Public Administration Masters University of Exeter

• The MPA offers the opportunity to develop the skills that managers need to address and respond to complex problems in the public sector and beyond. Our focus is on the challenges facing government but the analytical and decision-making skills you will develop will be valuable in other sectors.
• We focus on practical and problem-centred teaching, informed by high quality research.  The MPA offers a range of tailored modules which are designed to fit together in terms of content and teaching style.
• The MPA is suitable for students who want to build a career in government or related fields but you will also develop generic analytical skills which are useful in other sectors. It is also suitable for students who already have experience in a managerial role in government or beyond. If you are more interested in an academic career (for example continuing to a PhD) then the MSc in Public Policy would be more suitable.
• We welcome students from the UK and over the last decade we have also welcomed students from, among other places, the Republic of Korea, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the US and Turkey.
• Many of our students do not have experience in the UK university system and so support for academic skill development is integrated into the MPA degree's core module.  There is also support for English language skills available through INTO. The teachers on the MPA modules are accustomed to working with students from various backgrounds.
• The MPA degree is available full-time (1 year) or part-time (up to 3 years).  
• If you are currently in a government role with a training sabbatical you can also consider the MPA with Applied Study (21 months full-time).  This entails taking the standard MPA for the first year (worth 180 credits) and then completing a further in-depth policy project and additional training and learning (worth 60 credits) over the following 9 months.  This is only available full-time. 

Entry requirements

We will consider applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree or above in a social science* subject.  Experience of working in government, public policy, or a managerial role more broadly, is welcome but not necessary.  Please explain your motivation for applying for the degree and any relevant experience in your personal statement.  If you have extensive experience in a managerial role in government we may be able to be flexible about the academic requirements (subject and grade), but you will need at least the equivalent of a UK Bachelors with Honours. 

*Accepted social science subjects include:

• Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Area and Development Studies
• Criminology
• Demography
• Development Studies
• Economics
• Economic and Social History
• Education
• Environmental Planning
• Human Geography
• International Relations
• Law
• Linguistics
• Management and Business Studies
• Media and Communication Studies
• Philosophy
• Politics and International Studies
• Psychology
• Science and Technology Studies
• Social Policy
• Social Statistics, Methods, and Computing
• Social Work
• Socio Legal Studies
• Sociology

Please note, if we receive an application which we deem more suitable for one of our other programmes, such as the MSc Public Policy, we may make an offer for that alternative programme instead.

The MPA with Applied Studies programme is designed for public officials who are sponsored by the organisation they work for (for example their department).   If you do not have sponsorship from a public sector employer please apply to the one year MPA.

Please also see our guidance on essential documentation required for an initial decision on taught programme applications.

Entry requirements for international students

Please visit our entry requirements section for equivalencies from your country and further information on English language requirements.

English language requirements

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2.