OL MA in Public Policy and Management 2019-20 Programme Design Document

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1	1. Admissions/ Management Information
2	Title of the programme – including any lower awards Please provide the titles used for all awards relating to this programme. Note: all programmes are required to have at least a Postgraduate Certificate exit award. See guidance on programme titles in:
3	Masters			MA in Public Policy and Management
4	Postgraduate Diploma			Postgraduate Diploma in Public Policy and Management							Please indicate if the Postgraduate Diploma is available as an entry point, ie. is a programme on which a student can register, is an exit award, ie. is only available to students exiting the masters programme early, or both.						Exit
5	Postgraduate Certificate			Postgraduate Certificate in Public Policy and Management							Please indicate if the Postgraduate Certificate is available as an entry points, ie. is a programme on which a student can register, is an exit award, ie. is only available to students exiting the masters programme early, or both.						Exit
6	Level of qualification			Level 7
7	This document applies to students who commenced the programme(s) in:								2019
8	Awarding institution									Teaching institution
9	University of York									University of York
10	Department(s): Where more than one department is involved, indicate the lead department									Board of Studies
11	Lead Department		Social Policy and Social Work (SPSW)							SPSW
12	Other contributing Departments:		n/a							SPSW
13	Route code (existing programmes only)								PMSPWSEUN1
14	Admissions criteria
15	Students should normally have at least a 2:1 undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification. If they don't have experience of undergraduate study, the application may be considered if they have a suitable professional background. Students should also have professional experience in the public service field. This could be in roles in local or national government, or in non-governmental and inter-governmental organisations, the voluntary and charitable sector, and private sector roles which support or deliver public services. Students furthermore need to have a computer in their home with an internet connection (minimum 0.5mbps) and an office software suite compatible with Word and Excel formats. If your native language is not English you will need to show evidence of your English language ability. Some exceptions apply, but the standard accepted qualifications are listed below: IELTS: 6.5, with no less than 6.0 in each component Pearson (PTE): 61, with no less than 55 in each component CAE and CPE (from January 2015): 176, with no less than 169 in each component TOEFL: 87, with with no less than 21 in each component Trinity ISE: level 3 with Merit in all components
16	Length and status of the programme(s) and mode(s) of study
17	Programme				Length (years/ months)	Status (full-time/ part-time) Please select		Start dates/months (if applicable – for programmes that have multiple intakes or start dates that differ from the usual academic year)		Mode
18
19										Face-to-face, campus-based			Distance learning			Other
20	MA in Public Policy and Management				2 years	Part-time		September		Please select Y/N		No	Please select Y/N		Yes
21	Diploma in Public Policy and Management				18 months	Part-time				Please select Y/N		No	Please select Y/N		Yes
22	Certificate in Public Policy and Management				1 year	Part-time				Please select Y/N		No	Please select Y/N		Yes
23	Language(s) of study
24	English
25	Language(s) of assessment
26	English
27	2. Programme accreditation by Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Bodies (PSRB)
28	2.a. Is the programme recognised or accredited by a PSRB
29	Please Select Y/N:		No	if No move to section 3 if Yes complete the following questions
30	2.b. Name of PSRB
31
32	2.c. Please provide details of any approval/ accreditation event needed, including: timescales, the nature of the event, central support / information required:
33
34	2.d. Are there any conditions on the approval/ accreditation of the programme(s)/ graduates (for example accreditation only for the full award and not any interim award)
35
36	3. Additional Professional or Vocational Standards
37	Are there any additional requirements of accrediting bodies or PSRB or pre-requisite professional experience needed to study this programme?
38	Please Select Y/N:		No	if Yes, provide details
39	n/a
40	4. Programme leadership and programme team
41	4.a. Please name the programme leader for the year to which the programme design applies and any key members of staff responsible for designing, maintaining and overseeing the programme.
42	Enrico Reuter, Programme Leader for Online Masters Programmes and Associate Programme Leader for the MA Public Policy and Management; Ellen Roberts, Director of the Online Masters Programmes in Public Management
43	5. Purpose and learning outcomes of the programme
44	5.a. Statement of purpose for applicants to the Masters programme Please express succinctly the overall aims of the programme as an applicant facing statement for a prospectus or website. This should clarify to a prospective masters student why they should choose this programme, what it will provide to them and what benefits they will gain from completing it.
