Statue of Queen Victoria with Civic offices in the background

Public Administration (Distance Learning) MPA

Study by distance learning on our one or two year MPA Public Administration Master's course. Choose your specialist subjects to progress in your public sector career.

Key information

See full entry requirements
Study mode and duration
Start date

Showing content for section Overview

Overview

Are you a professional looking to step up into public sector leadership and management? A Master's degree in Public Administration can give you the knowledge, skills and experience you need to advance your career and take on ambitious roles in areas such as national policymaking and ministerial advice.

You can study this MPA Public Administration degree course full-time or part-time alongside work via distance learning, so you can fit your studies around your work schedule and apply your learning to your role in real time.

You'll cover public policy, service delivery and administration from an inter-cultural, inter-professional and inter-organisational perspective. You'll unpack specialist subjects, such as procurement, project management and corporate governance. You'll also learn transferable skills that will be valuable throughout your career.

We'll provide public sector expertise, support and work-based strategies so you can become an expert in your field and take your skills and knowledge straight into your job. Once you graduate, you'll be able to explore new opportunities in public administration leadership and management, or to seek promotion in your current line of work.

Eligibility

This course accepts UK, EU, and international students.

Course highlights

  • Gain the specialist public sector knowledge and skills you need to advance in your career, including public policy, strategic management, leading change and new ways of working
  • Compare policy processes and outputs within specific fields, including health, education, welfare, economic development, defence, policing and intelligence
  • Complete a live strategic plan based on your own workplace that you can put into action in your existing or next role 
  • Learn from academics with frontline public sector experience and hear from industry expert guest lecturers, including Members of Parliament and local authority experts
  • Have the opportunity to do a work-based placement with a local authority or public sector institution, such as Hampshire County Council or Portsmouth City Council
Innovating for a healthier future; Portsmouth Hospitals Trust; PHT-UoP Joint Research and Innovation Conference 2019

MPA or MBA?

This Master's in Public Administration is specifically designed to prepare you for public sector management, such as leadership roles in the police force, NHS, education sector, Civil Service and Armed Forces. 

If you're looking to develop your senior management skills for the wider business world, our MBA course will be more suited to you.

MBA Strategic Leadership

The course really helps me understand how my professional front line public service role is shaped by decisions made at the highest level. The lecturers and staff are always an email or phone call away to guide me through any difficulty.

Jeramy Jones, MPA Public Adminstration (Distance Learning)

Benefits of distance learning

  • Work from anywhere, at your own pace, in your own time – with interactive online learning materials hosted on our virtual learning environment, Moodle, and available 24/7 on any device – find out how distance learning works
  • Access to over 600,000 ebooks, 55,000 online journals, digital newspapers and a postal loan service from our University Library – see all library support for distance learners
  • Invitations to online forums where you can discuss your studies with other students and your lecturers
  • Access to all student support services via email, phone, online chat or video call

MPA Public Administration

Our Master's courses in Public Administration are specifically designed to prepare you for public sector management. Hear our lecturers and current students explain the benefits of studying your MPA with us.

Dr Sue Roberts: It's exciting, it's current, and it's happening now and it changes everybody's lives.

The Master's in Public Administration is a Master's level degree related to administering and managing government. The distance learning version of the course offers students flexibility. If you're in the middle of a session and suddenly you've been called away, you can come back to it later.

If you really want to work ultra hard on your Master’s, do the degree apprenticeship. At the end of your degree, you do a 4000 word project and you can put CMI after your name.

Katy: The Master's in Public Administration has four modules, so it started off with a module which is all about public management.

The second module in the first year was then around strategic management, and in the second year we started off with a module around public policy, and then the fourth module was outcomes-based leaderships. It was just really, really interesting because it combined lots of learning from a historical perspective, but then also lots of practical skills for your workplace as well.

Dr Sue Roberts: Career opportunities for our graduates have been so widespread. We've had students going on to lead clerking facilities at the House of Lords. We've had people move on to management and leadership positions in policing.

Dr David Alemna: Currently, I work part time as a teacher. I'm a lecturer in Politics and International Relations, and I also work part time for a management consultancy in London. The module was taught with a student-centred approach and I learnt a lot from my tutors in terms of how they spoke to us, how they supported us, and I also apply that in my teaching as well.

