Public Policy & Ageing – (M.A.)

The programme's central aim is to develop the student's understanding of the factors which shape the emergence and development of public policy of relevance to ageing populations, and deepen that understanding through the study of a selection of substantive policy areas.
Specifically, the programme aims to: * Enable students to apply critically the key theories and concepts used in policy analysis and gerontology to the policy-making process relevant to ageing individuals and societies.
* Equip students with the skills necessary to engage with the key debates about the working of the policy process in democratic societies.
* Broaden and deepen the student's appreciation of common policy problems in relation to ageing and the ways they are addressed in different societies.
* Convey an understanding of the technical and philosophical aspects of the evaluation of policies and programmes so that students can appreciate their uses and limits in public policy and in multidisciplinary, multi-agency, and multi-professional practice.
* Address matters of current social, political and economic concern about ageing and later life.
* Provide a stimulating teaching and learning environment by allowing students to benefit from first hand exposure to staff research in the areas of policy and gerontology.
* Provide an open and supportive learning environment by encouraging students to draw on their own experiences and relate them to the programme.