Program Overview

Introduction to the Master's in Public Administration

The Master's in Public Administration consists of one year, in which students collect a total of 60 EC. In addition to five compulsory courses, students follow two elective courses that relate to their chosen profile. They can also make a cross-over by choosing elective courses of two different profiles. Eventually, students end their Master's by writing their master's thesis.

Structure

The Master's in Public Administration consists of five mandatory courses. In addition, students have a great deal of freedom to structure their Master's with elective courses that interest them. They can choose two elective courses related to the profile of their interest. Mixing courses of two different profiles is also an option. In one year, students collect a total of 60 EC.

Curriculum

The curriculum includes:

• Compulsory courses (25 EC)
  • Crisis Management in Technological Domains
  • Policy-making for Complex Systems
  • Academic Research
  • Public Governance and Policy Networks
  • Public Governance and Legitimacy
• Profile courses (10 EC)
  • Students get to choose two elective courses in any combination of the profiles below
  • Public Health
    • Public Health Innovations
    • Public Health: Dynamics in Policy, Law & Regulation
  • Safety & Security
    • Public and Private Policing
    • Public Safety and Public Safety Governance
  • Sustainability
    • Economic Methods Sustainability Assessment
    • Environmental Policy
    • Water Footprint Assessment
    • Urban Resilience in a Changing Climate
  • Public Governance of Science & Technology
    • Policy Analysis in Public and Technological Domains
    • Deliberative Governance of Knowledge and Innovation
  • Policy, Governance and Communication
    • Public Affairs
    • Work and Technology
    • Social Implications of the Internet
    • Reputation Management
  • Nederlands Openbaar Bestuur
    • Lokale en regionale samenlevingskracht
    • Institutionele kaders: ontwerpprincipes van lokaal en regionaal bestuur
• Master's thesis (25 EC)
  • Students spend the last semester of their Master's on graduating by writing their master's thesis
• Total EC (60 EC)

Master's Thesis

The last semester is mainly dedicated to the master's thesis. The choice of the graduation subject is largely up to the student and the profile they have chosen. Some students tap into ongoing research, but there is plenty of room to propose an idea of their own as well. Students can also choose to conduct their thesis at an external organisation or institute. The core course in Academic Research helps students prepare for their master's thesis project.

Student Choices

Students have made various choices for their profiles and elective courses. For example:

• One student chose the profile Nederlands Openbaar Bestuur with elective courses in Lokale en regionale samenlevingskracht and Institutionele kaders: ontwerpprincipes van lokaal en regionaal bestuur
• Another student chose the profile Safety & Security and followed up with a thesis in the healthcare domain, focusing on flexible deployment of healthcare workers, with elective courses in Public and Private Policing and Public Safety
• A third student chose the profile Public Affairs with elective courses in Work and Technology and Social Implications of the Internet