MA Public Policy
MA Public Policy is a 2-year full-time postgraduate program that aims to equip students with the skills of addressing economical, political and social issues and managing these issues by coming up with coherent solutions.
The topics covered in this course are law, governance, statistical and data analysis, qualitative research, public policy process, academic writing, economics for public policy, political philosophy for public policy, social and cultural theory along with other subjects.In this course, students are also trained in writing a dissertation and working on Capstone projects.
The postgraduate course of MA Public Policy is suitable for candidates who wish to engage in the complex areas of the country's public affairs. The course specializes in the area of policy-making thus training the candidates to be public officials and leaders, change-makers, researchers, and much more.
The various subjects that are covered in this course are law, governance, statistical and data analysis, qualitative research, public policy process, academic writing, economics for public policy, political philosophy for public policy along with other subjects.
This course will develop talented candidates who are a good fit for the complex environment of policy-making and analysis. The skills that the students will be taught are analytical skills both quantitative and qualitative, managerial skills, policy-making process with real-world scenarios, defending democratic values, among a lot of other skills. Masters of Arts in Public Policy opens the door of the public world for the candidates which is exciting to explore and channels the students to think in terms of the public good.
MA Public Policy Course Highlights
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Course Level
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Post-graduate
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Duration
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2 Years
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Examination Type
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Semester System / Year-wise
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Eligibility Criteria
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Bachelor Degree or equivalent in any course from a recognized university
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Admission Process
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Performance in entrance examination and direct admissions
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Job Profiles
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Policy Analyst, Lobbyist, Government Analyst, Research Associate, Statistician, Chief Administrative Officer, Program Director, Assistant Professor, Public Affairs Manager, Director of Public Policy etc.
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Why Should You Study MA Public Policy?
There are many benefits of pursuing a MA Public Policy course. The main benefits of pursuing this program are as follows:
- Various Career Options: MA degree holders get plenty of career options to choose from. The options range from pursuing a professional course like CA and CS to opting for higher education options such as M.Phil, PhD etc.
- Job Opportunities: After post-graduation students get the opportunity to work in sectors. Students passing this course can work in many government and private sectors, they can work in consultancies, PSUs, NGOs, and research organizations. They can work as a Policy Analyst, Lobbyist, Government Analyst, Research Associate, Statistician, Chief Administrative Officer etc.
- Higher Salary: Due to various job profiles and job areas to choose from, you will be able to earn a decent salary package. Entrepreneurship: After completing the course many choose to be an entrepreneur.
What is the Eligibility Criteria for Admission to MA Public Policy?
The minimum eligibility criteria for students seeking admission to MA Public Policy program in Indian universities are given below:
• Hold a Bachelor’s degree in relevant discipline from a recognized university.
• Must have secured an aggregate of at least 50% marks in the Bachelor’s degree examination.
What is the Subjects Covered in MA Public Policy Syllabus?
The MA Public Policy syllabus includes a comprehensive and integrative curriculum of both theoretical and practical study spread over the four semesters in two years. A semester-wise breakup of the general syllabus for MA Public Policy is given below in a tabulated form:
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Semester I
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Semester III
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Law, Governance and Institution
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Public Finance and Administration
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Statistical and Data Analysis
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Programme Design and Evaluation
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Qualitative Research Methodology
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Pre Dissertation Workshop
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Introduction to Public Policy Process
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Elective
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Academic Writing Workshop
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NA
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Economics for Public Policy - I
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NA
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Semester II
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Semester IV
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Economics for Public Policy - II (Macro)
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Dissertation/Capstone
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Political Philosophy for Public Policy
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Electives
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Policy Action Workshop
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Social and Cultural Theory
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What are the Career Options and Job Profiles Available after Completing MA Public Policy?
- The candidates who have successfully completed the post-graduation course in MA Public Policy can work in government and intergovernmental organizations.
- The career options for these postgraduates are in the field of research, advocacy, monitoring in civil society organizations, social entrepreneurship and many more.
- The top hiring companies for these candidates are ActionAid, Bennett & Coleman, Chase India, Asian Development Research Institute, Indian Revenue Services, Grant Thornton, Dell Incorporation, MSME Foundation, Axis Foundation and a lot of other companies.
Some of the popular professional jobs available to MA Public Policy degree holders along with the corresponding salaries are provided in the table given below:
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Job Profile
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Job Description
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Policy Analyst
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The job responsibilities of a Policy Analyst are identifying issues and exploring areas for policy areas, collecting information, and then analyzing that information. They also need to report their findings. Apart from this, they also have to come up with new policies in order to address existing problems and also evaluate the effects of existing policies and government programs.
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Lobbyist
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The main job responsibility of a lobbyist is to convince the legislators to opt for certain public policy which is in accordance with the interest of their clients with the help of research and statistical analysis. They also provide public policy and political advice to their clients.
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Public Affairs Manager
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The main job responsibilities of a Public Affairs Manager are monitoring the effects of any changes in the public policies on the company, charity, trade union, think-tank, or trade association that they work for. They also need to advise the senior staff on this and also advance the interests of their employers with decision-making bodies such as local government, industry regulators, and political bodies.
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Research Associate
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The job responsibilities of a Research Associate, as the name states, include performing market research and gathering that data to help their company with better marketing of their products or services. Another responsibility that a Research Analyst has is to identify the company's position in the marketplace by checking about their competitors and analyzing their market details.
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Chief Administrative Officer
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Chief Administrative Officer, being a top-tier executive manages and supervises all the administrative, financial, and marketing-related business of any company. They are in charge of most of the daily activities of the company and report to the Chief Executive Officer of the company.
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Future Scope After Completing a MA Public Policy Course?
Students who have completed the MA Public Policy program have numerous career options. The future scopes for students of MA Public Policy are given below:
• Higher and advanced education: Students can opt for higher advanced education and research opportunities after completing their MA Public Policy postgraduate course. The higher education options they can pursue are :
• B.Ed: For those who want to pursue a career as a school teacher in either public schools or private schools can consider enrolling in a B.Ed degree course. This course can provide them with the necessary insights required for teaching at different school levels.
• M.Phil: Post-graduate students can opt for pursuing an MPhil Public Policy. This will present them with a scope to gain more thorough and intense knowledge over the subject and will provide them with opportunities for academic research.
• PhD: Students can also enrol in PhD in Public Policy course. Along with in-depth research and studies on the subject, this provides massive scope for further employment with higher pay-scales.
• Competitive Exams: Students, after completing their post-graduation in Public Policy, can appear in different competitive examinations for government jobs, including UPSC CSE, IFS, and PSC of different states.
• Junior Research Fellowship: Students can also appear for NTA-UGC NET-JRF that will grant them eligibility for employment as Assistant Professor in Indian colleges and universities, and also open up research avenues in top universities.
So, after completion of MA Public Policy course students will be able to choose a career as per their skills and area of interest. You can go for higher education or you can also opt for a decent job. It all depends on you whether you want to do the job after completing this course or you wish to do research for the betterment of the world.