MA Global Public Policy with Integrated Placement (21 months) in Birmingham United Kingdom | University of Birmingham

In the 21st century, crafting policies has grown significantly more intricate. The environment for policy development is undergoing fundamental transformations, as are the types of challenges policymakers must confront. Conventional policy frameworks are being tested both by decentralization movements from below and the ongoing development of supranational governance structures from above. Simultaneously, global concerns like environmental degradation, criminal activity, and population movements increasingly cross borders, posing additional complexities for those shaping policies.

This dynamic program examines how policies are developed within this shifting landscape, utilizing key principles of policy analysis and theories of policy evolution. Beyond revealing how stakeholders, alliances, and evidence contribute to both effective and flawed policies, it also illuminates the structural frameworks of policymaking across local, regional, and international organizations. The curriculum additionally investigates the societal, political, economic, and historical factors that shape policy creation, along with how power dynamics affect the policymaking process.