Explore and engage with the services that the international public depends on.
Year of entry: 2025 (September)
1 year full-time,
2 years part-time
September 2025 (semester dates)
Join us online or in person to find out more about postgraduate study at York.
Upcoming eventsThis is a unique opportunity to study for a professional qualification designed to enrich your knowledge of international service delivery in government and non-profit organisations.
By exploring the critical issues that drive policies in government and on the ground, you’ll understand how they support people’s everyday needs in countries around the world.
Grow and define your career with this internationally recognised course that provides you with the knowledge and critical thinking to make a tangible difference, wherever you plan to take your career.
From early modern political thought to contemporary international security, from the politics of gender to the politics of the environment, you can benefit from expertise on a huge range of topics
Our staff advise governments and international organisations on a wide range of issues, and contribute to news media and current affairs programmes around the world
York is fantastic. It has great scenery, superb architecture, and the kindest people in the world. It's been an enriching experience studying Public Administration, which has taught me a lot about strategic planning, critical thinking and leadership skills, and satisfied my strong interests in the third sector, administration and policy implementation.Yaqi, MPA Public Administration
This course will help you to approach key developments in public administration with a critical and creative mind to progress your practice to the next level.
You'll study 180 credits in total. The course consists of:
Some core modules, such as Managing Public Finances and Strategic Planning, will be delivered by the School for Business and Society, giving you a fresh perspective on these aspects of public administration.
Option modules cover a wide range of topics, from the politics of security to the politics of global trade, with both policy-based and theoretical approaches. The option modules allow you to explore your personal interests to a much greater depth.
Taught modules will run throughout the Autumn and Spring Terms, with the policy report being completed during the Summer Term and vacation.
You will study two option modules. Examples can be found below. Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.
The options available to you will be confirmed later in the year. For further information, please get in touch.
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
During the second semester and vacation you will consolidate your interests in a policy report on a topic of your choice.
You'll have regular meetings with your assigned policy report advisor, who will help guide you through the process and support you in the exploration of your chosen topic.
Previous policy report titles include:
Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.
| Study mode | UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £11,200 | £25,900 |
| Part-time (2 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. |
£5,600 | £12,950 |
Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.
For courses which are longer than one year, the tuition fees quoted are for the first year of study.
UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.
Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.
You may incur some additional expenses for books, but these costs are optional as most of the texts you'll need are available in the University library. If the resources you need aren't available, you can borrow via inter-library loans and order new books to our library for free.
Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2025/26 throughout the year.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
We are pleased to work with Chevening Scholars to offer funding for our Masters programmes. Chevening Scholarships provide one year of fully-funded postgraduate study in the UK for international (including EU) students. The scholarships are open to early and mid-career professionals who have the potential to become future leaders.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.
You'll learn through a combination of lectures, seminars and one-to-one supervision. We offer a personal approach to learning with much of our teaching conducted in small groups.
You will be based in the Department of Politics and International Relations in Derwent College on Campus West. Over half of your teaching will be in Derwent College. The rest of your contact hours will be nearby on Campus West.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
You submit six essays; three are submitted at the beginning of Spring Term and three at the beginning of Summer Term. Essays are usually around 4,000 words long. Your final Policy Report of between 10,000 - 12,000 words is submitted at the beginning of September.
We offer the opportunity to present your Policy Report at our research seminar presentation workshops. These are not formally assessed (not credit bearing), but they give you the chance to hone your presentation skills and to get verbal feedback from your tutors and peers.
From social and political research to journalism, marketing and HR, a Masters in Public Administration leads to a broad range of career opportunities.
Our students have found work in central or local government, non-governmental organisations, community and voluntary organisations, social enterprise, higher education, accountancy and banking organisations, law firms, media companies and international and global development bodies.
Our students go on to careers in international organisations, the media, law, the civil service, politics, journalism and business.
This course is an excellent pathway to careers in a wide range of private and public sector organisations, and for further academic study in international relations and political science.
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:2 or equivalent. We are willing to consider applicants with lower qualifications, particularly if you have high marks in relevant modules and/or appropriate professional experience. Additional information may be requested. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Minimum requirement | |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic and Indicator) | 6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component |
| Cambridge CEFR | B2 First: 176, with 169 in each component |
| Oxford ELLT | 7, minimum of 6 in each component |
| Duolingo | 120, minimum 105 in all other components |
| LanguageCert SELT | B2 with 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert Academic | 70 with a minimum of 65 in each component |
| Kaplan Test of English Language | 459-494, with 426-458 in all other components |
| Skills for English | B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component |
| PTE Academic | 61, minimum 55 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87, minimum 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all requirements |
For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
Get in touch if you have any questions
We offer a range of campus accommodation to suit you and your budget, from economy to premium.
Explore campus and city life and hear what our current students have to say about living here.
Lively, full of culture and beautiful, York is regularly voted one of the best places to live and visit in the UK.
Find out more about York. Chat to staff and students and take the tour, on campus or online.
