Government, Policy and Politics MSc

Birkbeck, University of London

Our MSc Government, Policy and Politics examines the day-to-day practice and reality of government by analysing post-war politics and public policy in the UK and around the world. You will develop your ability to analyse political debates and issues in a critical manner and you will be taught by academics with expertise in researching, writing about and participating in politics.

The course combines theoretical approaches with empirical knowledge and real-world case studies, and you will explore topics in political theory, political science and sociology. You will be given the opportunity to debate and engage with the everyday practicalities of politics through class discussions and meetings with experienced practitioners.

The core modules explore the history, politics and institutions of global governance as a response to the challenges of globalisation, and introduce you to the key issues and policy debates in international political economy. You then choose two option modules from a wide variety of topics including international security, American foreign policy, globalisation, political theory and sociology, nationalism and religion, and war and conflict. You will also learn research techniques that will enable you to specialise and write a dissertation on the subject that interests you most.

Highlights

• We organise a lively programme of seminars and conferences and are home to affiliated research centres, such as the Birkbeck Centre for British Political Life, which run seminars, conferences and other events where some of the world's best scholars present their latest research.
• Our academic staff are international authorities in their respective fields, publishing and delivering stimulating teaching in a wide range of political topics including civil society and the state, public policy, development, gender, international security and terrorism, and social and political theory, among others.
• Our location in central London puts us at the heart of the UK’s political life and at the centre of academic London. You can walk down to Parliament and Whitehall, while Bloomsbury contains some of the world’s most famous libraries and centres of research. Our departmental building 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 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.

Careers and employability

Graduates can pursue career paths in local and national government, the diplomatic services, policy work, the voluntary sector, research, 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
• newspaper 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.