M.A. Governance and Public Policy

About the programme

Globalisation holds both great risks and immense opportunities; it also creates excellent career prospects for qualified graduates. One of the cornerstones of this programme is its interdisciplinary curriculum, which prepares students for work at the intersection of various academic disciplines.

In the core modules and your chosen interdisciplinary focus modules, you will study political theory, governance research and, building on this, comparative theories of government, European integration research, the changing traditional institutions before the background of complex multi-layered systems, as well as public policy design and implementation. Foreign languages, empirical social research know-how and scientific theory round off the qualification profile of those graduating in this degree programme.

This is an accredited programme of study which has received the Seal of Quality of the Foundation for the Accreditation of Study Programmes in Germany.

Features

• The only Governance and Public Policy programme in Germany to include public law modules
• A unique range of courses and excellent staff-student ratio in small master's classes
• A top-ranked programme , e.g. CHE Ranking 2012/13
• A large number of partnerships with universities abroad, particularly useful for students on this degree programme (UK, France, USA, Pakistan and other countries)
• One of only eight-degree programmes in Germany to have been included in the Public Policy and Good Governance programme of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
• Gain a supplementary qualification – the Certificate of Digital Humanities : www.uni-passau.de/Zertifikat-Digital-Humanities.html

Language of instruction

German

Excellence in research and teaching

Since opening its doors to the public in 1978, the University of Passau has quickly developed into the first address in German academia. The University regularly attains top positions in academic rankings, e.g. in Law, Business and Economics, Computer Science, Communication Studies, Political Science and Cultural Studies.

About 13,000 students and doctoral researchers from more than 100 countries are enrolled at the University of Passau. In addition to studying in small learning groups, students benefit from the manageable size of the University campus, resulting in short distances and an excellent student experience. Our Centre for Careers and Competencies gives staff and students the opportunity to develop those all-important transferable skills, such as leadership and communication, which are in great demand by employers. Representative surveys regularly attest to the high level of student satisfaction at the University.

A global outlook

Internationalism has always been one of our defining characteristics: our faculties maintain a close-knit network of cooperation with worldwide academic and research partners and we have numerous active alumni sections throughout the world. Part of the reason why our alumni are so successful on a global basis is that we provide them with the best pre-requisites for an international career: many degree courses give students the chance to earn a double degree in cooperation with international partner universities, and all our students have access to a large range of language courses and student exchange programmes. Our subject-specific language programmes in Law, Business/Economics, Cultural Studies/International Relations and Computer Science/Mathematics ideally complement our students’ degree studies.

A great student experience

Our graduates are highly sought after by employers, as they are not only equipped with the technical knowledge needed to embark on their careers; they are also highly motivated individuals who demonstrate great initiative by seeking additional qualifications or practical skills. Many are active in theatre, music, photography, film, radio and other cultural activities in their spare time, e.g. by getting involved in one of our many cultural student societies.

In Bavaria and at the heart of Europe

The University’s modern campus is located in the south-eastern part of Bavaria – Germany’s high-technology state – in verdant surroundings, a few minutes’ walk from the historic Old Town of Passau. Considered one of the most beautiful cities in Germany, Passau has a very low crime rate and offers an excellent standard of living in a politically stable and economically robust environment, while being close to the major metropolitan centres of Prague, Munich and Vienna.