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Public Administration and Management BA (Hons)

This programme combines the study of applied politics with the management of modern society. The course will develop your skills and subject knowledge needed to secure a management position in the public sector.

Overview

On the Public Administration and Management BA at DMU you have the opportunity to combine the study of applied politics with the management of modern society.

You will share the first year with the Politics BA course, giving you a vital grounding in political issues and theory.

In the second and third years you will have the opportunity to combine politics with public administration modules.

Key features

  • Put theory into practice with opportunities for a short placement with a local authority
  • Give your studies an international dimension by taking the Government and Policy in China module and take up the opportunity to learn about Chinese life and culture on campus at the Confucius Institute
  • DMU is the only university in the UK to hold both Congress to Campus and European Parliament to Campus with former members of US Congress and former Members of European Parliament to enhance your study experience
  • Enjoy an international experience with DMU Global, our innovative programme of work and study opportunities across the world, which can enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons
  • Get placement opportunities with local, national and global companies including the Labour Party, the House of Commons, the Government Economic Service, the Welsh Assembly, Pfizer and the NHS

 

Scholarships

DMU offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships and bursaries to help you realise your academic ambitions.

International student scholarships

Find out about available international scholarships or visit our fees and funding page for more information.

More courses like this:

Politics BA (Hons)
International Relations and Politics

  • UK
  • EU/International

Institution code: D26

UCAS course codes: LN2F

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with a placement.

Fees and funding: 

2024/25 tuition fees for UK students: £9,250

 

 

Find out more about additional costs and optional extras associated with this course.

How to apply

Submit a study-related enquiry

Institution code: D26

UCAS course codes: LN2F

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with a placement.

Fees and funding:

2024/25 tuition fees for international students: £15,750.

Find out more about available funding for international students.

Find out more about additional costs and optional extras associated with this course.

How to apply

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

Entry criteria

  • A typical offer is 112 UCAS points. You need to study at least two subjects at A-level or equivalent (eg BTEC)
  • International Baccalaureate: 26 + points
  • All students must have at least five GCSEs grades A–C including English Language and Maths

  • Pass Access with 30 Level 3 credits at Merit (or equivalent)

    English (Language or Literature) and Maths GCSE required as separate qualifications at grade C

    We will normally require students to have had a break from full time education before undertaking the Access course

 

Mature students

We welcome applications from mature students with non-standard qualifications and recognise all other equivalent and international qualifications.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

 

UCAS tariff information

Students applying for courses starting in September will be made offers based on the latest UCAS Tariff.

Contextual offer 

To make sure you get fair and equal access to higher education, when looking at your application, we consider more than just your grades. So if you are eligible, you may receive a contextual offer. Find our more about contextual offers.

 

Structure and assessment

 

Course modules

Teaching and assessment

Teaching contact hours

 

Year 1

  • Introduction to Politics
  • Introduction to Globalisation
  • Local Government and Politics
  • Introduction to Public Administration and Management
  • Introduction to Work and Organisation

Year 2

  • Governance
  • Fundamentals of Public Administration: Theory
  • Experiential Workshops
  • Political Thought and Analysis
  • Government and Business
  • The Making of a Global World
  • Political Research in Action

Year 3

  • Dissertation (elective)
  • Public Policy Making
  • Public Sector Strategic Management
  • Government and Policy in China (elective)
  • Managing the Public Sector
  • Managing the Environment (elective)
  • Health Strategy and Management (elective)

(The following elective modules are available for those students studying at SCOPE City U)

  • Housing Policy Making
  • Property Management and Real Estate
  • Finance and Housing Markets
  • Planning and Sustainability

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

Teaching and assessment

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, group work and self-directed study. Assessment is through coursework (presentations, essays and reports) and usually an exam or test, which is typically weighted as follows in your first year:

  • Exam: 34%
  • Practical: 1%
  • Coursework: 65%

These assessment weightings are indicative only. The exact weighting may vary depending on option modules chosen by students and teaching methods deployed by the academic member of staff each year. Indicative assessment weighting and assessment type per module are shown as part of the module information. Again these are based on the current academic session. 

Teaching contact hours

This is a full-time course. Each module is worth 30 credits. It is expected that student will spend a total of 300 hours of study for each module. You should be prepared to devote approximately 10 contact hours a week to your studies and additional independent hours of study in order to succeed. Teaching is through a mix of lectures, tutorials, seminars and lab sessions and the breakdown of these activity types is shown in each module description.

Other: In addition, each module provides a two-hour surgery each week for individual consultation with the lecturer. You will also have timetabled meetings with your personal tutor and careers and/or subject meetings scheduled throughout the year.

Self-directed study: In order to prepare for, and assimilate, the work in lectures and seminars you will be expected to use our on-line resources, participate in flipped or virtual classroom discussions on our virtual learning environment (VLE) and engage in personal study and revision for approximately 25 hours per week.

Facilities and features

 
Placements
Placements
Placements
Placements
 

Hugh Aston Building

You will have access to our purpose-built Hugh Aston Building, equipped with lecture theatres and classrooms, break-out spaces for group work, quiet study zones for individual work and IT labs. Wherever possible, students will be given home access to specialist software.

You’ll also have access to the building’s new £5.5 million extension called The Yard, which provides more than 22,000 square metres of extra space. This is designed to facilitate your learning experience with large and airy breakout spaces, a new Student Advice Centre, and a balcony on the top floor. The Yard also features more comfortable classrooms and self-study spaces, allowing you to carry out independent study as well as group work.

Library services

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available. 

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our Library website, e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose. 

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including Learning Zone, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub. 

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live LibChat, online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our Learning Services, and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

Campus Centre

The home of  De Montfort Students' Union, (DSU) our Campus Centre offers a welcoming and lively hub for student life. Conveniently located at the heart of campus, it includes a convenience store, a Subway and a Starbucks. Here you can find the DSU-owned charitable accommodation service Sulets and DSU’s shop, SUpplies, selling art supplies, stationery and clothing, and printing and binding services. The building is also home to the DSU officer team. 

Opportunities and careers

Find the people who will open doors for you

DMU's award-winning careers service provides guaranteed work experience opportunities DMU Careers Team
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#DMUglobal

Our innovative international experience programme DMU Global aims to enrich studies, broaden cultural horizons and develop key skills valued by employers. 

Through DMU Global, we offer an exciting mix of overseas, on-campus and online international experiences, including the opportunity to study or work abroad for up to a year.

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Placements

An optional paid placement year offers invaluable professional experience.

We can help you secure a placement through activities such as mock interviews and practice aptitude tests, and you will be assigned a personal tutor to support you throughout your placement. 

We advertise posts in all locations in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, including some international posts.

Our students have taken placements with companies including Rolls Royce, GlaxoSmithKline, Heathrow Airport and the House of Commons.

For further details visit our placements page or contact @DMUBALPlacements.

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Graduate careers

The course prepares you for senior roles in public and private sector organisations where you can influence major decisions that affect us all.

The public sector is a major UK employer and one of the most diverse, challenging and exciting sectors in which to work.

There is real demand for suitably qualified managers who are interested in making a difference and who understand the implications of the global financial crisis, climate change, sustainable development, health care and other issues affecting contemporary society.

Take your next steps

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