Objectives and competences

The master's degree in Public Policy is a one-year programme taught at the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (IBEI) intended to educate future professionals in the area of public policymaking. The coursework combines rigorous training in both economics and political science, and it aims to provide students with a comprehensive set of practical, quantitative, qualitative, and analytical skills.

Students develop in-depth understanding of key issues such as policy design, policy evaluation, the interplay of policy and politics, administrative capacity-building, inter-organizational relations, and the way quantitative and qualitative techniques can be used to improve the tangible results of public interventions in the economy and society.  The master's degree includes an option for an internship in either public or private organizations.

Basic information

TypeMaster's degree
Faculty or schoolFaculty of Economics and Business
Branch of knowledge
Mode of delivery
  • Face-to-face
Credits60
Length of course1 academic year
Language(s) of instructionEnglish
CoordinationLAIA MAYNOU PUJOLRAS
Course detailsIndicators
Open pre-enrolmentNo
Open enrolmentNo
Lead to doctoral studiesYes
Admission for applicants not holding a degree qualificationNo
Main university information Master's degree course homepage
InteruniversityYes
Main universityUniversitat Pompeu Fabra
Universities
  • Universitat Pompeu Fabra
  • Universitat Barcelona
Bridging coursesYes

Objectives and competences

Objectives

Competences

Access and admission

Applicant profile and access requirements

Recommended applicant profile

The programme is suitable for graduates with a social science background. Therefore, you should have an undergraduate degree in economics, political science, or another relevant subject. Alternatively, you may be an engineer, an architect, or a scientist with at least three years of professional experience in the field of public policy.

Access requirements and conditions

General requirements
In accordance with Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October, students wishing to be admitted to a university master's degree must hold one of the following qualifications:

  • Official Spanish university degree.

  • A degree issued by a higher education institution within the European Higher Education Area framework that authorizes the holder to access university master's degree courses in the country of issue.

  • A qualification issued by an institution outside the framework of the European Higher Education Area. In this case, applicants must request homologation of the degree to its equivalent official Spanish university qualification or obtain express approval from the University of Barcelona, which will conduct a study of equivalence to ensure that the degree is of a comparable level to an official Spanish university qualification and that it grants access to university master's degree study in the country of issue. Admission shall not, in any case, imply that prior qualifications have been recognized as equivalent to a Spanish master's degree and does not confer recognition for any purposes other than that of admission to the master's degree course.

Specific requirements

Applicants are required to have a good undergraduate degree or its international equivalent, of at least six semesters, in the field of social sciences (political sciences, international relations, economics or equivalent) from an accredited institution of higher education either in Spain or abroad. If you are applying with a degree from the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), a minimum of 180 ECTS is required.

Please refer to this list to find the minimum grade requirement for any of our master's programmes. If the country where you pursued your undergraduate degree is not on the list, please contact the Admissions Office for more information.

If you are applying before having completed your undergraduate degree, you will need to provide us with an official document issued by your university stating that you will be graduating before mid-September 2022. 


Pre-enrolment

Calendar

Until 1 July 2023.

Pre-enrolment form | IBEI

Required documentation

Selection criteria

If English is not your first language, you should provide evidence of your English language skills.

Notification

The Admissions Committee meets once a month to evaluate all complete applications received by then. Applicants can expect an answer after four to six weeks following the submission of all the required documents (including both reference letters). We strongly recommend that you complete your application well in advance of the application deadline.

