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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 Data Science for Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Public Policy

Politics of forced migration

Year 2 | Elective course (GRAD-E1405 , 6 credits )
Module: 6. Portfolio Elective | 7. Portfolio Elective | 5. Policy Analysis Concentration Elective | 5. International Security Concentration Elective | 5. Security & Sustainability Concentration Elective

Abstract

This module aims to introduce students to past and current research on the politics of forced migration. The course can be divided into three subsections: causes of displacement, effects of displacement flows on the destination and how hosts respond to flows. It will start by introducing the main concepts and historical and legal developments. Then, it will explore the causes of forced migration movements with an emphasis on politics, conflict and the environment. Later, it will move on to where people flee and investigate how forced migration flows affect the security and economy of host communities. Afterwards, the module will focus on how destination countries govern forced migration flows and how people in the host countries react. Developed countries (e.g., Germany) as well as developing countries (e.g., Jordan) will be investigated. Finally, the course will also cover under which circumstances displaced people move back to their home and the effects of this return on society.

This course is for 2nd year MIA, MPP and MDS students only.

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Master of Data Science for Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Public Policy

Public ethics

Year 2 | Elective course (GRAD-E1416 , 6 credits )
Module: 6. Portfolio Elective | 7. Portfolio Elective | 6. Governance & Management Elective | 5. Human Rights & Global Governance Concentration Elective
Instructors: Richard Bellamy

Abstract

This module explores the ethical dimensions of politics. It investigates the moral responsibilities of politicians, public servants and citizens. It also examines various philosophical methods through which one might morally evaluate the behaviour these actors exhibit and the policies they enact; and it assesses the advantages and disadvantages of these methods.


Combining theory and practice, the module combines abstract philosophical debates with concrete case studies. The course focuses on the process of political debate and policymaking. It addresses such issues as the use of violence and official secrecy, the morality of lying, the dangers of hypocrisy, the necessity of compromise, the permissibility of protest, and the moral limits of the market.


 Students will reflect on such questions as whether the ends justify the means, whether a good character is necessary or sufficient for taking ethically good political decisions, the relevance of context to the moral criteria we apply and conclusions we draw, and the nature of public reasoning and justification.

This course is for 2nd year MIA, MPP and MDS students only.

 

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Master of Data Science for Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Public Policy

Social inequality

Year 2 | Elective course (GRAD-E1429 , 6 credits )
Module: 7. Portfolio Elective | 6. Portfolio Elective | 5. Policy Analysis Concentration Elective
Instructors: Prof. Dr. Michaela Kreyenfeld

Abstract

This course provides an overview of theories and methods in social inequality and social stratification research. We will examine the origin of economic and social inequalities as well as health disparities. The main aim of the course is to combine theory and empirical investigations. We start with macro level data and revisit standard definitions and measures of poverty and social exclusion. We then turn to micro-level data analysis which not only allows us to study how age, gender, class, education and race, ethnicity or migration relate to social inequality, but also to uncover which patterns of disadvantage intersect. Students are expected to have some basic programming skills (usually obtained through STATS I).

This course is for 2nd year MIA, MPP and MDS students only.

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Master of Data Science for Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Public Policy

The psychology of intergroup relations

Year 2 | Elective course (GRAD-E1395 , 6 credits )
Module: 7. Portfolio Elective | 6. Portfolio Elective | 5. Policy Analysis Concentration Elective | 5. Security & Sustainability Concentration Elective | 5. International Security Concentration Elective
Instructors: Prof. Ruth Ditlmann, PhD

Abstract

This course introduces students to psychological theories of prejudice and intergroup relations, with an emphasis on applying these theories to public policy. After learning what empirical methods and assumptions guide the social psychological study of intergroup relations (mostly different experimental paradigms), we will review classic and contemporary theory and research on intergroup relations and prejudice from social psychology. While the core of this research is US-based, we will read empirical articles testing these theories in different countries, pertaining to different group dynamics, whenever possible. At the end of the course, we will focus on applications of such theory and research to pressing social issues, such as anti-prejudice interventions in different settings (education, media etc.) and post-conflict reconciliation.

This course is for 2nd year MIA, MPP and MDS students only.