45	The Masters in Public Policy and Management provides you with the knowledge and skills to analyse as well as influence how policies are made and implemented in an age of increasing complexity. It will develop your capacity to help your organisation operate more effectively in the delivery and management of public services within challenging environments. Interdisciplinary, research-informed and built on the principle of strong and comprehensive support for our students, the programme is designed for professionals in the public sector, in not-for-profit organisations or in for-profit organisations involved in public policy or the delivery of public services. You will be joining a global learning community at a highly ranked university, with peers working in similar organisations around the world, and will be guided by a department with a global reputation for its excellent teaching and research. By applying your learning directly to your work and thanks to a range of option modules that allow you to customise your studies to your needs, you will prepare yourself for more strategic roles. The design of the programme and the support provided will enable you to balance the requirements of postgraduate study with your work and private responsibilities.
46	5.a.i Statement of purpose for applicants registering for the Postgraduate Diploma programme Please express succinctly the overall aims of the programme as an applicant facing statement for a prospectus or website. This should clarify to a prospective diploma student why they should choose this programme, what it will provide to them and what benefits they will gain from completing it.
47	(max 500 words)
48	5.a.ii Statement of purpose for applicants registering for the Postgraduate Certificate programme Please express succinctly the overall aims of the programme as an applicant facing statement for a prospectus or website. This should clarify to a prospective certificate student why they should choose this programme, what it will provide to them and what benefits they will gain from completing it.
49	(max 500 words)
50	5.b.i. Programme Learning Outcomes - Masters Please provide six to eight statements of what a graduate of the Masters programme will be able to do. If the document only covers a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma please specify four to six PLO statements in the sections 5.b.ii and 5.b.iii as appropriate. Taken together, these outcomes should capture the distinctive features of the programme. They should also be outcomes for which progressive achievement through the course of the programme can be articulated, and which will therefore be reflected in the design of the whole programme.
51	PLO	On successful completion of the programme, graduates will be able to:
52	1	Identify, assess and formulate responses to current challenges in public management and the delivery of public services, drawing on a critical understanding of continuities, change and reform in the public and non-profit sector
53	2	Scrutinise the impact of multi-level and networked governance on public administration and the management of the non-profit sector
54	3	Analyse and influence policy processes, drawing on an advanced understanding of the factors that shape policy decisions and that impact on policy success or failure
55	4	Contribute to effective policy-making and public management in an era of globalisation by applying their understanding of the complex interplay between policy actors, public managers, political circumstances and socio-economic factors
56	5	Communicate and collaborate as reflective and collegial practitioners in a digital networked world, by strengthening continuously their ability to reflect on their own professional and academic development
57	6	Apply acquired specialised skills and in-depth knowledge from inter-disciplinary scholarship in policy analysis and public management in order to independently research problems and identify solutions specific to their professional contexts
58	7
59	8
60	5.c. Explanation of the choice of Programme Learning Outcomes Please explain your rationale for choosing these PLOs in a statement that can be used for students (such as in a student handbook). Please include brief reference to:
61	i) ... in what way will these PLOs result in an ambitious, challenging programme which stretches the students?
62	The design of this programme aims to challenge students by combining breadth of understanding concerning public policy and management with depth of exploration of specific aspects of professional practice. It is in this context challenging in that it addresses and critiques some basic, 'taken for granted' assumptions that have become part of the accepted landscape of public service delivery worldwide. These assumptions centre, theoretically, on the dominant ideas of 'New Public Management' - ideas which are critiqued from the beginning of the programme and throughout. These ideas include perceptions of the relative merits of, and relationship between, the public and private sectors, in terms of boundaries and management practices. The level of critique provided within the programme enables students to develop a broader and deeper view of their professional context. A second type of challenge concerns the direct theory/ practice connections that are explored throughout the programme. Students are challenged continually to critique their practice and context in the light of the theory, and vice versa. These aspects of the programme design enable students to develop the critical awareness of current problems that is expected at Masters level, and to develop new insights. Students are also able not only to evaluate critically current research and advanced scholarship in the field of public policy and management, but to apply this evaluation to their understanding of how public policies are made and how public services are managed, and thus to enhance their own practice. The programme has been designed so that students acquire a broad' big picture' understanding during the first year of study, and are then able to focus in depth on a specialist area during the second year, chosen in line with their professional development priorities, and on the development of further skills and understanding that is relevant to the practice of public policy and management. While the core modules in year 1 provide students with a firm understanding of public management challenges (PLO1) and the policy process (PLO3), as well as with analytical tools to understand the impact of multi-level and networked governance on both public management and policy-making (PLO2), the specialisation in year 2 not only enables students to explore further these key issues, but more importantly also provides an opportunity to understand the interconnectedness of different facets of public policy and management and to hence gain a holistic, critical appreciation of the complexity of contemporary challenges in this field (PLO4) - an understanding that will enable students to become more effective strategic actors in their professional context. The dissertation finally enables them to apply and integrate this understanding, by working on a specific issue that is relevant to their professional circumstances - students are thus encouraged and supported throughout the programme to develop further their skills in critical analysis and to gain an expanding as well as more specific understanding of the contemporary challenges in public policy and management.
