This challenging two-year programme focuses on key issues of Public Administration and Organization Theory. The programme offers an in-depth investigation of societal problems and critical challenges faced by organisations - government agencies, not for profits, citizen groups, and form - involved in public value creation. You will investigate these challenges, analyse how public organisations deal with each challenge, and begin to form theories about what is required to make policies work.
Challenges of public governance
A changing climate, porous borders, the knowledge economy, the internet of things, robotica. The world is changing at an unprecedented pace, throwing up tantalizing opportunities as well as wicked problems for the way in which we govern our societies. Public administrators respond to these challenges in a variety of ways: they initiate reforms to make public management less bureaucratic and more accountable, they activate and enable citizens, they help businesses become more competitive while enhancing social responsibility, and they support civil society initiatives to provide voluntary community services. You will analyse how such initiatives help governments cope with the challenges of modernity.
These modern challenges are no longer the sole responsibility of government institutions. Private, not for profit and hybrid organizations as well as civil society groups are increasingly involved in creating value in the public domain and performing what previously were considered public tasks. Public governance thus not only takes place in national political institutions but also at local, regional and internationals levels of government, in multi-actor, multi-sectoral networks, and at the headquarters of large companies. Your study of the public domain and the critical issues in that domain will therefore focus on public organisations in the broadest sense of the word.
After Graduation
Through this intensive Master’s programme, you will gain the theoretical knowledge and methodological skills to analyse organizational and governance processes, such as strategic management, policy design and delivery, citizen engagement, public accountability, institutional learning. Our programme will also help you understand and analyse the classic questions of Public Administration and Organization Theory as they are playing out in contemporary contexts. It will provide you with the tools to identify, analyse, and design effective intervention strategies. Your studies will prepare you for a career in research, consultancy, government and the public sector at large. Your key selling point will be your analytical and methodological skills, your firm grounding in different bodies of theory and research, your writing and presentation skills, and your hands-on experience with designing and conducting projects.
Career Prospects
This Master’s programme prepares you for a range of careers in which theoretically informed analysis and critical assessment of research findings are essential requirements. You may continue on to phd studies and academic career. But you are also well-positioned for roles at research institutes, think tanks, government agencies and non-profit organizations. Also, a significant number of our graduates go on to careers in consulting firms.