Dr Sue Roberts: I love the fact that people can come back to me and say, now I know what you were talking about. Now I know how to apply this, and it's made a big difference. The MPA offers amazing placement opportunities, including placements at local level and national level.

Dr David Alemna: I was fortunate to do my work at Hampshire County Council. That gave me good experience. It also ticked the box on my CV and that was able to get me jobs afterwards as well. Why did I choose Portsmouth? It has a lovely seaside, a nice environment to walk around.

Katy: The University of Portsmouth is a great place to choose. It was a distance learning course, so there were students not only from the south east of this country, but actually from around the world. It kind of broadened my learning, but equally, the course tutors were really knowledgeable in terms of their experience. It was just really, really good quality tuition and support.

Dr Sue Roberts: If you take a breath, if you walk on a pavement, if you use night services like street lighting, like roads, within a city, all of that is about government decisions and policy. So every aspect of your life, my life and everybody else's is governed by what we do on the Public Administration course.

Contact information

Admissions

+44 (0) 23 9284 5566

Contact Admissions

Modules

Full-time

All modules on this MPA Public Administration are core.

The learning outcomes of this module are:
  • Critique relevant policy and administrative theories by testing against empirical data.

  • Evaluate and explain similarities and differences between state administrative systems.

  • Conceptualise the process of policy learning between systems with reference to specific cases.

Explore this module

The learning outcomes of this module are:
  • Design a clearly specified proposal for a viable dissertation/project.
  • Plan, execute and present a substantial dissertation/project according to the specification provided.
  • Justify, deploy and critically evaluate advanced techniques of analysis and inquiry within an ethical framework.
  • Systematically interpret complex issues from literature, current research and other data, and communicate conclusions coherently and appropriately for either the academic or workplace community.
  • Review and identify the potential for new hypotheses and/or insights and ongoing study.

Explore this module

The learning outcomes of this module are:
  • Critically evaluate and assess the responses to, and unintended consequences of, policy decisions and applications in national and local service delivery.

  • Explain and demonstrate the application of joint responses to complex problem solving in public services delivery.

  • Propose and explain joint responses to complex social issues, focusing on major problems at national and local level.

  • Critically assess the significance and the effectiveness of multi agency partnership working in resolving complex social issues.

  • Devise, design and critically explain a revised approach to multi agency partnership working and private sector involvement at national and local levels to relevant complex social issues.

Explore this module

The learning outcomes of this module are:
  • Identify and critique the origins of New Public Management from a theoretical and practical perspective.
  • Critically evaluate the concepts and ideas associated with Public Management and compare them to traditional public administration and private sector management.
  • Assess the theory and practice associated with performance management, performance measurement, contract management, quality management and human resource management.
  • Appraise the various models of governance and management in the public sector including networked forms of organisation and partnership working.
  • Evaluate the responses to the problems and unintended consequences of the 'new public management' movement.
  • Demonstrate, using innovative and creative methods, the learning and development gained through the module.

Explore this module

The learning outcomes of this module are:
  • Critically evaluate the macro, meso and micro environment of a relevant organisation using the appropriate analytical tools.
  • Critically assess the strategic models used in organisational analysis through the use of creative entrepreneurial skills and knowledge.
  • Identify the ways in which change can be communicated and managed effectively in a relevant organisational context using appropriate theoretical approaches and models of change.
  • Critically evaluate the influence of organisational structure and culture on the process of change in a relevant professional setting.
  • Synthesise and apply theoretical frameworks for strategic planning and management demonstrating their relevance for organisational strategic planning.

Explore this module

Part-time

All modules on this MPA Public Administration are core.

The learning outcomes of this module are:
  • Identify and critique the origins of New Public Management from a theoretical and practical perspective.
  • Critically evaluate the concepts and ideas associated with Public Management and compare them to traditional public administration and private sector management.
  • Assess the theory and practice associated with performance management, performance measurement, contract management, quality management and human resource management.
  • Appraise the various models of governance and management in the public sector including networked forms of organisation and partnership working.
  • Evaluate the responses to the problems and unintended consequences of the 'new public management' movement.
  • Demonstrate, using innovative and creative methods, the learning and development gained through the module.

