Program Overview

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

The Huddersfield MPA is a professional postgraduate degree designed to prepare students for their future career in responsible management of the public and non-profit sectors. It is designed to empower and equip students with the tools and skills that they can take into the public sector and better engage in the policy analysis and policy making process.

Overview

• The programme aims to provide learners with the practical knowledge and skills required in the professional public sector environment regarding management and leadership.
• A very distinctive feature of the Huddersfield MPA is that it is an interdisciplinary programme.
• The content enables students to learn more about public policy by taking a combination of modules from the disciplines of finance, leadership, technology, economics, people management, and public policy.

Key Information

Entry Requirements

• Entry requirements for this course are normally:
  • An Honours degree (2:2 or above) in any subject or an equivalent professional qualification.
  • At least two years' relevant work or managerial experience.
• If students have significant management experience, they may be admitted to the course without a degree or degree equivalent qualifications if they can demonstrate their potential to meet the learning requirements of the course.
• If the first language is not English, students will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5.

Start Dates

• 22 September 2025

Duration

• 2 years part-time

Course Detail

Year 1

• Responsible Leadership and Systemic Risk Management in the Public Sector
• Ageing Societies
• Managing Big Data
• People Matter
• Professional and Personal Excellence (PROPEL 1)
• MPA Project
• Strategic Communication
• Strategic Management and Innovation
• Professional and Personal Excellence (PROPEL 2)

Teaching Excellence

• Our teaching staff rank first in England for the proportion with higher degrees and teaching qualifications, as well as being top five for those holding doctorates.
• We are second in the country for National Teaching Fellowships, which mark the UK’s best lecturers in Higher Education, winning a total of 24 since 2008.

Postgraduate Open Days

Learn more about Postgraduate Study at one of our upcoming Open Days.

Fees and Finance

• Tuition Fees - part-time
  • In 2025/26 the tuition fee for UK postgraduate researchers will be:
    • Years 1 and 2 £10,500 per annum
    • Year 3 and 4 £4,500 per annum
    • Total fees £30,000
• Tuition fees for UK researchers will cover the cost of study at the University.

Accreditations & Professional Links

• Huddersfield Business School is an accredited member of AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
• Less than 6% of business schools worldwide have obtained this prestigious accreditation.

Career Support

• Our postgraduate courses aim to provide students with the required knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as challenge their approach to complex situations.
• By providing practical project experience, team working opportunities, and specialist knowledge of the chosen pathway, we can help develop students' ability to work collaboratively and apply theory to real-life situations.

Research Excellence

• We are in the top 50 UK universities for Research Power.
• Three quarters of all our research is world leading and internationally excellent.
• Over 60% of our research environment was classified as world leading and internationally excellent, especially in Music, Biological Sciences, Architecture and Built Environment, Social Work and Social Policy, History, and Communication and Media Studies.

Student Support

• At the University of Huddersfield, students will find support networks and services to help them get ahead in their studies and social life.
• Whether students study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, they will soon discover that they are never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help them navigate through their personal student journey.