Public Management

This one-year programme is both a stand-alone qualification in Irish public management and the first year of the IPA’s suite of MA programmes. It is suitable for students working in all parts of the public sector, from large central government departments and local authorities to small public agencies. New responsibilities or career ambitions may mean that they should now study public management, a field they may not have encountered in their undergraduate years. By providing a solid grounding in subjects central to public management broadly, the programme prepares students for the elective subjects they will take in the second, specialised year of their chosen MA stream.



The six modules introduce public servants to subjects at the heart of management, including economics, human resource management, and organistional structure and strategy. Students receive instruction in areas vital to the effective management of public services, including the cost-appraisal of projects, the promotion of organisational change, public sector financial management and the significance of EU institutions and policies for Ireland. The course blends academic principles and scholarship with practical application, and it is taught by a mix of academics and public service practiioners.



The programme is divided into two semesters – September to December and January to April. Three modules are taken in each semester.



Delivery



This part-time programme takes one year to complete and can be taken from anywhere in the country. It is designed to be suitable for those with busy professional and personal lives.



Students attend seminars on selected weekends over the academic year. Some of these are in-person sessions at the IPA campus in Dublin 4. Others are delivered online.



Between these seminars/webinars, they access a range of resources, including textbooks, bespoke materials, and online supports.



Key Benefits for You and Your Career



Advanced Knowledge: Understand core principles and debates in subjects such as economics, HRM, finance, and organisational strategy. You may not have studied these core management subjects when last in higher education but now appreciate their centrality to public management.



Practical Application: Apply what you learn to issues and developments in your own area of the public service and bring your own experience to bear in seminars and in assessment.



Career Advancement: Present to your organisation as someone with a postgraduate qualification in public management and a commitment to further education.



Networking Opportunities: Connect with fellow public servants across Ireland who have also returned to education to improve their knowledge and understanding of public management subjects.



Continuous Professional Development: Stay abreast of the current main theories and arguments at play in contemporary public management.

Semester One (September to December) Modules



Economics

This module focuses on public sector economics. The State plays a very important role in all our economic lives and in the economic health of the nation. Among the topics that are addressed are taxation, the economics of regulation, efficiency and effectiveness in the public sector, monopolies, project appraisal, sources of funds and portfolio theory.



Managing Human Resources

On completing this module, which attends to both human resource management and organisational behaviour, students will be able to evaluate the human resource management system in their organisation. It considers, among other topics, strategic HR planning, performance and rewards management, theories of leadership, group dynamics, communication in organisations, politics and conflict, organisational change, and job design.



Finance

Public sector managers, like their private sector counterparts, should have a solid understanding of the main principles and tools of contemporary financial management. This course explores financial reporting, financial statement analysis, budgeting and working capital, cost and management accounting, and investment. It also attends to the ideas and practices of modern financial governance, auditing and risk.



Semester Two (January – April) Modules



Organisation and Strategy

This module gives students a solid understanding of the evolving role of the State, of different approaches to policy-making and strategy, and of organisational design. Focusing on the public sector, it will provide them with ideas and arguments that they can use to evaluate their organisation, its working environment, and its success. Among the specific topics addressed are the role and evolution of the State, decision-making in organisations, and public management in the 21st century.



Research Methods

This course explores both research theory and design and quantitative techniques. With regard to the former, it considers how knowledge is best obtained, different research strategies, sampling, interviews, and focus groups. Its treatment of quantitative techniques examines how to present data, the application of probability distributions, the estimation of population parameters, and the forms that relationships between quantitative variables can take. This module also helps students prepare for their dissertation work in the second year of the MA programme.



Managing in Europe

This module explores the history of European integration, how the EU functions and the debates about its direction and future. Students will learn about, among other things, how the EU institutions relate to each other, how the EU makes laws, and some of the most notable areas where the EU decides public policy.

Applicants must have a primary degree or equivalent qualification. Transcripts of undergraduate qualifications are required at the application stage.

Application deadline: 21/08/2026

Students are assessed by means of assignments and final examinations.

1 year.



Delivery

Blended Learning



Seminars/webinars take place on six weekends



Seminar 1 September 5-6, 2026

Seminar 2 (Online) October 3-4, 2026

Seminar 3 October 31-November 1, 2026

Exams Week of December 7, 2026

Seminar 4 January 9-10, 2027

Seminar 5 (Online) February 6-7, 2027

Seminar 6 March 6-7, 2027

Exams: Week of April 12, 2027

The cost of the programme is €5,000 per annum (includes all matriculation and examination fees, all seminars, textbooks and course material), payable in two instalments.

Commences 05/09/2026

On completing this programme, students can progress to the MA stage. That stage involves one further year of study and includes an opportunity to specialize in a particular area of public management and write a dissertation.