Master of Public Administration (Human Resources)

The MPA is an international Masters’ programme, aimed at people who are pursuing (or would like to pursue) a career in public administration in government, public enterprises or non-governmental organisations, whether at local, national or international level. The MPA bridges theory and practice to help students to acquire the skills and understanding needed for effective management and strategy in government, and is taught in a highly motivated international learning environment. The Human Resources MPA pathway recognizes the key role of the human resources function in public management strategy and the need to adapt human resources practice to different cultural contexts and strategic challenges. Using case studies, the pathway enables students to develop their capacity for analysis and problem-solving in complex human resource contexts.

The MPA is an international Masters’ programme, aimed at those who aspire to a career in public management in government, public agencies or non-governmental organizations working with government, whether at local, regional, national or international levels, worldwide. The Human Resources MPA pathway is designed for those who are interested in human resource management and development in the public, state or NGO sectors in developing, transitional or newly-industrialised countries. This is primarily a public sector management, not a business management, programme, although the themes covered are relevant to both sectors. The pathway encourages students to consider and analyse how a changing global environment has shaped the ways in which work is organised and managed and how ideas about leadership and management may be applied in response to different problems and challenges. The programme emphasises a diagnostic case study approach in in its core modules, with an emphasis on practical, theoretically-informed discussion and strategy development. The pathway explores current and recent trends in public administration and human resources, focusing on relationship between hard and soft approaches to the analysis and practice of management, for example between human resources management and human resource development, between leadership and management and between vertical bureaucracy and decentralised collaboration. The pathway considers the interaction between organizational structure, culture, power and motivation in public administration and in international organisations.