StudyLink logoHome
Students on a university campus

Public Administration (MSc), MSc

University of Twente, the Netherlands

University of Twente

Study options for this course

The award How you will study Study duration Course start Domestic course fees International course fees
MScFull-time1 yearSeptember, Februaryfind outfind out

About Public Administration (MSc), MSc - at University of Twente

The one-year Master's in Public Administration is an internationally oriented programme and is taught entirely in English. You can start both the Master's and the pre-Master's programme in September or February. Read more about the Master's programme, the pre-Master's programme and admission. You can also find more information about career perspectives.

In our complex and ever-changing society, the Master's in Public Administration equips you to tackle today's most pressing political and administrative challenges.

Educating for the public sector of the future

In our technologically advanced world, grand societal challenges emerge at different scales. For example, young people raised in local communities in Western cities may radicalize and travel through Europe to fight a globalized, terrorist war. Sustainable energy production is increasingly realized in local neighborhoods, reducing problems of global warming. Cities have become vibrant replacements of nation states in producing well-being through innovative, creative technologies. Public sectors have become increasingly interdependent across the globe, resulting in shocks and crises at different scales.

Grand societal challenges emerging at different scales have two fundamental aspects. They have, in the first place, an interdisciplinary nature. In the second place these challenges are strongly tied to technological development. Thus, researchers and professionals who address societal challenges from the perspective of public administration must be able to take into account the interdisciplinary nature of societal challenges and the impact /use of technology.

Competences and 21st century skills

The fundamental aspects of societal challenges require that future researchers and professionals in the field of public administration have specific advanced competences and 21st century skills. These include:

  • Learning skills, like creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem-solving, communication, collaboration
  • Information, media and technology skills
  • Life and career skills, like flexibility and adaptability, initiative and self-direction, social and cross-cultural skills, leadership and responsibility.

You will learn to integrate interdisciplinary knowledge from specific domains and technologies into their public administration research and designs. The programme brings in the wide range of domain-specific expertise by the best researchers of University of Twente.

Thus, the programme provides its graduates with a strong preparation for a career in (inter)national and local organizations as public leaders, policy-makers, consultants, or public managers.

Research and specialization

The programme core is directly related to the Public Administration research departments available at our university. We offer you a broad scope of choices, for example, inpublic safety, communication, civil engineering, sustainability, innovation of governance, higher education and more. By creating a unique mix of mandatory courses covering the main theories of Public Administration and profile courses related to, but not necessarily entirely focusing, on Public Administration itself, you will develop a broad view and learn how to use Public Administration knowledge in a way that reaches far beyond the actual PA domain.

Why opt for Public Administration at the University of Twente?

The combination of academic rigour and practical relevance, along with a cross-disciplinary perspective on public administration are important characteristics of this programme. You will gain broad and highly relevant core knowledge of the public sector and expertise in the profile of your choice.

Features of the programme:

  • Low student-teacher ratio, allowing for personalized feedback and personal development
  • A combination of solid academic grounding and practical relevance
  • Focus on the international context of public administration
  • A design approach to policy solutions
  • Cross-disciplinary perspective, approaching the field from various academic angles
  • International orientation with students from many different backgrounds
  • A wonderful green campus that provides an ideal environment for studying and living.

The programme has been recognized by experts of the European Association for Public Administration Accreditation as a leading national and international programme.

Career prospects

Organizations are keen on finding talented people with the right know-how to tackle complex public problems and successfully implement and manage new policies. Your study programme will be thoroughly attuned to the demands of effectiveness and feasibility, while addressing the requirements of procedural norms such as constitutional legality and democratic legitimacy.

As a Public Administration graduate, you will have specialized knowledge. This will make you valuable, highly motivated employee who can show initiative in working on complex projects. The programme is an ideal preparation for a career with a national or international government body, for instance the European Union.

Entry requirements

Check out the admission requirements

Courses you may be interested in at other institutions

Below are some suggested courses at other providers that you may also be interested in:

Social Sciences for a Digital Society Master Degree

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Find out more

Marketing Master Degree

EU Business School Digital

Find out more

Full-Time MBA MBA

Luxembourg School of Business

Find out more

Visual Communication MA

Berlin School of Business and Innovation

Find out more

Enterprise Risk Management MSc

Columbia University, School of Professional Studies

Find out more

Software Engineering MSc

Mälardalen University

Find out more

Creative Music Production & Sound Engineering BA (Hons), Cert HE

Catalyst - Institute for Creative Arts and Technology

Find out more

Don't meet the entry requirements?

Consider a pre-masters or postgraduate pathway program at University of Twente to prepare for your chosen course:

See all Postgraduate pathway courses at University of Twente

Postgraduate pathways and pre-masters at other institutions

If you do not meet the entry requirements for this course then consider one of these postgraduate preparation courses from another institution:

Graduate Diploma in IT Management

Southern Cross University Online

Find out more

Psychology (Bridging)

James Cook University Online (JCU)

Find out more

Extended Care Paramedicine

Edith Cowan University Online (ECU)

Find out more

Graduate Diploma in Supervision

Australian Catholic University (ACU)

Find out more
See all Postgraduate pathway courses

Other courses at University of Twente

There are 85 other courses listed from University of Twente. A selection of these are displayed below:

Advanced Technology (BSc) BSc

University of Twente

Find out more

Applied Mathematics (BSc) BSc

University of Twente

Find out more

Applied Mathematics (MSc) MSc

University of Twente

Find out more

Applied Physics (BSc) BSc

University of Twente

Find out more

Applied Physics (MSc) MSc

University of Twente

Find out more

Business & IT (BSc) BSc

University of Twente

Find out more
View all 85 courses at University of Twente

Related Information

Find out more about studying in the Netherlands