63	ii) ... in what way will these PLOs produce a programme which is distinctive and advantageous to the student?
64	The online, global reach of the programme means that the student body spans many countries and types of professional context, including public, private and non-governmental organisations operating at local, national, international and intergovernmental levels. Students gain new insights and perspectives through engaging in the collaborative fora that are built into the pedagogy and that bring them together, despite physical distance. This approach also gives students an understanding of how their particular context, and that of others, shapes the practice of public policy and management. The programme is also distinctive in the focus that it places on linking theory to practice. As well as enabling students to link theory and practice module-by-module, the programme also develops the underpinning skill of 'reflective practice', which enables students to develop a deeper understanding of their own professional practice, their organisational context and the issues involved in translating their learning into their professional context. This 'meta-skill' is designed to enable students to become effective learners for their ongoing professional development, after the programme has ended. Students also develop the skill of being able to communicate within a virtual context - something that is increasingly relevant in the modern workplace.
65	iii) ... how the design of the programme enables students from diverse entry routes to transition successfully into the programme? For example, how does the organisation of the programme ensure solid foundations in disciplinary knowledge and understanding of conventions, language skills, mathematics and statistics skills, writing skills, lab skills, academic integrity
66	Students come from a diverse range of backgrounds, in terms both of their professional experience and their previous experience of academic study. While the language entry requirements ensure that all students have sufficient command of English, there is more unavoidable disparity in terms of academic experience, and in terms of students’ preparedness for online study and for the particular challenges of managing work and study in parallel. Substantial orientation is therefore carried out via a pre-programme Welcome Site and in particular via a two-week non-assessed but compulsory Induction module. The Induction module includes collaborative group exercises to generate practical tips for studying alongside work, and a set of ground-rules to guide the group discussions. The module also provides guidance and practice in academic reading, note-taking and referencing. The module also explicitly surfaces the norms that govern higher education in the UK/ the West, and invites discussion about this.
67	iv) ... how the programme is designed to enable students to progress successfully - in a limited time frame - through to the end of the award? For example, the development of higher level research skills; enabling students to complete an independent study module; developing competence and confidence in practical skills/ professional skills. See QAA masters characteristics doument http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/Masters-Degree-Characteristics-15.pdf
68	This is a two-year part-time programme of study, which begins by setting some key theoretical foundations in place, and which then moves through specialisation and further enhancement of professional skills to a dissertation which integrates learning from different areas of the programme and applies it to an issue that is relevant to the student's professional context. The design of the programme provides for a 'scaffolded' approach: opportunities to practice and develop/ refresh key academic skills are built into the first two modules via formative written exercises which build towards the summative assessment, together with other tasks such as a library/ referencing exercise. There is also an emphasis on ensuring that students can develop an appreciation of marking standards and criteria (Sadler 2009), through exercises that engage with marking criteria and ask students to practice 'marking' sample essays. Academic skills are reinforced in later modules, for example by exercises which ask students to reflect on and discuss the feedback they have received on past assignments and to identify how they will respond to it. Exercises to practice writing and related skills such as library searching and referencing are also built into later modules. More generally, students' progression is supported via a proactive approach by supervisors, which involves regular contacts to discuss progress. Students are encouraged to review their progress, including the feedback received on assignments, and to identify points to focus on to aid their further development. A set of study skills materials has been developed specifically for SPSW's online students, and includes a short online self-study course. Supervisors signpost students to this course as appropriate. As mentioned at 5 (ii), one of the 'meta-skills' developed by these studies is that of reflective practice. This is tackled via two modules which build skills in this area in relation to the individual student and then their working environment. This progression also enables students to develop awareness of how to apply their learning from their studies within their workplace; this approach takes advantage of the fact that students are simultaneously studying and working, and that there are thus opportunities for immediate application from one arena to the other (Brooks and Roberts 2015). Skills for the dissertation are developed via the Dissertation Workshop which takes a step by step approach to preparing the dissertation proposal. Formative exercises to develop academic skills undertaken in earlier modules (as outlined at 5 (ii)) also help students to prepare for this final-stage work.
