Public Policy

Students can choose modules from the broad list of Master of Public Policy Course. Depending on their performance, aspirations and selection of modules, students can transfer from the graduate diploma into the Master of Public Policy in the stream in which they specialised.



Public policy making has become more challenging in recent years in the context of the increasing complexity of clients’ needs, growing expectations regarding appropriate service quality and diminishing public spending in many countries. The Master of Public Policy is specifically designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills to meet these challenges.



We examine the socio-economic changes and political issues which influence policy making, the challenges associated with effective regulation and administration of public services and ensuring that policy decisions are evidence based. If you are interested in public policy research you can take a number of specialist modules on this issue. We also provide a number of optional streams which will enable you to examine different policy fields in depth.

The Grad Dip of Public Policy is a 60-credit programme. Students take 4 core modules and choose option modules according to their choice of stream. Please visit www.ucd.ie/publicpolicy for further details.



Stage 1 - Core

Evidence-Based Policy Making SPOL40450

Data & Methods for Policy Analysis SPOL41020

Public Administration & Policy SPOL41060



Stage 1 - Option

Econometrics ECON41820

MicroeconomicsECON41840

Health and Welfare Economics ECON42190

Energy Economics and Policy ECON42360

Behavioural Economics ECON42660

Tools for Sust Development ENVP40040

Environmental Economics & Climate Policy ENVP40100

European Environmental Policy ENVP40180

Critical Political Economy EQUL40390

Critical Geopolitics of Europe GEOG40450

Physical Geography of Cities GEOG40780

Practical Environmental Assessment GEOG40860

Gender, Inequality and Public Policy GS40030

Work & Employment in the Global Economy HRM40720

Data & Society IS40840

Social Networks Online and Offline IS40980

Foundations of Environmental Law LAW40120

Advanced Issues in European Competition Law LAW40360

Punishment, Prisons & Public Policy LAW40620

Advanced Criminological Theory LAW40640

NGOs: Law, Governance and Social Change LAW40760

Law of the ECHR LAW40780

Law and Governance of the EU LAW41040

Climate Change Law and Policy LAW41090

Online Regulation LAW41150

Comparative Corporate Governance LAW42010

Public Health Practice and Policy PHPS40040

Health Promotion PHPS40300

Placemaking: Urban and Rural Design PLAN40020

Planning, Society and Diversity PLAN40030

Transport, Environment & Sustainability PLAN40050

Urban and Regional Development PLAN40060

Housing Policy and Planning PLAN40070

Economic and Property Markets PLAN40080

Geographical Information Systems for Policy and Planning PLAN40220

Planning, Environ & Public Pol PLAN40340

Sustainable Cities PLAN40390

Global Issues in Normative Political Theory POL40140

Comparative Public Policy POL40160

International Political Economy POL40370

Comparative European Politics POL40540

Introduction to Statistics POL40950

Politics of European Governance POL40970

Politics of Human Rights POL41020

Theory of Human Rights POL41030

Qualitative Research Methods for Political Science POL41640

The Global Political Economy of Europe POL41650

Political Theory and the EU POL42000

Quantitative Text Analysis POL42050

Policing & Social Conflict SOC40080

Workshop in Qualitative Research SOC40330

Social Simulation: Methods and Models SOC40640

Housing and Social Cohesion SPOL40440

Comparing Healthcare Systems SPOL40470

Ideas, Ideology in Public Pol. SPOL41110

Sustainable Futures and Public Policy SPOL41120

Multivariate Analysis STAT40150

Each application is considered on its individual merits. The applicants should have earned a honours bachelors degree (NFQ Level 8) from a recognised university in a relevant social science subject such as Political Science, International Relations, Social Policy, Sociology, Geography, Economics, Global Studies, Public Policy, Public Administration, EU Studies, Law/International Law, Accounting & Finance, Business etc. with at least Upper Second Class Honours, or its equivalent (an overall GPA of 3.0 (B) or higher in the American system). Relevant professional experience will also be taken into account.



Note that meeting the requirements do not guarantee admission. Applicants in their final year of undergraduate study may be admitted conditional on satisfactory completion of their undergraduate degree.



Students meeting the programme’s academic entry requirements but not the English language requirements, may enter the programme upon successful completion of UCD’s Pre-Sessional or International Pre-Master’s Pathway programmes. Please see the following link for further information http://www.ucd.ie/alc/programmes/pathways/

1 year full-time, 2 years part-time.

Commencing September 2025

Graduates work in the public sector, across a variety of businesses, and in voluntary sector bodies. The positions they have gone on to, in Ireland and internationally, include policy analysts, policy advisors, communications and public affairs managers, policy officers, among many others.