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Find individual courses here or browse the curricula of our graduate and executive programmes.
For the PhD programmes, please find more information here.

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Master of Public Policy

GRAD-C1-1027

Course-ID: The Policy Process: Digital Governance & Social Media Governance
Instructors: Prof. Daniela Stockmann, PhD

Abstract

This course aims to give students an introduction into public policy, policy analysis and the policy process. Public policies are the instruments with which the state attempts to exercise control over the public domain. Policy analysis deals with choosing the best means to obtain a specified end. The policy process focuses on the capacity of political actors to decide about these instruments.

While the theme of the course is the policy process, the examples used in the course are taken from digital governance and social media governance. As states become more digitized increasingly governments are trying to influence digital transformation. On the one hand, digitization is strongly connected to economic growth. On the other hand, digitization also has important social and political consequences, many of which are considered to challenge political stability and democracy. This course focuses on the development of a European approach towards co-regulating social media platforms in an effort to stabilize democracies in Europe.

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Master of Public Policy

GRAD-C1-1030

Course-ID: The Policy Process: Leadership in Local Government

Abstract

“Local solutions to global problems” is not just a slogan. In 2024, all politics is local. In an increasingly complex and dynamic world of multiple and overlapping crises, local authorities often find themselves at the eye of a perfect storm. It has become vital to tackle global issues, including questions of growth, the climate crisis, socio-economic inequalities, public health, and the digital transition, from the local perspective. This course helps you to think about these questions like a Mayor and aims to create a learning platform to explore and understand the principles, strategies, and best practices of public policy.

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Master of Public Policy

GRAD-C1-1031

Course-ID: The Policy Process: Urban Policy
Instructors: Prof. Dr. Kai Wegrich

Abstract

The course offers an introduction to public policy, the policy process and core concepts of policy analysis, drawing on applications to urban policy and politics. Policy analysis (or research) seeks to “find out what government do, why they do it and what difference it makes” (T Dye). Policy analysis studies how governments (and non-governmental actors) seek to address societal problems  – for example, which policy instruments to use (i.e. rent control to address rising rent prices) ; how these policies are put into practice (implementation) and which impact and outcomes, including unintended they generate (evaluation). Policy process research brings the political into policy analysis, raising issues such as power, interests, collaboration and conflict.

 

Urban spaces are magnifying glasses for societal problems and conflicts – and for policy and governance innovations. With an ever-growing urban population, the urban context is critical for solving complex policy issues – such as climate change, mobility, inequality, security. Many actors with different ideologies and interest – political parties, citizens, activists, local and global companies – seek to shape what city governments do (and what not). Usingexamples from cities around the globe, including Berlin, we will explore urban policy and politics through the lens of the policy process perspective. Students will learn the analytical tools and perspectives of policy analysis and policy process research through the application to urban policy and politics issues. We will explore the dynamics of agenda-setting, questions of political representation and power, and the influence of different socio-economic groups on urban policy making. Using case studies on urban transport, planning & development, and housing, you will apply policy analysis concept to exercises of policy design, evaluation, implementation and stakeholder analysis. You will also get the opportunity to work on a case of your choice.

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Master of Public Policy

GRAD-C2-2001

Course-ID: Law & Governance
Instructors: Prof. Mark Dawson, PhD, Prof. Dr. Pierre Thielbörger

Abstract

For those in the business of governing, understanding the institutions, methods and substance of the law is crucial. Policy-makers must understand the law, both as a potential instrument of societal change, and as an important constraint on the process of regulation and decision-making. The course Law and Governance will explore the relationship between law and governance, providing course participants with an introduction into legal decision-making and the role of law and courts in the political system. It will also aim to develop core legal skills such as legal argumentation and interpretation. A particular priority will be to explore the multi-level nature of modern law. The growth of international and regional organizations and regimes has increasingly made disputes and rules that were once the subject of international constraints and norms. At the same time, trans-national legal orders may have a quite different character from their national counter-parts. The course will therefore draw on examples from both the EU and International legal orders.

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Master of Public Policy

GRAD-C3

Course-ID: Public Management I
Instructors: Prof. Mark Hallerberg, PhD, Ralph Müller-Eiselt, Dirk Zorn, Prof. Dr. Thurid Hustedt

Abstract

Public policymaking relies on organisations, which perform different roles. On the one hand, ministries and central agencies make the policies by drafting bills, negotiating with interest groups or designing regulations. On the other hand, public agencies, private sector organisations and NGOs deliver public services and implement public policies. This course is about the design and operation of these organisations that matter for public policy. The course introduces concepts that:

•    Help students understand how these organisations shape the design and implementation of public policies and how they can, in turn, be ‘governed.’

•    Engage with controversies regarding the design and operation of public organisations, such as the (dis)advantages of using market-type mechanisms to govern public services.

