ObjectivesCareer opportunities in public management are very varied. As a large-scale employer, government and the public sector require a great variety of management roles to be undertaken. You could be making a difference to your local community as a manager of the local hospital, providing housing services, directing urban regeneration projects, or managing local authority services. At national level you could be a civil servant managing policy formulation, implementing regulations through a non-governmental regulatory agency, or helping to run a public enterprise business. Alternatively you could be engaged in public management activities working in a private company delivering public services for national or local government.
Entry requirementsApplicants will usually hold a good Honours Degree, or overseas equivalent, in any subject. Work experience is desirable but not essential.
Academic titleMSc Strategic Public Management International
Course descriptionTeaching/assessment
Teaching will be delivered through formal lectures, more informal seminars, tutorials, workshops, discussions and e-learning packages. Assessment will usually be through a combination of individual and group work, presentations, essays, reports and examinations.
Further information
The Department of Public Policy, one of Leicester Business School’s six departments, offers excellent rated teaching and student support by the Quality Assurance Agency (24/ 24) and research in this field was also awarded a score of 5 – indicating ‘research of international excellence’ – in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). Staff are world leaders in their research fields, and particular areas of focus include the Local Governance Research Unit, the Health Policy Research Unit, and the Centre for Comparative Housing Research.
The course focuses upon management at the public/private interface. It offers students the opportunity for advanced personal development, requiring critical analysis and application of public policy and management theories and concepts. It also provides an understanding of the complex and increasingly globalised and market oriented context within which public policy making and public management is undertaken today.
The overall objective of this programme is to equip students with an ability to operate within the complex and multi-dimensional environment in which public policies and services are developed and delivered and to give students a base to be better managers and policy makers in the future, whether in the public or private sector. The first semester modules enable all students to acquire a good grounding in public policy and business concepts and theories. During the second semester, students will be able to develop specialist knowledge of different policy areas.
Induction: Foundations of Strategic Management (September)
Day 1 Being a Manager
Day 2 Effective Communication Skills
Day 3 Introduction to Public Sector Management
Day 4 Global and Policy Environment
Day 5 Quantitative Methods
Semester One (September-January)
In the first semester, all students complete the three core (compulsory) modules:
- Managing Public Policy
The nature, context and management of public policy making
- Critical Perspectives in Global Management
Classic and contemporary theories of management and decision-making processes
- International Strategic Management, Markets and Resources
Evaluating how leaders generate and implement strategies in global markets.
In addition, students complete one elective (optional) module:
- Organisational Context and Analysis
The processes that produce and deliver organisational services and products
- Accounting for Managers
Examining the accounting process resulting in accounting reports for external use.
These modules cover essential key themes in public policy making and management. They provide a solid foundation in essential functions such as the nature, context and processes of public policy making, management theories, strategic planning, market research, and effective human resource management or accounting. Students develop enhanced academic and interpersonal skills, including the ability to critically analyse and think strategically.
Semester Two (January-May)
During Semester Two, students study two compulsory modules – The Public/Private Interface and Research Methodology plus two electives. Students are requested to select their electives during Semester One of the programme.
The range of electives enables students to develop new specialist knowledge of particular areas of public policy and public management. They will be able to apply theories and concepts studied in the first semester and to utilise UK, comparative and global experience to draw lessons about public management issues, problems and solutions.
Typical elective modules include:
- Local Governance
- Health Policy
- Globalisation.
Please note that electives shown are examples only – modules available may vary each year according to student demand and staff availability.
Semester Three (June-September)
The final stage of this Masters Degree is the dissertation, a detailed piece of written research with a public/private sector focus, on a public policy or public management topic of your choice. The Research Methodology module in Semester Two prepares students for the dissertation and support throughout the dissertation is offered by a nominated personal tutor who, where possible, will be a subject expert in your chosen field. Dissertation subjects normally reflect areas of relevance to the student’s career ambitions or have a practical application for the student’s employer/sponsor.