Doctor of Public Administration (DPA)

Doctoral study at UCL STEaPP offers the opportunity to develop a career at the interface of science and public policy.

The DPA is policy-orientated and cross-disciplinary research methods are deployed to give students a competitive edge. A placement within a real-world policy setting forms a substantial component of the programme.

To find out core information about this degree, such as entry requirements, programme length and cost, visit the UCL prospectus site.

Doctor of Public Administration on the UCL Prospectus

• Training Elements
• How to Apply
• Fees and Funding
• Supervisors

Training elements

The taught component of the programme consists of six core training elements (modules from STEaPP) and two specialisation training elements (modules from STEaPP or a sister department within UCL BEAMS). The core modules are the following:

• Knowledge Systems, Public Policy and Management (STEP0013) (Term 1)
• Research Methods (STEP0014) (Term 1)
• DPA Research in Practice (STEP0015) (double module, to be completed before progression to the second phase of the degree - in Year Two for full-time candidates)
• Research Project Literature Review (STEP0016)
• DTP Books Seminar A (STEP0017) (Term 1)
• DTP Books Seminar B (STEP0019) (Term 2)

How to Apply

Departmental application process and deadlines

All MPhil/PhD admissions decisions are made by the Graduate Tutor (Professor Yacob Mulugetta) and your potential supervisor. Please note that a key component in the admission decision is the research proposal submitted with the application form. Since the MPhil/PhD is a research-only degree, we expect candidates to have a reasonably well-defined research proposal at the time of the application.

We strongly encourage candidates to contact the STEaPP Departmental Graduate Tutor, Professor Yacob Mulugetta and potential supervisors in advance of submission to discuss their proposal.
 
You must apply via the UCL online application.
 
Please select the UCL Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP) as your home department in the application. In order to be considered as a prospective PhD candidate, and in addition to the documentation formally required by UCL, you will need to submit the following:

1. A research proposal
   This should be uploaded as a separate attachment to your application. The proposal is an outline of the research you intend to carry out for your PhD. It should be no more than three pages long (excluding a bibliography).
2. The name of at least ONE potential supervisor who you would like to review your application
   Identify a STEaPP academic conducting research in your areas of interest. The best way to do this is to check our supervisor section below and read as much as you can about their research to ensure that they are suitable for you.
   
   Send them an email (i) introducing yourself, (ii) outlining your research interests, (iii) explaining that you wish to apply to the STEaPP PhD Programme and (iv) would like to list them as a potential supervisor in your application.
   
   List their name under the "supervision" section of your application.
3. A Personal Statement
   Please make sure you complete the personal statement section on the electronic application. Please include a brief statement on how your research fits within the department, and a rationale for why STEaPP is the best home for your project.
4. Academic transcripts for each of your degree level qualifications
   Transcripts should be uploaded to UCL Select. They should outline both the grades you achieved in individual modules and the overall grade you obtained in your degree programme, degree certificates are not sufficient. Transcripts must be translated into English.

Fees and funding

Fees

Information on UCL tuition fees

Scholarships and Funding

There are various scholarship and funding opportunities available to MPhil/PhD students at STEaPP.

UCL Scholarships

View a full list of scholarships and more general funding information

There is also the UCL scholarship finder, that all prospective students can use to find potential funding - Scholarships Finder

Scholarships for students not currently enrolled 

UCL Graduate Research Scholarships and Overseas Research Scholarships

Application guidance and documents can be located on the Graduate Research Scholarships and Overseas Research Scholarships pages.

UCL EPSRC DTP – Open Doctoral Studentships Competition

The UCL EPSRC DTP Studentships Open Competition aims to recruit outstanding students to undertake fully-funded PhD projects (fees, stipend, training fund) at UCL. Information, opportunities and resources for students considering applying for EPSRC-funded Doctoral Training at UCL can be found here.

UCL Cybersecurity CDT scholarships

These studentships are offered via the UCL Centre for Doctoral Training in Cybersecurity, an exciting collaboration between three UCL departments - Computer Science (CS), Security and Crime Science (SCS), and Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP) - designed to increase the capacity of the UK to respond to future information and cybersecurity challenges.

For full details about the CDT in Cybersecurity and the studentships, please click here.

For overseas students only

Overseas students are encouraged to apply for Commonwealth and British Council Scholarships in those countries where they are administered.

Supervisors