Government, Policy and Politics
Entry requirements
Our standard postgraduate entry requirement is a second-class honours degree (2:2 or above) from a UK university, or an equivalent international qualification.
We will review every postgraduate application to Birkbeck on its individual merits and your professional qualifications and/or relevant work experience will be taken into consideration positively. We actively support and encourage applications from mature learners.
On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.
Months of entry
October
Course content
This MSc Government, Policy and Politics gives you the chance to examine the day-to-day practice and reality of government by analysing contemporary politics and public policy in the UK and around the world.
Why choose this course?
- It helps you develop a wealth of analytical skills and encourages the kind of rigorous, critical thought that can be easily transferred to other settings after your degree.
- It combines theoretical approaches with empirical knowledge and real-world case studies, exploring topics in political theory, political science and sociology.
- Taught by academics with expertise in researching, writing about and participating in politics, it gives you the opportunity to debate and engage with the everyday practicalities of the field.
- It is ideal if you wish to make progress in a career in politics, policy, research, lobbying or journalism.
What you will learn
This course equips you with the ideas and concepts needed to analyse political debates and engage with contemporary politics and policy in a critical manner.
You will explore:
- the UK’s political and constitutional order
- central ideas in political science around the nature of social cleavages and the role of party politics
- the organisation of the political executive and the role of the civil service and the judiciary
- how and why policy is made
- developments in a wide range of policy areas, including health care, social policy, migration, the environment, education and macroeconomics.
You will be able to tailor the course to your interests with option modules on a wide variety of topics and you will learn qualitative and quantitative research methods that will enable you to complete a dissertation on a subject of your choice.
How you will learn
You will learn through lectures, seminars, online resources and activities. This course is available to study full- or part-time with classes taking place in the evening, making it ideal for those wishing to balance study with other commitments.
This course is part of our Birkbeck Flexible Master’s UK, which gives you the choice of how you want to study - on campus, online or via flexible learning, which combines both.
If you require a Student visa to study in the UK, you will only be able to apply for the on-campus study option for this course. Online and flexible options will not be available to you because they may affect the conditions of your visa.
Highlights
- You will have the opportunity to engage with the lively programme of seminars and conferences run by our research centres, such as the Birkbeck Centre for British Political Life.
- You will be taught by academic staff who are international authorities in their respective fields, publishing and delivering stimulating teaching in a wide range of political topics including public policy, foreign policy, international security and terrorism, gender and the welfare state, British politics, and the politics of Asia and the Middle East.
- Our location in central London puts you at the heart of the UK’s political life and at the centre of academic London. Parliament and Whitehall are a short distance away, while Bloomsbury contains some of the world’s most famous libraries and centres of research. One of our campus buildings was once a key location for members of the Bloomsbury Group, so you could be studying in rooms that have hosted distinguished visitors, including T.S. Eliot, George Bernard Shaw and Maynard Keynes.
- You can take advantage of the rich research collections nearby, including Senate House Library, which is right next door to Birkbeck, the British Library, which is five minutes’ walk away, and the British Library of Political and Economic Science at the London School of Economics, which is also walkable from Birkbeck. Birkbeck Library has a large politics collection, including the major specialist journals, and provides you with access to an extensive range of online materials.
On successfully graduating from this MSc Government, Policy and Politics, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including:
- advanced knowledge of British political institutions and of the relationship between state and society
- detailed knowledge of the different actors, processes and stages involved in formulating public policies in liberal democracies
- critical understanding of key contemporary theories, debates and issues relating to politics and policy
- ability to critically analyse and apply theories and models to contemporary political and policy issues.
Graduates can pursue career paths in politics, policy research, lobbying, local and national government, the diplomatic services, education, charities and NGOs, or journalism.
Possible professions include:
- Civil Service fast-streamer
- government social research officer
- politician’s assistant
- public affairs consultant
- diplomatic services operational officer
- public relations officer
- journalist.
We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.
Information for international students
If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests.
If you don't meet the minimum IELTS requirement, we offer pre-sessional English courses and foundation programmes to help you improve your English language skills and get your place at Birkbeck.
Please note, if you require a Student visa to study in the UK, you will only be able to apply for the on-campus study option for this course. Online and flexible options will not be available to you because they may affect the conditions of your visa.
Qualification, course duration and attendance options
- MSc
- part time24 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- full time12 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
Course contact details
- Name
- Student Advice Service
- studentadvice@bbk.ac.uk
- Phone
- +44 (0)20 3907 0700