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Public Management and Leadership MPA

London, Bloomsbury

This is the programme information for 2025 entry

If you require details of the previous year's programme, Public Management and Leadership MPA (2024), click here

UK students International students

Study mode

UK tuition fees (2025/26)

£27,500

£13,750

Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)

£36,500

£18,250

Duration

1 calendar year

2 calendar years

Programme starts

September 2025

Applications accepted

Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025

Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025

Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

As a minimum, an upper second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this programme 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

To be effective in policy implementation and leadership of organisations, managers require knowledge of management theories and skills, but, at the same time, require an understanding of the distinctive features of each of the public, private, and non-profit sectors.

The MPA programme blends these two, combining the management knowledge and skills typically taught in business schools with an understanding of public policies typically conveyed in traditional public policy degrees. It takes a problem-based approach, combining the latest scholarship and practice, to prepare students to think creatively and to innovate in an ever more complex and constantly evolving multi-actor governance environment.

The programme’s leadership emphasis across sectors allows students to work across a wide variety of governmental and non-governmental institutions in their careers and critically shapes their capacity to engage multiple actors towards a common purpose.

Who this course is for

The programme is suitable for graduates with an interest in public management and leadership who wish to use the MPA for developing their careers either in public, private or non-profit organisations.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

The programme targets current and future leaders, who require leadership and management skills and theories to succeed but need to adapt to and consider the specificities of the public, private, and non-profit sectors in their roles.

This MPA will deliver the essential knowledge and skills managers require to deliver results and innovate in an ever more complex and constantly evolving multi-stakeholder and multi-level governance environment.

Testament to the MPA programme’s strengths, MPA graduates have excellent placement records – including senior roles in civil services around the world, leading NGOs, international organisations (such as the World Bank and OECD) and top private sector consultancies.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Upon completing the Master's in Public Management and Leadership programme, our alumni have embarked on diverse and impactful career paths closely aligned with the realm of public services.

The programme equips graduates with the knowledge, skills, and networks to excel in a wide range of sectors, making them highly sought-after professionals in their fields. Our MPA graduates have found their footing in a multitude of organisations, ranging from internationally renowned institutions to local government bodies, as well as esteemed private consulting firms, NGOs, and prominent think tanks. Their career destinations encompass a broad spectrum of fields and sectors, reflecting the programme's adaptability and the calibre of our alumni (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017-2022).

International Organisations: Many of our alumni have chosen to make their mark on the global stage, serving in leading international organisations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Bank, and the United Nations. These roles allow them to influence international policies and address pressing global challenges.
National and Local Governments: A substantial portion of our graduates have taken up senior positions in government departments and agencies, contributing their expertise to the development and execution of public policies at the national and local levels. Their work is instrumental in shaping the future of public administration.
Private Sector Organisations: Some graduates join the private sector, taking on roles in consultancy organisations (such as PricewaterhouseCoopers) or multinational firms (e.g. Meta, Virgin).
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs): Many of our alumni have chosen to work with NGOs, dedicating themselves to social causes and advocating for change. Organisations like the Red Cross benefit from the passion and expertise of our graduates in addressing humanitarian issues.
Entrepreneurship: In some cases, our alumni have established their own organisations, start-ups, or social enterprises, to address specific public service challenges in innovative and impactful ways.
Academic Pursuits: Several of our former students have pursued research careers, joined think tanks (such as Nesta) or pursued PhDs.

The MPA programme has consistently produced graduates who excel in their respective fields, making meaningful contributions to public services and governance worldwide. Our alumni's diverse career destinations serve as a testament to the programme's capacity to empower individuals to shape the future of public administration and contribute positively to society.

Employability

On completion of the MPA, you will be able to develop your careers further within public, private, or non-profit leading organisations. You will be equipped with the knowledge and the capabilities to take positions of responsibility, administrating, and implementing different aspects of public policies.

The MPA will enable you to develop key management skills in administering and implementing public policies. You will acquire critical abilities to analyse public policies; you will also develop your leadership capacity and gain understanding of how different institutional arrangements can be used to deliver public services. You will also be exposed to cases to advance your strategic decision-making skills.

Networking

Our Master's in Public Administration programme provides abundant networking opportunities, fostering connections with key players in the field of public administration.

Join our 'Policy & Practice' seminar series, where you'll gain insights from scholarly research and hear from high-profile policy makers, practitioners, and academics. These public events take place every Thursday evening during Terms 1 and 2 of the academic year, offering a platform for dialogue and collaboration.

