Course summary

Policy making is becoming an increasingly complex process in the 21st Century. The context in which we make policy is radically changing, alongside the nature of the issues policymakers are required to address. Traditional models of policy making are facing challenges from below, through the drive to devolution, and from above, as supranational forms of governance continue to evolve. Alongside these developments social issues, such as pollution, crime and migration, increasingly transcend national boundaries to present further challenges to policy makers. This exciting programme seeks to understand the ways that policy is formulated within this evolving and dynamic context, by drawing on the core concepts of policy analysis and theories of policy change. It will offer insights into the policy actors, coalitions and forms of evidence that shape the creation of both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ policy, as well as providing a detailed understanding of the policy making architecture that characterises local, regional and supranational institutions. Moreover, the programme will explore the social, political, economic and historic contexts in which policy is formulated and the ways that power influences policy formulation. As well as considering theories of the policy process, the programme offers the opportunity to study across a range of global policy issues and social problems, such as poverty, migration, crime, and homelessness, to understand these theories in action. Through a suite of module options, students can tailor the curriculum to match their interests and career plans. For those students interested in gaining experience in the workplace, we have pathways that incorporate a placement module.