Master of Arts in Public Policy and Management (PUMA)
The aim of this programme is to train graduates who can apply their practical and theoretical knowledge in economics, social sciences, management, and law to solve and analyze issues in public policy and state administration. The programme is focused on the comparative analysis of questions of public administration, public policy and public management in EU and non-EU countries in the context of processes of internationalisation, Europeanisation and European integration. The programme is designed to provide a comparative understanding of public sector structures, policies and processes, as well as a methodology for analysing and dealing with different structures and processes of public sector management, guidance and control.
The PUMA serves as a basis for studies in the International Master on Public Administration and the Coordination of Transition (IMPACT) programme as well. The joint programme is offered as a full time study programme of 120 ECTS credits by three universities: Radboud University Nijmegen, Corvinus University of Budapest and University of Ljubljana. The nominal length of study is two years. Students are expected to follow courses at each of the cooperating universities. All three universities will issue a diploma and a Diploma Supplement certifying the degree and the results obtained. In order to get the Corvinus diploma students should register to the Master of Arts in Public Policy and Management programme.
Please check IMPACT website for more information, http://www.impact4.me/
Structure of studies:
- 4 academic semester
- total number of credits: 120
The programme has two specialisations:
Public Policy Analysis
Public Management
Language of the programme:
English
Name of the degree:
Master of Arts in Public Policy and Management
The MA in Public Policy and Management is designed for those:
- who wish to expand their knowledge gained in economic and business studies in university or college to the fields of government and public sector;
- who wish to expand their knowledge gained in other scientific disciplines (social science, law, medical science etc.) to the fields of public policy and management;
- • who wish to gain systematic knowledge in economics, management and public policy related to their professional interests or wish to begin a career in this field.
The MA in Public Policy and Management is worth choosing because:
- our MA offers modern and internationally competitive education at a competitive price in the Central and Eastern European region.
- the MA in Public Policy and Management is a premier public policy programme in Hungary that guarantees the level of European standards.
- the programme has been developed in a close collaboration with high ranked Western universities.
- it offers a unique programme and opportunity for students to master relevant competencies regarding public economics, public policy and public management studies, combined with other scientific fields such as political science, law and economics, health care, in an interdisciplinary manner.
- it provides a wide range of elective courses and many of them are focusing on transition issues in Central and Eastern Europe.
- the programme includes mandatory thesis work based on your personal experience or on case studies.
- during their studies, students of the MA in Public Policy and Management can apply for the European mobility programmes ERASMUS and CEEPUS, which are bilateral foreign study programmes of the Corvinus University of Budapest.
- the courses taught in English provide opportunity for Hungarian and foreign students to study together. In this way, in addition to the material covered by the course, the multi-cultural environment is also a significant educator. It facilitates cultural learning, building friendships, and the practice of a common language.
Graduates of this programme are qualified to
- understand major theories that support government policies in decisions for changes.
- apply multidisciplinary approaches towards public issues
- understand governance and public management and their applications
- have an advanced knowledge of the formulation and analysis of public policy and its delivery through programmes and projects
- have extensive knowledge of the institutions, processes and problems of modern government and policy making
- reflect on how and why similar policy issues are framed differently in different countries as problems and solutions
- understand key organisational changes in public sector as well as to evaluate outcomes of policies
- analyse and work out various local, regional, national, and international policy issues
- be equipped with the skills that are essential for translating policies into tangible programmes
- use the right methodological approaches
- submit results with acceptable academic content and format
- apply these knowledge at solving or evaluating concrete problems.
The employment of our graduates
Graduate of this programme will be well prepared for high positions in government, public service, international organisations and NGOs. Based on the experience of alumni, they can easily find their way to become leaders and managers in a relatively short time. Both public and private sector companies recruit candidates with profound knowledge in public policy and management. The demand of the labour market for such economists can be high from those institutions and companies who meet public issues in their activities and employ experts with reputed diploma.
Programme description
The courses taught in the programme are divided into core courses, catch-up courses, foundation core courses, differentiated professional courses, specialization courses and elective courses.
During the first year, the MA programme provides catching-up courses in Public Economics and Public Policy Analysis, while also introducing students into Advanced microeconomics, Advanced macroeconomics and Econometrics.
From the second year onwards, students have to select one to the two specializations:
– Public Policy Analysis
– Public Management
By taking the Public Policy specialization, students can follow Public Policy Process, Comparative Public Policy and Public Financial Management.
Public Management, on the other hand, offers Information management in the public sector, Human resource management in public service and Public Financial Management, among other courses.