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Master of Public Policy

GRAD-C4

Course-ID: Management & Leadership
Instructors: Monika Weber-Fahr

Abstract

The Management and Leadership course introduces students to core management and organization ideas, concepts and tools. We will examine how they can be applied to manage different types of organizations dealing with public issues, such as public sector organizations, social enterprises or non-profits as well as private enterprises. The primary course material consists of real-world case studies illustrating these concepts in action, examining actual organizational successes and shortcomings, the challenges faced by organizational leaders and members, and the different decisions that could be taken based on a careful analysis. Supplemental readings consisting of key seminal organizational works provide theoretical support to the practical applications of the concepts in the case studies. By the end of this course, students should have sharpened their ability to think strategically and critically, and enhanced their analytical and personal competencies to deal with the management challenges they will face throughout their career.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs

GRAD-C5

Course-ID: Statistics I: Inference & Regression
Instructors: Maria Uttenthal

Abstract

This course offers an introduction to quantitative research methods for public policy. By the end of the semester, students should have a better acquaintance with quantitative methods conducive to empirical policy research and the ability to understand and critique the techniques employed by others. No prior knowledge of statistics is assumed, and we will make every effort to address concepts both quantitatively and theoretically. Additionally, every student will attend a weekly lab session run by a teaching assistant in which concepts will be reinforced, where possible, through hands-on application using R. The goal of this course is not only to produce sophisticated consumers of quantitative research but to provide the necessary skills for students to conduct their own research. As such, we eschew the conventional stopping point for an introductory statistics course and spend several weeks on multiple regression. Almost no phenomena in the social world result from singular causality, so a useful applied course must train students in assessing multiple causality. We do so.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs

GRAD-C6-2001

Course-ID: Statistics II
Instructors: Prof. Asya Magazinnik, PhD, Maria Uttenthal

Abstract

This course continues the sequence in statistical modeling, helping students build a more diverse and sophisticated data analysis toolkit. In the first half of the course, we introduce a new perspective on studying causes and effects in social science and present various strategies to uncover causal relationships using statistical tools, from conditioning on observables (regression and matching) to the use of natural experiments (instrumental variables and regression discontinuity). The second half of the course covers other essential tools for analyzing data from the social world, including strategies for measuring theoretical constructs, analyzing time series and categorical data, and creating beautiful and informative data visualizations. All lectures divide time between theory and application, while labs and assignments emphasize hands-on data analysis with R.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs

GRAD-C7

Course-ID: Economics I
Instructors: Prof. Egon Tripodi, PhD

Abstract

The course offers an introduction to some of the key concepts used by economists, with a focus on microeconomic analysis. The main topics covered include consumer and producer behavior, competitive markets, as well as market failure and the need for governmental intervention. The goal of the course is for students to learn how economists think and it is built around three components. The first of these is the theory and ideas that economists use to structure their thinking. The second component is policy applications and debates where this theory will be applied and put to test, while the third is evidence from empirical studies to highlight principles of applied research design.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs

GRAD-C7adv

Course-ID: Advanced Economics: Concepts & Policy Applications
Instructors: Prof. Dr. Christian Traxler

Abstract

This class is tailored to students with some prior knowledge and/or training in economics. The course will cover a selected set of policy relevant topics in applied microeconomics. In doing so, we will cover conceptual foundations – in particular, empirical methods used in establishing causal relationships – and apply these to a rich set of policy domains. Starting from evidence on income inequality, the first part of the class (Session 1-8) discusses redistributive policies, in particular income taxation, welfare programmes (or universal basic income) and minimum wages. We will empirically explore (and quantify) responses to these policies and analyse welfare implications. The last third of the course (Sessions 9-12) discusses corrective policies in the context of externalities. Next to traditional environmental externalities (and conventional, Pigouvian responses such as CO2 taxation) we will also explore the correction of “internalities” (e.g., in the context of sugar taxation).

Note that the course will be centred on Micro-policies which affect individual and household decision making. We will not cover Macroeconomic questions and hardly discuss the choices of firms.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs

GRAD-C8-108

Course-ID: Economics II: Economics & Politics
Instructors: Prof. Arianna Ornaghi, PhD

Abstract

This course explores how the political system shapes public policy using tools from economics. First, we will use tools from microeconomics to formalize the key forces at play in the different issues we are going to discuss through simple theoretical models. Second, we will use tools from statistics and econometrics to understand what the empirical evidence says on how these forces play out in the real world. By the end of the course, you will not only be familiar with the core theoretical concepts in this area, but also develop skills helpful to approach empirical evidence in economics.

The course will cover a diverse set of questions, among others:

How can a society aggregate individual preferences through different voting systems? Do models of collective choice and voting apply to the real world?

What determines politicians' accountability? What is the effect of political representation of women, and can gender quotas help reaching equality?

Is corruption always inefficient?

How does collective action influence public goods provision, and how does diversity affect collective action?

What is the role of special interest groups and corporations in politics?

What is the best way of rewarding public officials? How should public officials be selected?

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs

GRAD-C8-110

Course-ID: Economics II: Macroeconomic Policy-Making & Economic Growth
Instructors: Gylfi Zoega

Abstract

The course covers equilibrium in the macroeconomy in the short run, the medium run and the long run. The short-run models show the causes of the business cycle, the medium run models the origins of inflation in the labour market and the long run models the determinants of economic growth. The course concludes with a treatment of monetary and fiscal policy.

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