Master of Arts in Public Policy Leadership

MQF Level

Duration and Credits

6 Semesters

90 ECTS

Mode of Study

Part-time Evening

The Master of Arts in Public Policy Leadership empowers you with the knowledge and competencies necessary to lead and influence public enterprise, read the signs of the political and economic contexts, identify opportunities, boost research and analysis, understand governance, and, most importantly, improve policy success. The driving philosophy of the course is 鈥渓eading through policy-making鈥� whereby you will get the opportunity to think, develop effective ideas, move from theory to action and develop your potential to lead. To this effect, the programme is designed to foster unexplored leadership qualities in order to diversify and enrich your existing talent platform. Furthermore, it provides well-grounded public management tools to engage successfully in public affairs as executives, analysts, consultants and policy advisors in state, business and non-governmental organisations. The programme develops you into an ethical and effective leader who is capable of bringing about planned change, ensure good governance, while maintaining institutional stability.

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Applicants must be in possession of:

Refer to the list of country-specific qualifications

a Bachelor degree obtained with at least Second Class Honours in Public Policy or Public Administration or
a Bachelor degree obtained with at least Second Class Honours or Category II, in any other area deemed relevant by the Board, provided that such applicants may be required to provide evidence of work experience or are currently in employment relevant to the Course or
a Bachelor degree obtained with Third Class Honours in Public Policy or Public Administration, provided that applicants have obtained other qualifications, including relevant work experience, following their first cycle degree or
a qualification deemed by Senate, on the recommendation of the Board, to be comparable to the qualifications listed in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c),

provided that, in appropriate cases, the Board may require students admitted to the Course to follow and pass supplementary study-units up to a maximum of 12 ECTS credits.

The admission of applicants under paragraphs (b), (c) and, if necessary, (d) may be made conditional on the result of an interview conducted for the purpose.

Preparatory Programme

Applicants admitted under paragraphs (b), (c) and, if necessary, (d) may be required to complete a preparatory programme, comprising not less than 30 ECTS credits and not more than 60 ECTS credits, and to obtain an overall average mark of 55% or better, prior to their registration as regular students on the Course.

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You can submit your application online. The deadlines for submission of applications vary according to the intake and courses. We encourage all international applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible. This is especially important if you require a visa to travel and eventually stay in Malta.

You can compare your national qualifications to the local requirements by visiting our qualifications comparability webpage. Access more information about our admission process and English language requirements.

The University of Malta has student accommodation on campus called Campus Hub. Campus Hub is just a 2-minute walk from the main campus. For more information, visit the .

Our dedicated team at the student recruitment office is here to support you every step of the way. From the moment you start your application to the moment when you receive your decision letter, we're here to assist you. If you have any questions or need further information, don't hesitate to reach out to us. You can contact us at info@um.edu.mt, and our team will be more than happy to help.

After you receive an offer from us, our International Office will assist you with visas, accommodation and other related issues.

In addition to the 60 ECTS credits assigned to the programme of study for the course, students who did not cover PPL3103 and PPL3108 during their undergraduate studies or whose undergraduate/postgraduate studies are not related to political science or policy studies or social studies, may be required to register for these supplementary study-units as indicated in the programme of study.


Semester 1

Supplementary Study-Unit

PPL3103	Policy Analysis	4 ECTS

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

PPL5002	Research Methods for Policy and Business 1	5 ECTS
PPL5011	Comparative and Theoretical Aspects of Public Policy	10 ECTS


Semester 2

Supplementary Study-Unit

PPL3108	Regulatory Policy and Institutions	4 ECTS

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

PPL5004	Political Economy	5 ECTS
PPL5107	Research Methods for Policy and Business 2	5 ECTS
PPL5109	Patterns of Leadership in Government	5 ECTS


Semester 1

Compulsory Units

PPL5003	Politics and Public Policy	5 ECTS
PPL5012	Comparative Governance and Institutional Design	5 ECTS

Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints) Students are required to register for one* of the following elective study-units:*

PPL5008	Good Governance and Leadership	5 ECTS
PPL5105	Competitiveness and Innovation: Government and New Ideas	5 ECTS


Semester 2

Compulsory Units

PPL5101	Strategy, Policy Implementation and Review	5 ECTS

Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)Students are required to register for two* of the following elective study-units:*

PPL5102	Business Continuity Planning	5 ECTS
PPL5103	Communicating Government	5 ECTS
PPL5104	Leadership in Public Organizations	5 ECTS


Year (This/these unit/s start/s in Semester 1 and continue/s in Semester 2)

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

PPL5009	Dissertation	30 ECTS

This programme of study is governed by the General Regulations for University Postgraduate Awards, 2021 and by the Bye-Laws for the award of Master of Arts in Public Policy Leadership - M.A. - under the auspices of the Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy.

In addition to the prescribed 60 ECTS credits for the year, students can apply to the Board to register for the extra study-units listed hereunder. Extra study-units cannot substitute compulsory, elective or optional study-units that form part of the official Senate-approved programme of studies, and do not count towards the Year Average Mark or towards the Final Weighted Average Mark.

Year 3

Dissertation Research Seminars - 4 ECTS
The conditions and criteria for Extra study-units can be accessed here

The Masters in Public Policy Leadership will provide you with the ability to:

Conduct up-to-date scholarly research and good practice in the fields of public policy, governance and leadership.
Apply the latest theoretical knowledge and conduct in-depth analytical research.
Interpret and read the signs of the political and economic contexts.
Develop and implement policies and strategies.
Conduct policy analysis and apply new managerial methods to help solve real-world governance and policy issues.

Non EU Applicants:

Total Tuition Fees: Eur 10,800
Yr 1: Eur 5,400 - Yr 2: Eur 5,400 - Yr 3: NIL

You are viewing the fees for non EU nationals. Switch to EU nationals if you are a national of any country from within the EU/EEA.

This course can open opportunities for careers both in Malta and abroad. Public sector employment is an obvious career opportunity as the learning attained through this course provides you with the knowledge, exposure, critical thinking and analytical skills as well as foresight required within the public service, within regulatory authorities, within public entities and organisations. Career opportunities within international institutions, such as the European Union and the United Nations, could also be possible as these are major policy-making institutions. In fact, a number of past public policy students are currently employed with such institutions. Career opportunities within the not-for-profit sector are also possible as constituted bodies and non-governmental organisations increasingly engage and are involved in policy making, and need to have professional set-ups with well-trained human resources. The course is also effective and relevant to business executives as it provides you with analytical thinking, the skill to read the signs of the political and economic contexts as well as market forces, leading to the capability of identifying business opportunities and converting ideas into action.

The course can, in addition, act as a further step towards an academic career and to further study and specialised research, including in the fields of political science, applied policy studies or public management.

Every effort has been made to provide information that is current and accurate. However, as the content is being constantly updated, users are advised to verify the details contained in these web pages with the relevant University office or authority before making decisions based on the published information.