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Master of Data Science for Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Public Policy

The weaponisation of soft power

Year 2 | Elective course (GRAD-E1392 , 6 credits )
Module: 6. Portfolio Elective | 7. Portfolio Elective | 6. Governance & Management Elective | 5. Security & Sustainability Concentration Elective | 5. Management & Organisation Concentration Elective | 5. International Security Concentration Elective
Instructors: Pierre Buhler

Abstract

This course aims to provide students with a comprehensive overview and understanding of the use and – increasingly – abuse by several authoritarian states of the tools originally meant to project soft power. Defined in 1989 by Harvard scholar Joseph Nye as the appeal of a country through the values it embodies, its culture and its foreign policy, soft power has attracted the attention of authoritarian states.
Those states had indeed become aware of the benefits they could draw from soft power tools providing useful conduits for disinformation, propaganda, and manipulation, all powered by the multiplier effect of social media. Cultural diplomacy, human exchanges, students, academic and scientific cooperation schemes have also become vehicles for entryism into other states’ relevant institutions. Economic and business interdependence has been transformed into a platform for influence. This is how those tools have been 'weaponized'.
After a detailed description of the many ways in which those policies are conducted, the course will focus on the different strategies that underpin them, the narratives they aim at spinning, and the defenses available to democracies against that 'deceptive use of information for hostile purposes”, which Nye analyses as “a type of hard power”.

This course is for 2nd year MIA, MPP and MDS students only.

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Master of Data Science for Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Public Policy

Treasure or trouble: Managing mineral wealth

Year 2 | Elective course (GRAD-E1400 , 6 credits )
Module: 7. Portfolio Elective | 6. Portfolio Elective | 5. Security & Sustainability Concentration Elective | 5. Human Rights & Global Governance Concentration Elective
Instructors: Monika Weber-Fahr

Abstract

This course explores the opportunities and challenges associated with countries’ mineral wealth and extractive industries. Mineral resources are a large part of our everyday life - the spoon we use, the phone we hold, the tooth that gets filled - but go unnoticed by most of their users and ignored in public debate, unless a major disaster happens. Yet, our societal choices – in terms of policies and management practices – matter profoundly for mining countries’ economic, social and environmental health, as well as in terms of peace, integrity, and institutional stability. As the world is embarking on massive climate-change driven transitions, the mineral intensity of most clean energy technologies has brought renewed attention to the “treasure and trouble” associated with the extractive industries and their related facilities. Students will take a journey through the A-Z of what policymakers and industry can do – and need to be mindful of – in creating policy options and shaping management approaches for building economic, social, and environmental wealth based on – and perhaps despite – the mineral resources they own and work with.

Throughout the course, students will get to explore and understand the context and rationale for the often-different paths taken by countries and corporates. Using practical examples from around the world, across the 70+ mining countries, the course will cover 12 main topics associated with Mineral Wealth and Extractive Industries: (1) Economic Development, Poverty Reduction, and Revenue Management; (2) Shared Value and Local Social Development and Alliances; (3) Water; (4) Energy; (5) Integrity and Corruption; (6) Labor Relations and Human Rights; (7) Gender Dimensions in Mining Policies and Management Approaches; (8) Mining Companies and their Organizational Challenges; (9) Small-Scale Mining; (10) Mine Closure and Industrial Re-Structuring; (11) ESG Principles and Standards across Countries and Industry Players; and (12) Accountability and Complaints Mechanisms.  The course will include in-person discussions with a senior manager who has for many years led the World Bank’s Mining Practice and with a senior manager from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) who oversees the evaluation of GEF funded programs including, amongst other things, some that are designed to lessen the negative impact of mining in terms of human and environmental health.

This course is for 2nd year MIA, MPP and MDS students only.

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Master of Data Science for Public Policy Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs

Ukraine: A European war

Year 2 | Elective course (GRAD-E1404 , 6 credits )
Module: 7. Portfolio Elective | 6. Portfolio Elective | 5. Security & Sustainability Concentration Elective | 5. International Security Concentration Elective
Instructors: Wolfgang Sporrer

Abstract

This course will examine the roots, the events and the consequences of the Russian war against Ukraine.

This course is for 2nd year MIA, MPP and MDS students only.

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Master of Data Science for Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Public Policy

US foreign policy

Year 2 | Elective course (GRAD-E1415 , 6 credits )
Module: 6. Portfolio Elective | 7. Portfolio Elective | 5. International Security Concentration Elective

Abstract

This seminar has three goals. First, it familiarizes students with the history of US foreign policy. Second, it introduces them to the main US foreign policy actors and institutions. Third, it critically examines a variety of instruments commonly used in US foreign policy.


The structure of the course reflects these goals. The first part gives an overview of the historical evolution of US foreign policy. It focuses on the rise of the United States to great-power status, the onset of the Cold War, and US foreign policy after the end of the Cold War. The second part focuses on the institutional side of US foreign policy. Its sessions deal with the US presidency, the role of Congress in foreign policy decision-making, and finally the role of the state bureaucracy and bureaucratic politics. The third and final part looks at and critically reviews the most prominent foreign policy instruments in US foreign policy: diplomacy, economic sanctions, and the use of military force.

