backgrounds underrepresented in the built environment to pursue PhD studies. Please see the PhD scholarship page for more information on eligibility criteria, selection process and FAQs.

Any additional funding available from the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose and The Bartlett will be advertised on the respective websites.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Are you ready to start your application for an MPhil/PhD at UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose? Follow the two-step process to start your application, following the guidance on our PhD application page. Once you have identified your project and supervisor, and have submitted an expression of interest to them, they will be able to give you feedback before you submit your formal application.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate courses (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

This course requires two references. Further information regarding references can be found on this Selecting your references page.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.