Enrolment

As a general rule, at the UB you will be required to enrol online. Remember that you can lose your place if you do not enrol on the day you have been assigned

Course curriculum

Subjects and course plans

Distribution of credits

Type ECTS
Compulsory 26
Optional 26
Compulsory placements
Compulsory final project 8
TOTAL 60

List of subjects

Subject Type Language Credits
Specialization: BC for Admission to the Master's Degree in Public Policy
Introduction to Actors and Political Institutions Optional 3
Introduction to Data Analysis Optional 3
Introduction to Economics Optional 3

Bridging courses

Subject Type Language Credits
Specialization: Public Policy
Advanced Experimental Methods Optional 4
Advanced Qualitative Methods Applied to Policy Evaluation Optional 4
Advanced Qualitative Methods Optional 4
Advanced Quantitative Methods Applied to Policy Evaluation Optional 4
Causal Inference Optional 4
Complex Governance and Global Challenges Optional 4
Conflictt and Consensus in Global Cities Optional 4
Cybersecurity Optional 4
Data Analysis and Big Data Optional 4
Data Visualization Optional 4
Democratic Backsliding Optional 4
Development and Social Change in Latin America Optional 4
Development Environment and Natural Resources Optional 4
Discriminatory and Cluster Analysis Optional 4
East Asian Studies Optional 4
Economic Analysis of Governments Compulsory 6
Economics of Urban Public Services Optional 4
Environmental Policy in Europe Optional 4
EU and its Neighbors: Polítics, Institutions and Instruments Optional 4
European Foreign Policy Optional 4
European Public Polici Optional 6
European Security and Defense Policy Optional 3
European Union Political Processes Optional 4
Ex-ante Evaluation Methods (Cost-Benefit, Cost-Efectivity) Optional 4
Geopolitics of Energy Optional 4
Global Civil Society Optional 4
Global Governance Optional 4
Global Political History Optional 4
Global Public Goods Optional 4
Global Public Policy Optional 6
Global Trade Governance Optional 4
Globalization and Society Optional 4
Growth, Inequality and Poverty Optional 4
Immigration Integration Policies Optional 4
Impact Evaluation in Practice Optional 4
Innovation and Local Economy Optional 4
International Business and Economic Institutions Optional 4
International Climate Change Policy Optional 4
International Legal System Optional 4
International Migrations Optional 4
International Mobility Credits Optional 4
International Relations in Asia Optional 4
International Relations in Latin America Optional 4
International Relations in Middle East Optional 4
Internship Optional 4
Introduction to Public Policy Evaluation: how it is usefull in Practice Optional 4
Islam and Politics Optional 4
Latin American Studies Optional 4
Law and Public Policy: A Comparative Perspective Optional 4
Local Public Management Optional 4
Management of Public Services Optional 4
Methods for Policy Analysis (Qualitative) Compulsory 4
Methods for Policy Analysis (Quantitative) Compulsory 6
Minority Politics in the Middle East Optional 4
Multi-Level Governance in Europe Optional 4
Multi-Level Governance Optional 4
Multi-Level Modeling Optional 4
Nationalism and Democracy Optional 4
Philosophy of Public Policy Compulsory 4
Policy Analysis Exercise Optional 4
Policy Evaluation Optional 6
Political Economy of Euro-Mediterranean Relations Optional 4
Political Economy of the Welfare State Optional 4
Politics and Public Policy Process Compulsory 6
Politics of International Organizations Optional 4
Program Evaluation in Development Optional 4
Russia in World Politics Optional 4
Security and Control in Large Metropolis Optional 4
Single Market and Competition Policy in Europe Optional 4
Social Conflicts and Local Governance Optional 4
Social Media Analysis Optional 4
Survey and Questionnaire Designs Optional 4
Text and Content Analysis Optional 4
Textual and Discourse Analysis Optional 4
The BRICS and the Global Power Shift Optional 4
The International Relations of Global Cities Optional 4
The Politics and Practice of International Humanitarianism Optional 4
Transnational Politics in Europe Optional 4
Transportation Policy and Planning Optional 4
Treball Final de Màster Compulsory 8
Urban Environmental Policy Optional 4
Urban Public Policy Optional 6

Previous years

Placements

Career opportunities

What can you work on ?

The advanced Master's in Public Policy will prepare you for a high-profile career in areas such as governmental policymaking, business-government relations, international organisations, and the academe.

Contact us

Campus de la Ciutadella
(Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
Ramon Trias Fargas 25-27 · 08005 Barcelona (Spain)
+34 93 542 30 30