IEG
The International and European Governance specialisation of the Master’s programme provides the essential theoretical background, knowledge and skills for the public leaders and policy makers of tomorrow to address the challenges of effective and legitimate governance in a globalized world. The specialisation is designed to enable students to gain a solid understanding of the complex nature of contemporary public governance arising from the interactions of supranational, international, national, and local actors and institutions. In this way we prepare students to critically evaluate, implement and design public policies and programs fit for societal problems that transcend national and regional borders.
International organizations such as the European Union (EU), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and many others are analysed as a response by nation states to common trans-national challenges and at the same time as vehicles of further globalisation. In this context, this Master’s specialisation core themes are: decision making in multi-level governance systems (such as the European Union) and its effects on the national and local levels of government; the transfer of sovereignty and policies to international organizations and the effects of supranational policies on national governments’ ability to tackle domestic problems; the role of external actors: transnational networks and international organizations in the domestic arena of member states: effects for domestic politics, policy and economics.
PML
Students who are enrolled in the Public Management and Leadership specialisation examine public policy and governance from an organisational and managerial perspective. The management of public organisations is vital to the effectiveness of public policies since policy outputs and outcomes are to be generated by public organizations, often within complex networks with other public, non-profit and private sector organizations. Therefore, effectively addressing societal challenges boils down to the daily work of public managers and their employees. What aspects of management can be distinguished? When and how does management contribute to public performance? And, how can organizational goals, employees’ interests and wider extra-organizational interests be bridged? These questions are at the core of the Public Management and Leadership specialisation of the MPA. The programme builds on a solid foundation of core courses Public Institutions and Public Policy and Values, that provide students with understanding of state of the art research in policy making, from agenda setting to implementation, management and political- administrative relations.
Specialisation courses in the PML specialisation build on this foundation and center on the external and internal management of public organisations. Together with the lecturers students will examine core themes in public management, such as public service performance, managerial networking, change management, public leadership, human resource management, workforce diversity and representativeness, and employee motivation and behaviour. Students acquire knowledge and understanding of the key concepts and theories of public management as well as of state-of-the-art academic research. In addition, they develop the professional skills to use their knowledge in responding to management challenges in international, national, and local public organizational settings.
E&G
Solving societal problems often requires a solid multidisciplinary preparation. The Economics and Governance specialisation, offered jointly by the Department of Economics and the Department of Public Administration, combines insights from the two disciplines. The MPA prepares students for analysing and addressing societal problems in the overarching framework of public governance. In this specialisation, we add a strong foundation in economics to the focus on governance. Students develop skills to conduct economic analysis of current policy problems and to identify an appropriate policy response, recognizing societal complexity.
The focal point of the program is on markets and the welfare state. Students learn about the role of government in creating, facilitating and controlling markets (e.g. competition policy, regulation). We will also examine the status of the current welfare state, such as the pension system, social security, labour markets, and income distribution in society. We examine the challenges that the welfare state currently confronts and analyse policy responses to address the problems, both from an empirical and theoretical viewpoint. Furthermore, as increasingly recognized by scholars and policy-makers, the institutional framework (standards, procedures, and norms, also non-governmental actors) is an important precondition for well-functioning economies. Understanding markets within such institutional complexity as well as within the global context is an important characteristic of the program.
The specialisation aims to develop professionals who have an analytical skill-set to address policy problems broadly, and in the field of social policy and market regulation specifically; professionals who recognize the assumptions and choices they make in their decisions, and who can stand on the long intellectual tradition of the state-market relations throughout their career.
Organisation educational matters
Board and co-participation
The programme Public Administration has a programme board that consists of:
Programme director, responsible for the content of the programme amongst other things: Dr. M. (Maarja) Beerkens.
Student member of the board, who brings in the student perspective of the programme board: S.M. (Sandra) Schott.
The Master Public Administration has a Programme Committee (OLC). This is a co-participation body that consists of academic staff as well as students.
Study counseling and support
The study advisers from your programme can help you out with programme related questions and problems, like if you fall behind with your studies, your study planning, examination rules and regulations etc. Please see below:
Personal circumstances:
By this we mean: illness, disability, special circumstances within the family, pregnancy and certain board activities. If you’re not sure about your situation, please also come by the study advisers.
Other study related issues:
Study progress, rules and regulation Institute of Public Administration/ University, problems with thesis.
Furthermore, there are also:
Student counselors: they answer your questions and help you out with problems where different regulations and legal conditions play a role;
Student psychologists: they can for instance help you with fear of failure, procrastination, hindering thoughts and they also provide study skills workshops and support groups for students who write their thesis.
You’re always welcome to come by the study advisers first if you are in doubt as to whom you should turn to.
