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New for 2025: MSc Public Policy

Are you looking for a career in public policy or do you want to take your policy career to the next level? This course provides you with a global understanding of policy-making processes and skills in data analysis for evidence-based policy making, combined with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience to enhance your employability.
From the economy and the environment to education, migration, healthcare and beyond, today’s policy makers face a multitude of complex challenges. Our custom-designed MSc in Public Policy critically examines global policy concerns, exploring the reasons why decisions are made and how these decisions impact different areas of society.
Covering all aspects of the policy process from agenda setting to evaluation, the curriculum has been developed to equip you with the skills to examine diverse policy issues, make evidence-driven decisions, and evaluate their success or failure. Whether you are looking for a role with an NGO or government, or simply looking to advance your private sector role with a cutting-edge ability to evaluate how policy decisions will shape your industry, this course gives you the skills to advance your career.
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Example core modules

  • Public Policy (30)
  • Quantitative methods and analysis (15)

Or

  • Full stack research design

Example optional

  • Global Europe (15)
  • Global governance (15)
  • Core concepts (15)
  • Surveys, survey experiments and analysis (15)
  • Communicating quantitative evidence (15)

Example core modules

  • Capstone (7.5)
  • Dissertation for public policy (30)
  • Causal inference (15)

Example optional modules

  • Politics of global Europe (15)
  • Global governance (15)
  • Advanced topics in public policy (15)
  • Natural language processing (15)
  • Making the leap from evidence to policy (15)

Example core modules

  • Capstone (7.5)
  • Dissertation for public policy (30)

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MSc Public Policy

Develop a global understanding of policy-making and equip yourself with the skills to tackle complex challenges.
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Meet Programme Director Renu Singh

  • Blog

    Read Assistant Professor Singh's blog to learn more about our new MSc Public Policy.

    Image of Assistant Professor Renu Singh with the ocean and mountains in the background.

  • Profile

    Assistant Professor Renu Singh is the programme director on our new MSc Public Policy.

    Image of Dr Renu Singh standing in front of a pale background.

Blog

Read Assistant Professor Singh's blog to learn more about our new MSc Public Policy.

Image of Assistant Professor Renu Singh with the ocean and mountains in the background.

Profile

Assistant Professor Renu Singh is the programme director on our new MSc Public Policy.

Image of Dr Renu Singh standing in front of a pale background.

Your next steps

  

Apply Now

Develop a global understanding of policy-making and equip yourself with the skills to tackle complex challenges.
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Funding

We offer a wide range of scholarships, awards and bursaries that are dedicated to supporting students from countries around the world.
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Visit Us

With the choice to connect with us online or in-person, our Open Days are the best way to explore your postgraduate study options.
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In today's fast-paced and data-driven world, effective public policy requires a deep understanding of both the policy landscape and the ability to generate and interpret evidence. The MSc in Public Policy at Durham provides students with the perfect blend of these skills, equipping them to tackle complex policy challenges with confidence and insight.
Dr Jack Blumenau - UKRI Policy Fellow
Evaluation Task Force, Cabinet Office

Meet Assistant Professor Omar Hammoud-Gallego

  • Profile

    Omar Hammoud-Gallego is an Assistant Professor in Public Policy at our School of Government and International Affairs.

  • Blog

    Read Assistant Professor Hammoud-Gallego's blog to learn more about studying our MSc Public Policy.

     

     

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Profile

Omar Hammoud-Gallego is an Assistant Professor in Public Policy at our School of Government and International Affairs.

Blog

Read Assistant Professor Hammoud-Gallego's blog to learn more about studying our MSc Public Policy.

 

 

Image of Assistant Professor
Participating in a simulation exercise is an excellent example of the course's balance between the theoretical and the practical. Having that chance to apply the teaching within a specific context was the perfect taster for what many of us hope to be our next steps.
Jay
SGIA student