Explore this module

The learning outcomes of this module are:
  • Critically evaluate the macro, meso and micro environment of a relevant organisation using the appropriate analytical tools.
  • Critically assess the strategic models used in organisational analysis through the use of creative entrepreneurial skills and knowledge.
  • Identify the ways in which change can be communicated and managed effectively in a relevant organisational context using appropriate theoretical approaches and models of change.
  • Critically evaluate the influence of organisational structure and culture on the process of change in a relevant professional setting.
  • Synthesise and apply theoretical frameworks for strategic planning and management demonstrating their relevance for organisational strategic planning.

Explore this module

All modules on this MPA Public Administration are core.

The learning outcomes of this module are:
  • Critique relevant policy and administrative theories by testing against empirical data.

  • Evaluate and explain similarities and differences between state administrative systems.

  • Conceptualise the process of policy learning between systems with reference to specific cases.

Explore this module

The learning outcomes of this module are:
  • Design a clearly specified proposal for a viable dissertation/project.
  • Plan, execute and present a substantial dissertation/project according to the specification provided.
  • Justify, deploy and critically evaluate advanced techniques of analysis and inquiry within an ethical framework.
  • Systematically interpret complex issues from literature, current research and other data, and communicate conclusions coherently and appropriately for either the academic or workplace community.
  • Review and identify the potential for new hypotheses and/or insights and ongoing study.

Explore this module

The learning outcomes of this module are:
  • Critically evaluate and assess the responses to, and unintended consequences of, policy decisions and applications in national and local service delivery.

  • Explain and demonstrate the application of joint responses to complex problem solving in public services delivery.

  • Propose and explain joint responses to complex social issues, focusing on major problems at national and local level.

  • Critically assess the significance and the effectiveness of multi agency partnership working in resolving complex social issues.

  • Devise, design and critically explain a revised approach to multi agency partnership working and private sector involvement at national and local levels to relevant complex social issues.

Explore this module

Changes to course content

We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.

Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry. If a module doesn't run, we'll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

Careers and opportunities

Careers this Master's prepares you for

This Master's in Public Administration is designed to turn ambitious public sector workers into managers and leaders within their field of public administration.

You'll gain the specialist skills, expertise and insight to pursue higher level public sector roles, as well as lifelong transferable skills that you'll be able to apply to complex issues, both systematically and creatively, throughout your career.

When you graduate, you'll be ready to seek new roles in public sector leadership and management, or to aim for promotion in your current public sector career. You'll be able to work with self-direction and originality, and contribute to public administration in local, regional or central government, or in an organisation working in partnership with the Government.

Graduates of this course have gone on to work in areas such as:

  • ministerial advice
  • central government policy units
  • government partner organisations
  • charitable foundations

Graduates of this course have gone on to work for organisations such as the:

  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation (OECD)
  • European Union (EU)
  • Local Government Association (LGA)

9 reasons to do a Master's

Career planning

During your course you'll have expert career support from your tutors and from our Careers and Employability Centre, which you can access for 5 years after you graduate.

Female student standing at careers and employability help desk

You'll benefit from:

  • Networking events
  • Applied projects with companies such as IBM, Boeing and Hampshire County Council
  • 1-to-1 appointments  
  • CV and cover letter advice
  • Interview preparation and practice
  • Workshops to enhance your employability skills
  • Recruitment events including the Student and Graduate Opportunities Fair
  • Support starting your own business

Learn more about your career support

How you'll spend your time

We recognise that you'll probably be juggling more demands when you do your Master's degree, as you may be working or you may have family responsibilities.

We'll give you as much indication here as we can of how much time you'll need to spend in online lectures and seminars and how many hours you can expect to spend in self-directed study, but please note that these indications are always subject to change.

Course structure

This Master's degree will take:

  • 1 year (full-time study)
  • 2 years (part-time study)

You can expect:

  • 1 optional live online seminar each week for each module you study, held at times when as many students as possible can attend. These will also be recorded for later viewing. All core material is available online at all times so you can create your own study schedule around work or other commitments.
  • 20 to 25 hours of independent study each week if you study full-time, or 12 to 14 hours each week if you study part-time.

