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Compare Our Degrees

Which is the best course for you?

The LSE School of Public Policy is an international community where ideas and practice meet. Our approach creates professionals with the ability to analyse, understand and resolve the challenges of contemporary governance.

Whatever your career stage, we have degree options to help gain the skills and understanding needed to become a more effective policy professional.

Dr Sara Hagemann, Academic Director of the School of Public Policy

Each of our degrees are tailored to a different stage of your policy career, but they all put the same emphasis on a strong foundation in economics, political science and quantitative methods. 

Our two-year Master of Public Administration (MPA) is designed for applicants with a minimum of one year of relevant professional experience, though some have more. Key skills are taught in-depth through the first year, while in the second year students can choose a specialism for their MPA. All students take part in a Capstone project, working with on a real-world policy challenge with an external client.

 

For students with five or more years of professional experience, we offer a 9-month Master of Public Policy (MPP). The MPP is a rounded policy degree, including Public Management and Philosophy alongside economics, political science and quantitative methods. The degree allows students to take a career break and quickly return to the workplace equipped to take on new challenges.

 

Our three MPA double degree programmes offer students an outstanding opportunity to study at two world-leading universities in two global cities. Students have the opportunity to spend one year at LSE as well as one year at one of our three partner universities:

  • University of Toronto, Munk School of Global Affairs (MPA/MGA double degree) - 1st year at LSE
  • Columbia University, SIPA (MPA/MPA double degree) - 1st year at LSE
  • Sciences Po (MPP/MPA double degree) - 1st year at Sciences Po

Throughout the two-year programme students will develop key policy skills and gain professional experience and will benefit from access to the expert faculty, resources and networks of both prestigious institutions.

 

Our new MPA in Data Science for Public Policy is opening for applications in 2022 for our September 2023 intake. The two-year degree programme is designed to equip professionals with the core quantitative, technical and analytical tools to address modern policy challenges in a world of big data and rapid technological change.  

 

Our most experienced students choose the Executive MPA, which is taught over 22 months. This degree runs in a modular format, with students attending teaching for 8 intensive week-long or weekend blocks. This format allows students to remain in their jobs and combine work with study. Students have at least five years of post-degree professional experience and often substantially more, creating a network of contacts to drive career progress at the senior levels. 

 

 

  MPAMPPMPA Double Degrees Executive MPA 
Duration 

21 months over two academic years (Full time)

9 months (Full time)

 21 months over two academic years (Full time)

 22 months (part time modular)

 Starts in

 September

September

September 

 September

 Intake

 Approx. 100 students 

Approx 90 students

 Approx 30 (LSE 1st year) 15 (Sciences Po 1st year)

 40 

Minimum experience requirements

 One year minimum preferred

5 years

 One year minimum preferred

 5 years

Actual average experience

 3 years

7 years

 3 years

 12 years

Nationalities represented

 37

30 

 

 25

 Key features

Deep training in core skills

Capstone project to apply skills

Policy paper to investigate an area of interest in-depth

Broad and rounded policy curriculum

Intensive 9-month schedule 

Study at LSE and either Sciences Po, Columbia SIPA or University of Toronto Munk School

 

Designed for working professionals to study alongside full time employment

Benefit from outstanding networking opportunities in the cohort