We regularly invite policymakers and public managers to share their views and experiences, providing you with direct access to those at the forefront of public administration and allowing you to engage in discussions that shape policy and practice.

Additionally, the UCL Policy Lab organises regular events with academics and policymakers, tackling urgent societal issues, further enhancing your networking opportunities and exposure to real-world challenges.

Students will have the chance to collaborate with other UCL students throughout their studies, interacting with a diverse community of aspiring professionals, fostering valuable connections beyond the classroom.

Accreditation

Teaching and learning

Subject-Specific Knowledge:

Lectures and seminars, grounding in empirical, normative dimensions of public administration.

Intellectual, Academic and Research Skills:

Confronting theories in public administration, public policy, economics, and political science. Assessing premises and empirical validity of hypotheses.

Practical and Transferrable Skills:

Presentations, simulations, discussions, writing project reports, essays, and your final master project.

You will be assessed by a variety of methods including: project reports, class presentations, ‘unseen’ examinations, essays and a final MPA project.

For full-time students, typical contact hours are around 12 hours per week. Outside of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials, full-time students typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments.

Example of time spent if a Full-time Student versus Part-time Student

Full-time: Students study for 40 hours per week. Additionally students retaking a year will be deemed Full-time, when retaking more than half of the activity of the year.
Part-time: Students study at a structured rate per week, normally half the rate of Full-time study. Additionally students retaking a year will be deemed Part-time when retaking half or less of the activity of the year.

To learn more, please take a look at the Academic Manual.

Modules

In term 1, you will study two compulsory modules covering core public management issues: Governance and Public Management, and Data Analysis for Policy. Both modules are designed to equip you with the requisite foundational academic knowledge for public sector management careers. In addition, we recommend you choose one elective module offered in term 1 in accordance with your career aspirations.

In term 2, you will undertake a third compulsory module, Leadership and Organisational Behaviour, which will allow you to discover how to lead organisations to achieve societal impact.

In terms 1 and/or 2, you will additionally choose two modules from several options to personalize the programme to your specific interests, which typically include: Policy Implementation, Public Finance and Budgeting, Strategy and Organisational Change, and Policy Advice. In addition, you can choose one more elective module from all subjects offered by UCL, conditional on it being of relevance to your degree. You will also start preparing your final MPAproject in term 2.

In term 3, you will fully develop your final MPA project, which can be a dissertation, a case study, or a literature review. The final project will give you the opportunity to apply some of the concepts and skills developed through the programme under academic supervision. Many students benefit from the final MPA project to develop or deepen expertise in a topic of particular relevance for their future careers.

The programme structure for part-time students follows the same structure as our full-time students. We do encourage our part-time students to distribute their workload evenly between the two years of study.

Many part-time students opt for one of the following patterns:

75 credits in year one and 105 credits in year two;
or
90 credits in year one and 90 credits in year two.

Upon completion you will have undertaken modules to the value of 180 credits, comprising three compulsory modules (Governance and Public Management, Data Analysis for Policy, Leadership and Organisational Behaviour) and a final MPA project. You will have further attended elective module(s) to personalise your programme of study to your own academic or professional interests.

Compulsory modules

Data Analysis for Public Policy

Governance and Public Management

Dissertation

Leadership and Organisational Behaviour

Optional modules

Non-Profit and Voluntary Sector Management and Policy

Policy Implementation

Law and Regulation I

Public Finance Budgeting

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 are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

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

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Visit us

All open days and events

1 February 2025

Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Social and Historical Sciences

10:00 — 15:00

Join us at our Bloomsbury campus to discover where a postgraduate degree with UCL Social & Historical Sciences will take you. At this in-person event, you'll have the opportunity to learn more about our departments and our wide breadth of degree programmes. You'll have the chance to hear from academic staff and current students, and ask any questions you might have about the department, your chosen course and studying at a world-leading university.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time	Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£27,500	£13,750
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£36,500	£18,250

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme 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

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

There are no programme-specific additional costs to students.

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 £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. 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

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships/funding-students-postgraduate-taught-courses

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

: GREAT Scholarship

Deadline:8 May 2025

Value: £10,000 towards tuition fees (1 year)

Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need

Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

why you want to study Public Management and Leadership at graduate level
why you want to study Public Management and Leadership at UCL
what particularly attracts you to this programme
how your personal, academic and professional background meets the demands of a challenging programme
where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

When it is necessary to calculate a final average mark, the department will calculate all years of undergraduate study.

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

This programme 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.