Executive Master of Public Administration

Compulsory module – 9 days and 10 ECTS in total

The contemporary state and public policy-making are undergoing profound changes: New forms of regulation and governance are emerging, and a variety of actors contribute to this process. Networks, forms of cooperation, and partnerships are developing at different political levels among the three sectors – the state, business and civil society. Traditional forms of (hierarchical) 'government' are losing significance, and new forms of (horizontal) political regulation and policy-making are emerging: 'governance' – with and without government. At the same time, not only states in Europe but also stakeholders from civil society and the private sector are embedded in the European Union. Shaping governance and explaining public policy are impossible without understanding the actors, institutions and processes behind the making of public policy. Comprehending the potential and limitations of governance is equally important.

In “Governance and public policy”, students foster their ability to analyse, understand and explain the challenges of modern governance and 21st century policy-making. Students will be introduced to academic debates, theoretical arguments and methodological approaches from an interdisciplinary perspective. They will understand how collectively binding decisions are made, contested and influenced across sectors and levels of governance.

Introductory course:

• Governance and public policy in the 21st century: key debates

In addition, participants choose 3 of the following courses:

• Policymaking: actors, institutions and processes
• Bureaucracies and evidence-based policymaking
• Designing, leading and growing organisations
• Economics for policy-makers
• European Union governance

Compulsory module – 9 days and 9 ECTS in total

This module gives students an overview of the key challenges faced in modern management, leadership and decision-making. It trains students’ ability to cope with these issues in a future leadership role. Focusing on both underlying theories, main concepts and methodological tools, the module introduces students to the practicability and the pitfalls of central methods and reforms in the context of public administration in general and of financial management in particular. Students must also face questions of ethics, judgements and self-reflection in leadership; they must confront the implications of data consumption and visualise it in an informed and competent way.

Upon successful completion of the module, students will have gained the ability to understand and use key management tools. They will have honed their diagnostic, ethical and judgement skills in leadership; grasped how budgets are drafted, evaluated, negotiated and used to achieve certain political goals; and addressed one of the key challenges of decision-making in this day and age – how to trust the numbers, data and quantitative results put before them.

Participants choose 3 of the following courses:

• Strategic and performance management
• Power and influence: leadership in action
• Budgeting and priority-setting in government
• When to trust the numbers: informed data consumption

Compulsory trainings – 4 ECTS

The Skills for impact module aims at fostering participants’ professional development by conveying skills, tools and analytical perspectives as well as offering opportunities to learn about governance challenges and reflect on the application of skills in a specific institutional context.

The skills courses put practical application centre-stage and aim to strengthen students’ soft competences. Students choose two skills courses out of a selection that may include but is not limited to: negotiation and mediation, policy writing, political communication and scenario-building. The objective is to equip students with interpersonal or transferable skills that fit their lifelong learning aspirations.

Participants choose at least 2 courses of the following:

• Monitoring and evaluation
• Negotiation and mediation
• Policy-writing for impact
• Political communication
• Data skills
• Scenario-building and foresight

Compulsory workshops – 3 ECTS

Participants choose at least one of the following workshops:

• The workshop in Brussels offers students the opportunity to experience the EU’s institutions and decision-makers first-hand, in interaction with Brussels-based policy-makers and practitioners. The workshop helps participants develop strategies and approaches for dealing with the EU’s institutions, preparing professionals for positions with a strong European dimension.
• The workshop in London offers students the opportunity to experience the workings of public management in the UK first-hand, with a particular focus on London-based ministries and agencies. Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to analyse good practice in the development of Anglo-Saxon management and to reflect critically upon its applicability to other – in particular continental European – administrative cultures.

 Master’s thesis project – 19 ECTS

In their master’s theses, students demonstrate their ability to carry out an independent research project and are able to apply their theoretical knowledge and analytical skills to an issue of practical relevance. With the academic expertise and skills acquired in previous courses, students analyse a real-life problem from a professional or policy context and propose possible solutions. Collaboration with a governance, public policy or public management institution as a practice partner is encouraged.

Participants of the one-year programme are expected to present their master’s thesis proposals during their 2nd semester, whereas participants of the two-year programme will do so during their 4th semester. By this time, students will have identified both an institutional partner for collaboration (if applicable) and a faculty member as their thesis advisor.