In the last 3 months of the course you'll be focusing on your research project.

Teaching

Master's study is deeper and more specialised than an undergraduate degree. This means you'll focus on something that really matters to you and your career as you work closely with academics committed to the subject.

Teaching on this course includes:

  • lectures
  • seminars
  • tutorials
  • student presentations 

This Master's in Public Administration is delivered by supported distance learning. You will receive high-quality course materials via Moodle, our online learning environment.

You'll get to chat with fellow students, discuss and present your work and keep in touch with tutors. You'll get plenty of support throughout your studies, including help on writing and structuring essays, and how to undertake research.

You'll need access to a computer and a web connection. You may be able to access some of the resources through a tablet or smartphone, with limited functionality. You don't need to be especially computer literate, although typing skills are useful.

Assessment

You'll be assessed through:

  • work-related assignments
  • essays
  • online presentations
  • reports
  • dissertation or report

You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. This includes group discussions, peer review activities, and virtual seminars.

You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

Teaching staff

These are some of the expert staff who'll teach you on this course:

Sue Marion Roberts Portrait

Dr Sue Roberts

Senior Lecturer

sue.roberts@port.ac.uk

School of Area Studies, Sociology, History, Politics, and Literature

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

PhD Supervisor

Read more

Term dates

September start

The Master's academic year runs from September to the following September. There are breaks at Christmas and Easter. Over the summer you'll be writing your project/dissertation.

See key dates

Supporting you

Master's study is more focused on independent learning than undergraduate study, but you'll get lots of support via video, phone and face-to-face from teaching and support staff to enhance your learning experience and help you succeed. You can build your personalised network of support from the following people and services:

Types of support

Your personal tutor helps you make the transition to independent study and gives you academic and personal support throughout your time at university.

As well as regular scheduled meetings with your personal tutor, they're also available at set times during the week if you want to chat with them about anything that can't wait until your next meeting.

You'll have help from a team of faculty learning support tutors. They can help you improve and develop your academic skills and support you in any area of your study.

They can help with:

  • improving your academic writing (for example, essays, reports, dissertations)
  • understanding and using assignment feedback
  • managing your time and workload
  • revision and exam techniques

As well as support from faculty staff and your personal tutor, you can use the University's Academic Skills Unit (ASK).

ASK provides one-to-one support in areas such as:

  • academic writing
  • note taking
  • time management
  • critical thinking
  • presentation skills
  • referencing
  • working in groups
  • revision, memory and exam techniques

Our online Learning Well mini-course will help you plan for managing the challenges of learning and student life, so you can fulfil your potential and have a great student experience.

You can get personal, emotional and mental health support from our Student Wellbeing Service, in person and online. This includes 1–2–1 support as well as courses and workshops that help you better manage stress, anxiety or depression.

If you require extra support because of a disability or additional learning need our specialist team can help you.

They'll help you to

  • discuss and agree on reasonable adjustments
  • liaise with other University services and facilities, such as the library
  • access specialist study skills and strategies tutors, and assistive technology tutors, on a 1-to-1 basis or in groups
  • liaise with external services

Library staff are available in person or by email, phone, or online chat to help you make the most of the University’s library resources. You can also request one-to-one appointments and get support from a librarian who specialises in your subject area.

The library is open 24 hours a day, every day, in term time.

If English isn't your first language, you can do one of our English language courses to improve your written and spoken English language skills before starting your degree. Once you're here, you can take part in our free In-Sessional English (ISE) programme to improve your English further.

​Course costs and funding

Tuition fees (September 2024 start)

  • Full-time: £8,900 (may be subject to annual increase)
  • Part-time: £4,450 per year (may be subject to annual increase)

  • Full-time: £8,900 (may be subject to annual increase)
  • Part-time: £4,450 per year (may be subject to annual increase)

These figures both include the Transition Scholarship for EU students.

  • Full-time: £8,900 (may be subject to annual increase)
  • Part-time: £4,450 per year (may be subject to annual increase)

Explore how to fund your studies, including available scholarships and bursaries.