This course is for 2nd year MIA, MPP and MDS students only.

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Executive MPA Executive training

Budgeting and priority-setting in government

Core course (EMPA-CV-1 , 3 credits )
Module: 2. Management: Challenges, Concepts & Resources
Date: 16.02.2023 – 18.02.2023
Instructors: Prof. Mark Hallerberg, PhD

Abstract

16-18 February 2022 | Executive seminar

This course considers a core set of financial management topics. While the focus is on public management, we will discuss some themes that originate in the private sector and that governments apply to their budgets. Indeed, such 'private' tools have become increasingly popular around the world. Many of the 'innovations' in financial management first happened in the United Kingdom. 

You will learn more about how the British system works in this class. Other countries (including the Netherlands, Sweden, and of course Germany) will have lessons for us as well, however. During the first two days, we will consider the context for fiscal rules and debt management. The third day will begin with a presentation from you of your group work. We will then finish with 'hot topics' such as the private sector in public finance initiatives as well as digitalisation. The fiscal consequences of the pandemic will be examined throughout the class and not just in one unit.

This seminar is offered as part of the Executive MPA programme and in the open enrolment programme.

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Executive MPA Executive training

Bureaucracies and evidence-based policymaking

Core course (EMPA-CIII-4 , 3 credits )
Module: 1. Governance & Public Policy
Date: 29.02.2024 – 02.03.2024
Instructors: Prof. Dr. Thurid Hustedt

Abstract

29 February - 2 March 2024 | Executive MPA seminar

Bringing evidence to policymaking is a critical challenge for today’s policymakers at all levels of government. On the one hand, demand for supporting policy designs and implementation practices based on knowledge, information and research is ever-increasing, putting pressure on programme managers and policymakers at various levels to step up their game and be well-versed in the craft of policy research. At the same time, the social, political and media environments make the rational use of knowledge and research more difficult – knowledge and information become contested, ignored and side-lined in a world shaped by the increasingly powerful role of digital media and social polarisation.

Debates about evidence-based policy often focus on two worlds: The world of research and the world of politics. This take underestimates the critical role of bureaucracy in policymaking as well as its various linkages with external experts and advisors – and reforms to promote evidence-based policy often fail to grasp these realities. That is why the course combines insights from research on the role of evidence with those from the world of politics and bureaucracy.

This seminar is offered as part of the Executive MPA programme and in the open enrolment programme.

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Executive MPA Executive training

Data Science for Decision-Makers

Elective course (EMPA-EIV-7 , 3 credits )
Module: 3. + 4. Concentration and complement: Digitalisation and Big Data
Date: 23.03.2023 – 25.03.2023
Instructors: Dr. Matthias Haber

Abstract

23-25 March 2023 | Executive MPA Seminar

Data plays a central role in most organisations and data science can be a powerful enabler to uncover useful business insights and gain a competitive advantage. While recent advances in machine learning and the increasing availability of data present exciting opportunities, they also present new challenges for decision makers. Decision makers rarely have the time to educate themselves about the technical skills required to extract useful insights from data. What they need, is distilled information which will help them make informed decision as fast as possible.

This course introduces decision makers to key data science techniques and technologies and equips them with a set of skills to embed data science effectively in every facet of their organisation. The sessions will be hands-on and practice-oriented, providing a high-level overview of data science and covering concepts such as data sourcing, predictive analytics, data storytelling, tools, data security and machine learning. Participants will also explore case studies and best practices to uncover what works and what does not.

Main topics and learning objectives:

  • Statistical concepts
  • Data collection, transformation and storage
  • Predictive analytics
  • Data storytelling
  • Data tools
  • Data strategies
  • Ethics and data security
  • AI & machine learning
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Executive MPA Executive training

Data skills

Skills course (EMPA-SC-23 , 2 credits )
Module: 5. Professional Development
Date: 27.03.2023 – 28.03.2023
Instructors: Dr. William Lowe

Abstract

27-28 March 2023 | Skills training

Data, whether big or small, are key to the current digital transformation, whether directly in business intelligence and analytics, or as the raw material for artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. With almost all leading R&D organisations perceiving that data management should be a priority for their business, the ability to understand, interpret and leverage data in a variety of forms has become an essential skill for business professionals. Data literacy helps professionals separate useful information from background noise and enables them to take appropriate and informed actions.

This course introduces students to a core set of skills and methods needed for generating, reading, analysing and communicating data and provides them with the ability to apply them to their own projects. The course covers concepts such as probability and inference, regression and machine learning, as well as using text as data. It helps students develop a skill set that includes R programming.

This seminar is offered as part of the Executive MPA programme and in the open enrolment programme.

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