Public Policy Research MSc

University of Oxford

The MSc in Public Policy Research is a one-year taught degree course that offers an outstanding education on how to conduct robust, applied and impactful research that informs and influences public policy.

The MSc will give you a keen understanding of the relationship between research evidence and other major influences on the public policy process, such as ideologies and institutions; you will be able to design and undertake a range of policy-relevant research methods to the highest standards; and you will be skilled in effectively communicating research findings to a wide range of audiences including policymakers and the general public.

The curriculum for the course is delivered in-person via a series of lectures, seminars and workshops across three terms.

The current curriculum includes the following elements:

• Theories and Approaches in Public Policy Research
• Research in a Public Policy Context
• Research Design
• Statistics for Public Policy
• Qualitative Methods for Public Policy Research
• Thesis Development Seminars

Option module

• Thesis.

In the first term, a foundational module in Theories and Approaches in Public Policy Research will enable you to learn how concepts and theories help researchers to identify and define public policy problems, construct explanations about causes and effects, and generate applied research questions and hypotheses that can be tested empirically to tackle real-world problems. You will begin working on your thesis, initially focusing on the development of a research proposal, on an applied public policy problem.

In the second term, you will take an innovative foundational module on Research in a Public Policy Context aimed at providing you with an understanding of the constraints and opportunities that exist in research in government, as distinct from research in academia. You will also learn how research evidence sits alongside other types of influence on the public policy process; and be provided with the skills necessary to conduct and communicate robust research that informs policy design and implementation.

You will complete a module in Research Design and Methods in the first and second terms comprising three linked sub-modules on:

• Research Design
• Statistics for Public Policy
• Qualitative Methods for Public Policy Research.

In the third term, you will take an option module that enables you to explore in depth a particular public policy topic of your choice, selected from the wide range of option modules that are offered each year to students on the Blavatnik School's Master of Public Policy. Some of these options are taught by the School’s faculty, but more than half are taught by academic experts from other departments in Oxford or expert practitioners.

Finally, you will write a thesis and produce an accompanying research brief that distils insights from the research for decision-makers in government. The thesis will be supervised by a member of the Blavatnik School faculty or an academic working in a policy-focused research group or centre elsewhere in Oxford. In addition to the academic supervisor, you will also be assigned a policy advisor from a public policy organisation to provide advice and feedback on the research from a practitioner perspective.

Public Policy 1 1 programme

You may also opt to apply for the Master of Public Policy (MPP) at the same time as applying for the MSc in Public Policy Research as part of the Public Policy 1 1 programme. This two-year programme enables you to be accepted onto both degrees at the same time.