If you're a UK student, you may be eligible for a Government Postgraduate Master's Loan, which you can use to help with course fees and living costs.

If you're a UK student who achieved a first in your undergraduate degree you may be eligible for a £3,000 University of Portsmouth scholarship.

Tuition fees terms and conditions

Funding your studies

Find out more how to fund your studies, including the scholarships and bursaries you could get. You can also find more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover. 

If you're a UK student, you may be eligible for a Government postgraduate loan, which you can use to help with course fees and living costs.

Applying from outside the UK? Find out about funding options for international students and our international student scholarships.

Loans, scholarships and bursaries

Browse funding such as the Government Postgraduate Loan, our scholarships for new and returning students, and subject specific loans.

Female Master's student
Explore funding

Funding for international students

Learn more about sponsorships, scholarships and loans for students applying from outside of the UK.

international business students
Discover your options

Financial support for disabled postgraduate students

Explore financial support for students who have disabilities or dependents during their studies.

14/05/2021.University of Portsmouth - B Roll - Day Two..All Rights Reserved - Helen Yates- T: +44 (0)7790805960.Local copyright law applies to all print & online usage. Fees charged will comply with standard space rates and usage for that country, region or state.
Read more

Additional costs

These course-related costs aren't included in the tuition fees so you'll need to budget for them when you plan your spending. Additional costs could include:

  • Recommended reading: You can borrow key texts from the library and if you choose to purchase these texts they may cost up to £60 each.
  • General costs: such photocopying, memory sticks, printing charges, binding and specialist printing. We suggest budgeting £75 per year.
  • Final project transport or accommodation: where necessary, which relate to your research activities. The amount will depend on the project you choose.

Read more about tuition fees, including what your tuition fees cover.

Entry requirements

Eligibility

This course accepts UK, EU, and international students.

September 2024 start

Qualifications or experience

  • A minimum of a second-class honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject, or equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications. Preferably, applicants will have experience of working in a managerial role in a public sector organisation. 

Please get in touch if you're not sure if your undergraduate subject is relevant to this degree.

Equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications will also be considered, such as previous study, employment, voluntary work and training courses, including courses and qualifications you didn't complete. Learn more about our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

If you're applying as an international student with a non-UK degree, view the equivalent entry requirements we accept for your country

  • English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 (or equivalent) with no component score below 6.0.

You do not need an IELTS or equivalent certification if:

  • you have a UK degree
  • you have a degree from a majority English speaking country (not taught by Distance Learning)
  • you are a national of a majority English speaking country

Degrees taught solely in English from non-majority English speaking countries will be considered on a case by case basis. Find out more about our English language requirements.

If you do not meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

  • Applicants may be invited to attend an interview.

How to apply

Unlike undergraduate applications, which go through UCAS, applications for this Master's course are made directly to us. 

There's no deadline for applications to this course. We accept applications right up until the start date in September, as long as there are places available. If you wait until September to apply, you may find that the course is full. 

You can find more advice about applying in our Master's application checklist. Current students and recent graduates of the University of Portsmouth and international students also have some different application options, which are detailed below.

Extra information for international students

If you're an international student, you can apply directly to us using the same application form as UK students.

You could also get an agent to help with your application. Check your country page for details of agents in your region. To find out what to include in your application, head to the how to apply page of our international students section.

If you don’t meet the English language requirements for this course yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

Ready to apply?

Start this course in September 2024

Apply now (Full-time)

Apply now (Part-time)

I'm a current Portsmouth student, or a recent Portsmouth graduate

If you're currently in your final year of study at Portsmouth, or you graduated since July 2023, you're eligible to make a fast track application. You'll have:

  • a shorter application form to complete
  • access to the 20% Alumni fee discount
  • a guaranteed conditional offer, for most Master's courses 

Learn more about fast track

After you apply

Once we receive your application, we may ask you for further information. We will then either make you an offer or suggest alternatives if your application is unsuccessful.

You'll usually get a decision within 10 working days, so you shouldn't have to wait too long. Some courses have an interview stage – we'll let you know if you need to prepare for one.

Learn more about how we assess your application.

Admissions terms and conditions

When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.