Other important departments:
The Board of Examination is, among other things, responsible for the organization of exams and they also check up on the fulfillment of the Regulations for Teaching and Examinations. Furthermore, the Board of Examination also processes individual requests from students regarding their programme. For individual questions to the Board, please read the rules and regulations.
The Education Services Centre (OSC) takes care of the registration of study and education information and is available for students by telephone and at the desk during their opening hours.
Complaints
The study advisers are the first point of contact within the programme. Please speak to them first, if you are not sure where to turn to regarding the options below.
The university offers different portals where you can discuss your question or complaint.
Do you have a questions, suggestion or complaint about a specific course, exam or about the study programme and time schedule? Please check the complaints page of your programme.
Every faculty has a complaints coordinator: the assessor of the Faculty (student member of the Board). He or she is the complaints coordinator for all other complaints.
Study association
The study association Bestuurskundige Interfacultaire vereniging Leiden (B.I.L.) forms a link between students and the Institute and organizes several activities for students.
Transitional arrangement
Transitional arrangement (overgangsregeling) for Public Institutions
The following transitional arrangement (overgangsregeling) applies to students who in the academic year 2018-19 passed either the written exam or the individual paper, and who are completing the course in the academic year 2019-20.
Students who passed the written exam but failed the individual paper in the academic year 2018-19
The grade on the written exam from the academic year 2018-19 remains valid and counts towards the total grade this year (60 % of total grade).
Students additionally need to hand in an individual paper answering this year’s assignment. However, students are allowed to write a shorter paper (1500 words instead of 2500 words). Otherwise, the assignment is the same. The grading of the paper will take into account the shorter length. This assignment counts for the remaining 40 % of the total grade.
Students who passed the individual paper but failed the written exam in the academic year 2018-19
The grade on the individual paper from the academic year 2018-19 remains valid and counts towards the total grade this year (40 % of total grade).
Students additionally need to complete the weekly exercises of this year’s course (30 % of total grade). This can be done either in groups or individually.
Students also need to hand in an individual paper answering this year’s assignment. However, students are allowed to write a shorter paper (1250 words instead of 2500 words). Otherwise, the assignment is the same. The grading of the paper will take into account the shorter length. This assignment counts for the remaining 30 % of the total grade.
For both groups of students, the requirement to attend the lectures does not apply if they already attended the lectures last year.
Intro
Invitation welcome meeting Master Public Administration 3 February 2020
Dear student,
On behalf of the Board and staff of the Institute of Public Administration of Leiden University, we would like to welcome you to the Master of Science Public Administration (MPA).
We organise a welcome meeting for our new MPA students on Monday 3 February 2020 from 15.00 to 18.15 hrs. During this meeting, you will become acquainted with the overall programme and your specialisation. The professors will provide you with essential information, from courses and block overviews to the thesis and career services.
The programme is as follows:
13.30 or 14.15 Optional: Information session for first-time Leiden University students by student ambassador Sandra Schott* Wijnhaven, 3.50
15.00 – 15.15 Walk-in Wijnhaven 3.48
15.15 – 15.45 Welcome by Maarja Beerkens, Director of Education Wijnhaven 3.48
15.45 – 16.00 Change rooms (go to the relevant specialisation)
16.00 – 16.45 Presentation Economics & Governance by Dr. Olaf van Vliet Wijnhaven 2.59
16.00 – 16.45 Presentation International & European Governance by Dr. Caelesta Braun Wijnhaven 2.64
16.00 – 16.45 Presentation Public Management & Leadership by Dr. Joris van der Voet Wijnhaven 3.12A/B
16.45 – 18.15 Pub quiz and drinks Brasserie Wijnhaven
Please note: * If this is your first time studying at Leiden University, please come to one of the information sessions beforehand at 13.30 or 14.15 hrs (approx. 45 min. each) in room 3.50 at Wijnhaven. During this session, you will receive instructions for uSis and Blackboard and other practical information to find your way around the university.
For newly-arriving international students, Leiden University offers a Warm Welcome Service at the end of January. For further information, please visit the Warm Welcome Service page. We also recommended you to participate in the winter edition of the Orientation Week Leiden (OWL). Dutch master’s students are also welcome to join. Once you accepted your offer of admission, you will receive an invitation to sign up for the OWL. If you haven’t received your invitation, please send an email to participants@owl.leidenuniv.nl.
You can find the weblinks to the timetable, uSis and Blackboard in the right-side column. Please find (other) practical information on Information for new students.
We look forward to meeting you on 3 February!
Kind regards,
Ms. Tineke Choi, MSc
Ms. drs. Jolanda den Heijer
Ms. Charlotte Rosalie, MA
Study advisers Institute of Public Administration
Please note: this information only applies to students who (are eligible to) start with MSc Public Administration on 30 August 2019.