SCHEDULE - I. year (2011/2012)
Curriculum
I. Catch-up* courses
Public Policy Analysis - The Argumentative Approach
Local Government Regulation and Finance
Quantitative Methods B (Statistics)
Management of Public Services and ICT
II. Mandatory core courses
Comparative Public Administration
Public Policy Process in Central and Eastern Europe
Economics of the Public Sector
Civil Society and Organization in Transition
Comprehensive Public Policy Analysis
III. Elective courses
Alternative Public Service Delivery
The Economic History of Eastern Europe in the 20th century
The Globalization of World Politics
Institutional Changes: Political Administrative Answers to Challenges
Health Technology Analysis and Economics of Medicine
Local Government Regulation and Finance
Research Integration Project Seminar
Foreign Language
Gymnastics
IV. Thesis seminar / Thesis (15 credits)
* Students may choose and combine catch-up courses and / or elective differentiated professional / module courses as they wish with the following restrictions:
a) missing credits (i.e. students with less than 180 recognized credits from their Bachelor or previous studies in specified knowledge area for the purpose of admission) should be made up, therefore some or all catch-up courses are compulsory for them;
b) minimum and maximum number of courses are prescribed in a given type of courses;
c) number of class-hours and credits that should be taken is prescribed as sufficient for the master degree program. Within these restrictions students are free to combine these courses as they please. (For example: if taking catch-up courses is not necessary, a student may choose seven elective professional courses.)
Download the full curriculum here.
The Faculty of Economics reserves the right not to launch a course indicated above.
Total number of credits needed to complete the programme: 120 credits
Language courses
Students are given the opportunity to take foreign language courses for two semesters without being required to pay an extra fee. Our University offers courses in eight foreign languages: Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
In order to help international students become easily comfortable in our country, we provide them the chance to learn Hungarian as a foreign language as well.
Admission requirements:
• entrance exam:
o essay on general relevant subjects in a case study form
o personal or telephone interview on motivations
• bachelor’s degree (authenticated copy of the BA/BSc degree in both its original language and in English, along with the transcript. Note that graduating students have to send their certificates after the defence.)
Entrance exam
Applicants of the MA programme have to take part in the entrance exam of the Faculty.
During the entrance procedure, 100 points can be earned.
• For the exam 70 points,
• Another 20 for the evaluation of the Bachelor’s degree, in a way that the certificate is graded on a scale from 1 to 5, the score of which is to be multiplied by four,
• A maximum of 10 extra points can be obtained up to 10 (see the titles below).
Subject of the entrance exam Type of the entrance exam Maximum score
Essay on a relevant subject
(in English) written 50 points
Motivational discussion
(in English) oral 20 points
Extra points
Out of the 100 points which can be earned at the MA entrance exam, the maximum amount of the extra points is 10 (For scientific, sport).
The admission is determined by a board composed of the delegates of the departments responsible for the education of the programme.
The number of admitted students: Maximum 40
The program will not be started with less than 15 students.
To learn more about the exam and check out some entrance exam examples, please click here.
Application procedure:
• Application package (completed application form, authenticated copy of BA/BSc degree, detailed transcript, CV, motivation letter, language exam certification if available, copy of passport) to be sent to info.economics@uni-corvinus.hu by the 15th of April 2012.
• Application fee: 110 EUR - to be paid by the 15th of April - How to pay your application fee?
• Written exam via the Internet
• Oral exam
• Applicants will be notified about their results (accepted or declined)
Applicants' English-language skills are measured in the written and the oral part of the entrance exam. For this reason, any certificate proving the English-language skills of applicants are not required to be enclosed in the application package.
For Hungarian nationals:
We would like to draw your attention to the fact that the detailed requirements for Hungarian citizens to be admitted are accurately listed in the "Admission Bulletin for Higher Education " / Felsõoktatási Felvételi Tájékoztató / published by the Ministry of Culture and Education annually in December and valid for the next academic year.
Please note that the deadline for applications to comply with central regulations is February 15 of each year.
Successful candidates will receive immediately a notification of acceptance by which their visa application can be accelerated if necessary.
The Faculty can assist in the visa application process.
• Successful applicants are expected to arrive to Hungary by the 1st of September.
Please respect the deadlines!
Language requirements
The Corvinus University of Budapest considers it very important that the good standard of teaching and learning not be hindered by language problems. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that international students apply to study at Corvinus only if their command of the language of instruction is unquestionably sufficient and suitable for university studies.
Tuition fee: 1950 EUR per semester
You can apply for several different scholarships. To learn more about them, please click here.
Payment terms:
• Please transfer the tuition fee for the two semesters of the next academic year until the end of June to our bank account.
• Please note that registration is conditional upon the receipt of the fee.
• If the tuition fee for two semesters does not arrive by the end of June, we will not be able to send a letter of acceptance to you about the arrival of the payment, which you need for the residence permit application at our Embassy.
• Please note that the university is unable to offer postponement of payment, or to provide an installment payment scheme.
Instructor responsible for the master program
Dr. habil György Jenei CSc professor
Further information
If interested in the MA programme, please contact our departmental coordinator, Mrs. Judit Striker, at the following address:
Room 150
8, Fővám tér
Budapest, 1093
Hungary
Phone: +36-1-482-5347
E-mail: info.economics@uni-corvinus.hu