Modules

Full-time

The programme is divided over three terms in one academic year, with six compulsory and two optional taught modules plus a final project.

All students take six compulsory modules, which represent the four disciplinary pillars of the course: economics, politics, public administration, and design. Uniting these distinct modules is a focus on challenging economic orthodoxies and exploring the new thinking, institutions, and skills governments need to drive transformative change.

Compulsory modules

• New Economic Thinking and Public Value (15 credits) [Term 1]

The module will consider the alternative models for public policy, governance and administration from those focussed on ‘market fixing’ to new ones that can be expressed as ‘market making’. The latter requires all organisations, including those in the public sphere, to be equally ambitious around experimentation and exploration. This requires building new competencies and dynamic capabilities inside public institutions, which are oriented towards producing, nurturing and evaluation the creation of public value.
 

• Economics of Innovation and Public Purpose (15 credits) [Term 1]

The module introduces students to the economics of innovation and technical change, with a focus on theoretical contributions in evolutionary and structural economics – including techno-economic paradigms, national, regional and sectoral systems of innovations, industrial ecosystem and diversification dynamics. Students are also encouraged to understand innovation dynamics in different country contexts, and what context-specific factors constraints innovation and the translation of innovation into new markets, products and purposes.
 

• Politics, Power and Systems Change (15 credits) [Term 1]

The module focusses on understanding systems, actors in the systems, and institutions. This includes an introduction to systems analysis and mapping, encouraging students to take a wide view of problems and their interconnection to other issues, and an exploration of systems change cases.

Particular attention is paid to policy actors and how they act within, and are shaped or constrained by, the systems that they seek to affect. As such, the module critically interrogates simplistic, linear notions of policy making. It also explores theories of power, introducing ideas of agenda-setting and knowledge-production, along with more conventional views bases on conflict and formal hierarchy.
 

• Making Decisions: Evidence and Evaluation (15 credits) [Term 1]

This module combines a survey of policy evaluation methods, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method approaches, with a deeper discussion of the connection between a phenomenon, measurement, interpretation and, ultimately, decision-making.

Students will also engage with literature on how policy-makers use and interpret evidence and how this shapes their decision-making. This will be explored further through the use of case studies

• Creative Bureaucracies (15 credits) [Term 2]

Rooted in the study of public administration, this module looks at governance frameworks geared to developing dynamic capabilities within organisations, enabling them to become more flexible, adaptable and willing to experiment. The module begins by exploring the concept of creative bureaucracy – and whether that is an oxymoron! – before for looking at topics including the history of public administration, non-Western public administration traditions, and questions of ethics and representation. The module, in the second half, considers issues of digital transformation in depth.

• Transformation by Design (15 credits) [Term 2]

This module helps students develop strategic design skills and techniques for creating policy innovation cultures, processes, environments and organisations, particularly addressing the dynamics of digital transformation. The module uses tools from design thinking and applies them to issues in public administration, including policy design, public service design, and policy labs. As design has a significant practice component, the seminars are often practice-based, allowing students to apply the tools and thinking introduced in the lectures.

Optional modules

Students also take 30 credits of optional modules. Please note that the list of optional modules given here is indicative rather than exhaustive. This information is published in advance of enrolment and availability is subject to change:

• Digital Transformation (15 credits) [Term 2]
• Contemporary Political Philosophy II: Social Justice and Equality (15 credits) [Term 2]
• Democracy and Accountability: Holding Power to Account (15 credits) [Term 2]
• Urban Innovation and Policy (15 credits) [Term 2]
• Development, Technology and Innovation Policy (15 credits) [Term 2]
• Smart Cities: Context, Policy & Government (15 credits) [Term 2]
• Social Diversity, Inequality and Poverty (30 credits) [Terms 1 and 2]
• Rethinking Capitalism: (15 Credits) [Term 2]

Policy Analysis Thesis

In the third term, the thesis option presents students the opportunity to undertake a substantial written analysis. Students work independently with an IIPP supervisor and focus on a policy problem or organisational and institutional challenges in the public sector. The analysis is based on thorough academic understanding of the challenge and its context, and students are challenged to develop viable alternatives.

For these projects, students carry out empirical research to support their conclusions. Students have high-level interviews with policy actors, as well as conducted sophisticated quantitative analysis. Successful theses have taken on topics ranging from digitalisation in Indonesia to the role of creative industries in the United Kingdom’s national innovation system. In many cases, these theses are shared with the organisations under examination upon completion.

Placement

Alternatively, in the third term, students can choose to take the placment option which involves working with an organisation on a live project. Further details can be located in the 'Placement' section below.

Part-time

Year One

The first term is focused on modules New Economic Thinking and Public Value and Economics of Innovation and Public Purpose that delves into the different approaches to understanding the creation and measurement of public value and different framings for purpose led organisations

The second term is focused on the module Creative Bureaucracies looking at governance frameworks geared to developing dynamic capabilities within organisations that need to be flexible, adaptable and willing to experiment.

You will also take an elective module.

Year Two

The first term is focused on modules Politics, Power and Systems Change and Making Decisions: Evidence and Evaluation that considers how the approaches can be applied to understanding structural change in the economy (from innovation challenges to those in fiscal and financial frameworks).

The second term is focused on the module Transformation by Design, developing practical policy design and implementation skills with special attention to the emerging sphere of digital and AI tools.

You will also take an elective module.

In the third term you will do either the policy thesis of the placement. 

Flexible

Studied over a period of five years, you will select a combination of both core and elective modules. The number of modules per term will be dependant on the number you choose to enrol onto in any given year.

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MPA in Innovation, Public Policy and Public Value.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.