Social Policy Social Work & Social Justice - Public Policy
GradDip Public Policy
Graduate Taught (level 9 nfq, credits 60)
The Graduate Diploma is aimed primarily at students who have an undergraduate qualification in a non-cognate discipline. However, for those students who feel that they did not quite reach their full potential in their undergraduate degree, the programme also offers the opportunity to acquire an additional 'top-up' qualification.
They 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.
Vision & Values Statement
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 Graduate Diploma is aimed primarily at students who have an undergraduate qualification in a non-cognate discipline. However, for those students who feel that they did not quite reach their full potential in their undergraduate degree, the programme also offers the opportunity to get transferred to the Master of Public Policy after Semester one.
Programme Outcomes
• Understand the political, ethical, social and economic factors that influence policymaking, along with the challenges associated with effective policy implementation and regulation
• Take a critical view of policy analysis, recognizing the variety of considerations that shape policy outcomes and the variety of ideas, expectations, and norms that shape debates about appropriate policy solutions and the assessment of policy outcomes
• Demonstrate advanced theoretical and conceptual knowledge of public policy and governance
• Develop an understanding of current debates within public policy and governance
• Critically appraise and reflect on the role of the policy analyst within the democratic and policy-making process
• Apply advanced theory to problem-solving and public policy challenges, drawing on a range of disciplinary approaches and analytical tools
• Systematically analyse public policies comparatively in an international, national, and subnational context, to apply the latest in public policy research
• Critically appraise and reflect on the role of the policy analyst within the democratic and policy-making process
• Articulate concepts, knowledge, debates and research to peers, specialist and non-specialist audiences from an inter-disciplinary perspective, contributing to evidence-based policy-making
• Exercise effective group and team-based approaches to learning, research, and presentation
• Articulate concepts, knowledge, debates and research to peers, specialist and non-specialist audiences, from an interdisciplinary perspective
• Contribute to evidence-based policy-making
• Source and synthesize different kinds of data, textual and source material
• Engage in independent research and analysis
• Write to a good academic standard.
Subjects taught
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.
Stage 1 - Core
Evidence-Based Policy Making
SPOL40450
Data & Methods for Policy Analysis
SPOL41020
Public Administration & Policy
SPOL41060
Stage 1 - Option
Econometrics
ECON41820
Microeconomics
ECON41840
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
Environmental Law and Policy
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
Asylum and Refugee: Law, Politics and Rights
LAW41310
Comparative Corporate Governance
LAW42010
Health Policy
NMHS43840
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
International Political Theory
POL40140
International Political Economy
POL40370
Comparative European Politics
POL40540
EU Foreign, Security, and Defence Pol.
POL40610
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
Politics of (mis-)information
POL42070
Policing & Social Conflict
SOC40080
Workshop in Qualitative Research
SOC40330
Social Simulation: Methods and Models
SOC40640
Housing and Social Cohesion
SPOL40440
Comparing Healthcare Systems
SPOL40470
Drug Use, Community & Society
SPOL40530
Multivariate Analysis
STAT40150
Entry requirements
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.
N.B. Click here for the admission requirements for the Economics Policy Stream.
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/
Application dates
The following entry routes are available:
Grad Dip Public Policy FT (W315)
Deadline: Rolling*
Grad Dip Public Policy PT (W316)
Deadline: Rolling*
* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised
Duration
Grad Dip Public Policy FT (W315)
Duration: 1 Years
Attend: Full Time
Grad Dip Public Policy PT (W316)
Duration: 2 Years
Attend: Part Time
Post Course Info
Related Programmes
Master of Public Policy