Program Overview

MSc/PgDip/PgCert Evaluation and Policy Analysis

This course is designed to provide the specialist knowledge and skills needed for a career working in evaluation and quantitative analysis of public and voluntary services.

Overview

The course aims to provide a core foundation in a wide range of research methods with a clear emphasis on quantitative methods, and specialist understanding and skills in evaluation. It also introduces students to the economics of public policy and provides the opportunity to take core modules in aspects of public policy.

Fact File

• Entry year: September 2025
• Typical offer: Lower second-class honours degree (2:2)
• Typical annual fees:
  • Home: £10,250
  • Overseas: £20,000
• Course length:
  • 1 year full-time
  • 2 years part-time

Course Overview

In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the use of evaluation and quantitative analysis. Commissioners of public services, and public, voluntary, and private sector service providers have been required to justify more rigorously their proposed use of public funds and to demonstrate the effectiveness of previous interventions to justify future plans. Working as an evaluator in this environment requires skills in quantitative methods and the ability to evaluate interventions rigorously, using a combination of primary research methods such as surveys and interviews, and administrative data.

Course Information

Students have the opportunity to graduate with one of three awards: MSc, PgDip, and PgCert. Teaching will be carried out by members of staff from the Policy and Evaluation Research Unit (PERU) who have worked in public services and are research-active with current contacts in the sector.

Features and Benefits

• Study alongside work: Designed to accommodate people who work and cannot relocate to Manchester, this course is 100% online learning.
• Taught by experts: Taught by research-active academics from PERU, with expertise in quantitative evaluation and a 15-year track record of research in the UK and Europe, and links with institutions in the US and South East Asia.
• A rich programme of guest lectures: Take advantage of a rich programme of guest lectures from industry contacts and build your own professional network.
• Real-world projects: Opportunity to undertake projects in real-world settings through the connections PERU has with public and voluntary sector organisations.
• A final project related to your career goals: In your final project, explore an evaluation and/or policy issue that is relevant to your career goals and be supported to achieve real-world impact on policy and practice.

Year 1

Core Modules

• Contemporary Issues in Public Policy: Critically explores contemporary public policy challenges, analysing their social, economic, and political dimensions at national and global levels.
• What Works: Experiments and Systematic Reviews: Examines different approaches to counterfactual impact evaluation with a particular focus on experimental methods such as Randomised Controlled Trials and natural experiments.
• Evaluation and the Economics of Public Policy: Covers different types of evaluation, including process and impact evaluation, and introduces key economic methods.
• Final Project: An opportunity to explore an evaluation and/or policy issue in greater depth, under the supervision of a member of the expert faculty.
• Foundations of Multivariate Analysis: Introduces the application of multivariate statistical techniques in social research.

Study and Assessment

• Study:
  • Full-time: 25% lectures, seminars or similar; 0% placement; 75% independent study
  • Part-time: 25% lectures, seminars or similar; 0% placement; 75% independent study
• Assessment:
  • Full-time: 100% coursework; 0% practical; 0% examination
  • Part-time: 100% coursework; 0% practical; 0% examination

Entry Requirements

• Typical offer: Lower second-class honours degree (2:2)
• Candidates will be considered if they can demonstrate satisfactory evidence of relevant postgraduate study, research, or professional experience.

Fees and Funding

• UK and Channel Island students:
  • Full-time fee: £10,250 per year
  • Part-time fee: £1,709 per 30 credits
• EU and non-EU international students:
  • Full-time fee: £20,000 per year
  • Part-time fee: £3,334 per 30 credits

Careers Support and Prospects

• Employed or in further study: 93.7% of UK-domiciled, full-time, postgraduate taught graduates are employed or in further study 15 months after graduation.
• The course will be of interest to those looking to develop a career in evaluation and quantitative analysis, with demand for these skills seen across commissioning organisations, providers in the public, voluntary, and private sectors, and specialist agencies.