Public Administration & Organizational Science – (M.Sc.)

Requirements

Candidates for this Master´s Programme should hold either:

* A national Bachelor´s Degree in Public Administration;
* A national or University College Utrecht (UCU) Bachelor´s Degree in one of the related disciplines (General Social Sciences, Business Administration, Policy Studies, Communication, Cultural Anthropology, Organizational Science, Human Resource Management, Social Sciences, Sociology, Political Science);
* An international Bachelor´s Degree in one of the above mentioned disciplines;
* A one-year (inter)national Master´s Degree in one of the above mentioned disciplines.

In principle, successful participation in the Research Master´s Programme is feasible for students who are well-grounded in general academic knowledge and skills. In addition, they should have knowledge of, and insight and skills in issues of Public Administration and Public Organizations, and of research methods. More formally: an honours degree, or in-depth knowledge of theory and research in the domain and proven excellence in conducting research at bachelor´s degree level, is a prerequisite.

Premaster's Track

The above mentioned Bachelor´s Degrees meet the entry requirements set for this Research Master´s Programme. Students with a Bachelor´s Degree other than in Public Administration should have completed:

* at least a minor in Public Administration and Organizational Science or courses in the Bachelor´s Programme that are equivalent to the minor courses;
* at least a basic introduction to research methods, including quantitative and qualitative methods of Public Administration and Policy and Organization research, and they should be able to set up and carry out empirical research.

The Selection Procedure

An Admissions Committee assesses candidates on the basis of a portfolio submitted by the candidates. The portfolio contains proof of their knowledge and skills in Public Administration and Organizational Science, of Research Methods including research projects completed (please note: demonstrating affinity with and proven quality in the field of research skills), and relevant extra-curricular experience (e.g. trainee/work experience with a research agency, experience with project management). Besides, the Admissions Committee will require a letter of motivation in which the candidates motivate their application. It should include a research proposal that the candidate would like to specify in more detail on admission. An intake interview is part of the selection procedure for students living in the Netherlands.
Suitable candidates holding a Bachelor´s Degree in Public Administration and Organizational Science of Utrecht University and/or a Bachelor´s Degree in Public Administration of Tilburg University and/or a Bachelor´s Degree in Public Administration of Erasmus University, Rotterdam, will be given precedence.

Late Entry on the grounds of Affiliated Degrees

Candidates holding a one-year Master´s Degree in Public Administration or in a related discipline (General Social Sciences, Business Administration, Policy Studies, Communication Science, Cultural Anthropology, Organizational Science, Human Resource Management, Social Sciences, Sociology, Political Science) are eligible for exemption, to a greater or lesser degree, of those components of the Research Master´s Programme that show substantial overlap with the academic Master´s Programme completed previously. This will be assessed by the Admissions Committee.

The programme directors will see to a study plan that allows candidates to enter the coursework of the Research Master´s Programme in the best possible way and thus prevents unnecessary prolongation of the course as much as possible.