69	v) ... how this programme (as outlined in these PLOs) will develop students’ digital literacy skills and how technology-enhanced learning will be used to support active student learning through peer/tutor interaction, collaboration and formative (self) assessment opportunities (reference could be made to such as blogging, flipped classrooms, response 'clickers' in lectures, simulations, etc).
70	The programme is taught wholly online, via a Virtual Learning Environment, and thus offers rich opportunities for the development of digital literacy skills, and for using technology-enhanced learning to support active learning. The approach to teaching and learning is based on social constructivist principles, as the emphasis that this approach places on the construction of knowledge and understanding through interaction with others is very appropriate for a professional development programme of this nature. Students thus learn partly through comparing and debating contexts and experiences. A-synchronous tutor-led discussions are therefore a key part of the learning design. (Although synchronous contacts are also offered and frequently used for one to one interaction, they are not built into the programme design in the same way, because wide variations in time zones across over 40 countries and the fact that students are combining full-time employment with part-time study means that opportunities for group-based real-time interactions are very constrained.) The tutor-led discussion fora provide the backbone for the group learning process and support a variety of activities which are akin to the 'seminar' type activities used on campus-based programmes. These include discussions to explore a specific point from the theory and relate it to professional experience; case studies; debates; role plays; and sharing and peer review of individual work such as reflective journal entries. The role of 'tutor presence' (Garrison and Anderson 2003) is central to the design of these processes. While written text is the main medium for much of the academic content and for the discussion fora, tutors also make use of short videos and presentations, for example to convey threshold concepts or to sum up key points from the discussion fora. The enhancement plan notes the intention to develop a PLO specifically related to the development of digital literacy skills.
71	vi) ... how this programme (as outlined in these PLOs) will support and enhance the students’ employability (for example, opportunities for students to apply their learning in a real world setting)? The programme's employability objectives should be informed by the University's Employability Strategy:
72	The programme has been designed to provide professional development for those who are in employment and are seeking to study in this area in order to further their career. As described at 5 (i) the whole programme has been designed to enable the knowledge, understanding and skills acquired to be applied to the workplace, and there is a strong emphasis on developing a 'big picture' view which will enable students to make sense of, put into context and critique their professional environment. Each of the PLOs has been designed to develop understanding and skills that will be directly relevant in the workplace. As mentioned already, emphasis is also placed on developing the meta-skill of reflective practice so that students are well-placed to apply their learning in the work-place, and to continue their professional development for the future. Specific skills developed by the programme include the capacity to influence, analyse and evaluate policy, and to manage within complex systems of governance and through multiple stakeholders. The wide choice of options enables students to develop further specialist skills depending on their particular professional path and context, for example in policy-related topics such as the role of evidence in policy-making, or in organisational issues such as the management of change. More broadly, students also develop skills in problem-solving and communication, and an understanding of how to enhance their organisation's learning and performance . Students are able to access the services offered by Careers, including interviews with Careers staff, access to the mentoring service, and advice on CVs and job applications. [NB The University Employability Strategy does not appear to relate easily to postgraduate professional development programmes and so is not referenced here.]
75	viii) ... how learning and teaching on the programme are informed and led by research in the department/ Centre/ University?
76	The design of this programme involves the development of a set of module material, for each module, which introduces students to the key concepts, theories and frameworks, and which also incorporates a set of key readings per week (known as Core Readings) and suggestions for optional, additional reading. This body of material is kept up to date with regular revisions, and so this approach lends itself particularly well to ensuring that the module content, and the teaching process, is informed by research within the department and university and more broadly. Teaching staff also draw on their own research as appropriate/ relevant in developing the module content and in their teaching. The programme as a whole is informed by the department's international research expertise, which feeds through into the content of the programme and its delivery.
77	5.d. Progression For masters programmes where students do not incrementally 'progress' on the completion of a discrete Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma, please summarise students’ progressive development towards the achievement of the PLOs, in terms of the characteristics that you expect students to demonstrate at the end of the set of modules or part thereof. This summary may be particularly helpful to students and the programme team where there is a high proportion of option modules and in circumstances where students registered on a higher award will exit early with a lower one. Note: it is not expected that a position statement is written for each masters PLO, but this can be done if preferred.
78	On completion of modules sufficient to obtain a Postgraduate Certificate students will be able to: If the PG Cert is an exit award only please provide information about how students will have progressed towards the diploma/masters PLOs. Please include detail of the module diet that students will have to have completed to gain this qualification as an exit award.
