MPA Public Administration (Distance Learning)

University of Portsmouth
Postgraduate MPA Distance learning (part-time) 2 Years Politics

About this course

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.

What you'll experience

  • 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

    Careers and opportunities

    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)

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

    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. All core material is available online at all times so you can create your own study schedule.

  • 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.

    • Study Options

    This course is available in 2 study options:

    Distance learning (part-time) Shown above

    Duration: 2 Years

    Qualification: MPA

    Location: Portsmouth

    Distance learning (full-time)

    Duration: 1 Year

    Qualification: MPA

    Location: Portsmouth

    Career Prospects

    Graduates from this course typically go into the following occupations:

    2435 Professional/Chartered company secretaries
    4112 Local government administrative occupations
    2434 Business and related research professionals
    2493 Public relations professionals
    3560 Public services associate professionals
    2439 Business, research and administrative professionals

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    A-Levels

    BBB - BBC

    UCAS Points

    112 - 120 points

    Avg. Salary

    £26,000

    Course Details

    Qualification
    MPA
    Study Mode
    Distance learning (part-time)
    Duration
    2 Years
    Start Date
    2025
    Academic Year
    2025
    Campus / Location
    Portsmouth
    Scheme
    Postgraduate
    Subjects
    Politics

    Offered by

    University of Portsmouth

    Portsmouth

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