79	The PG Certificate is available as an exit award, although the great majority of students complete the full Masters. Students who exit with a PG Certificate will have completed the following modules: Public Management and Delivery; Governance and Public Administration; Policy Analysis and Process. They will therefore be able to identify key public service reform trends and the implications of these trends for their work environment; understand and critically analyse the features and challenges of multi-level governance systems; and draw on an understanding of the factors that shape and constrain public policies to analyse policy issues and the causes of policy failure.
80	On completion of modules sufficient to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma students will be able to: If the PG Diploma is an exit award only please provide information about how students will have progressed towards the masters PLOs. Please include detail of the module diet that students will have to have completed to gain this qualification as an exit award.
81	The PG Diploma is available as an exit award, although the great majority of students complete the full Masters. Students who exit with a PG Diploma will have completed the following modules, in addition to those completed for the Certificate: Two option modules that allow for a more thorough exploration of either public policy or public management issues; Reflective Practice for Professional Development Part 1, and Digital Capabilities for Global Citizenship. They will thus be able to demonstrate a more detailed understanding of two subject areas from the field of public policy and management, with respect to two PLOs, dependent on the choice of option modules; develop skills in reflective practice for their personal development; and explore the issues involved in working collaboratively and communicating their findings to a group of peers.
82	6. Reference points and programme regulations
83	6.a. Relevant Quality Assurance Agency benchmark statement(s) and other relevant external reference points Please state relevant reference points consulted (e.g. Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, National Occupational Standards, Subject Benchmark Statements or the requirements of PSRBs): See also Taught Postgraduate Modular Scheme: Framework for Programme Design:
84	While there are no specific benchmarks for this programme, it reflects a number of the requirements set out in the Subject Benchmark Statement for Business and Administration that applies to MPA programmes, in respect of 'Type 3' (post-experience) programmes. In particular, it reflects these statements: "These programmes are distinguished by an emphasis on leadership and strategic management. They are characterised by reflective learning based on prior experience and by peer-to-peer learning". All of these elements are prominent themes in the programme, as are these: "Graduates will have been able to ground their new knowledge within the base of their professional experience. They will be able to reflect on and learn from that prior experience and thus be able to integrate new knowledge with past experience and apply it to new situations. They will be able to challenge preconceptions and to remove subject and functional boundaries so as to handle complex situations holistically. They also have particular strengths in analysing, synthesising and solving complex unstructured business problems. In addition to being able to communicate their findings, they will have developed the leadership skills to implement agreed solutions effectively and efficiently."
85	6.b. University award regulations
86	The University’s award and assessment regulations apply to all programmes: any exceptions that relate to this programme are approved by University Teaching Committee and are recorded at the end of this document.
87	7. Programme Structure
88	7.a. Module Structure and Summative Assessment Map Please complete the summary table below which shows the module structure and the pattern of summative assessment through the programme. IMPORTANT NOTE: If the structure of your programme does not fit the usual academic year (for instance students start at the beginning of September or in January) please contact your Academic Quality Team contact in the Academic Support Office for guidance on how to represent the structure in an alternative format. To clearly present the overall programme structure, include the name and details of each individual CORE module in the rows below. For OPTION modules, ‘Option module’ or 'Option from list x' should be used in place of specifically including all named options. If the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists by term of delivery or subject theme these lists should be provided in the next section (7.b). From the drop-down select 'S' to indicate the start of the module, 'A' to indicate the timing of each distinct summative assessment point (eg. essay submission/ exam), and 'E' to indicate the end of teaching delivery for the module (if the end of the module coincides with the summative assessment select 'EA'). It is not expected that each summative task will be listed where an overall module might be assessed cumulatively (for example weekly problem sheets). Summative assessment by exams should normally be scheduled in the spring week 1 and summer Common Assessment period (weeks 5-7). Where the summer CAP is used, a single ‘A’ can be used within the shaded cells as it is understood that you will not know in which week of the CAP the examination will take place. (NB: An additional resit assessment week is provided in week 10 of the summer term for postgraduate students. See Guide to Assessment, 5.4.a)
89	7.b. Optional module lists If the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists these lists should be provided below. If you need more space, use the toggles on the left to reveal ten further hidden rows.
90	Option List A						Option List B			Option List C				Option List D
91	Comparative Social Policy						Globalisation and Social Policy
92	Leading and Managing Organisational Change						Project Management
93	Social Policy: Evidence, Ideas and Institutions						Public Finance
94	Work, Welfare and Citizenship						Public Service Reform: Economic and Political Perspectives
95	Housing and Social Justice
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100
101
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