Professional Doctorate in Public Policy and Political Economy
Want to or already work in public policy practice? This course will advance a career in public policy or an academic career.
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Course overview
About the Course
This unique Professional Doctorate programme is aimed at individuals who are working in, or who have previously worked in, an area of public policy practice (for example, a think tank, charity, in journalism, in the civil service or a central bank, or as a political researcher). Teachers of economics and politics can also take the programme. The format of teaching and research provides a structured, but flexible, framework making this the ideal way to combine doctoral studies with professional life.
The programme leads to the qualification “Doctor of Public Policy and Political Economy” and will be an important qualification for those wishing to advance a career in any area of public policy or advance an academic career. We also welcome students later in life who, as well as studying for the qualification, will be able to share their experience with other students at the study weekends.
Entry Requirements
Good Honours (2.1 or above) BA or BSc degree in an appropriate discipline or a relevant Masters degree. If you only have a Masters degree, you must have achieved an average of 60 per cent or above.
In addition, you must have had two years’ work experience in a relevant area if you are currently working. Alternatively, you can enter the programme if you have had ten years’ previous relevant work experience if you are no longer working in a public policy area or if you are not working at all.
Teaching & Assessment
The programme is mainly delivered online, with a series of webinars in the first two terms, followed by the supervision of the research project and the research thesis online. However, the students will be attending three study weekends in Buckingham in Year 1 and Year 2. You will find more details below.
There are four modules in the professional doctorate programme.
Module One
You will attend the weekly evening seminars held on the MA in Political Economy by Research. These cover topics such as Adam Smith; Alfred Marshall; the marginalists and neo-classical economics; Karl Marx; Friedrich Hayek and the Austrians; J.M. Keynes; James Buchanan, Gordon Tullock and public choice theory; the Frankfurt School; and behavioural economics. You can attend these seminars by distance learning.
Module Two
You will attend a study weekend in May of your first academic year at the Vinson Centre, University of Buckingham. The study weekend will include: further lectures on schools of economic thought and their relevance to public policy and a preliminary research proposal presentation as well as research methods training.
You must attend this in person.
Module Three
This module will be a reflective analysis relating experience in your professional role to models in political economy (for example, public choice, institutional economics, market failure models etc) or to key figures in the development of thinking on political economy or public policy.
You will then attend a second study weekend in October of the second academic year and your research proposal will be finalised. This will also be at the Vinson Centre.
Module Four
In Module Four, you will undertake a research thesis of a recommended length of 55,000 to 65,000 words. The research thesis will be on an approved topic related to your professional work (or former professional work) and is supervised by academic staff.
October study weekend
Every year you will be invited to the October study weekend. You can attend as many of these events before completing your thesis as you wish, but you will be required to attend at least one further study weekend, after your initial October study weekend, before you submit your thesis. You do not have to attend each year.
Thesis
You have between four and six years following registration to complete your thesis.
Resources
You will be able to make use of the Vinson Centre’s superb economic policy and history of economic thought library throughout your period of study.
International study
This programme can be taken by overseas students as long as you are able to attend the three study weekends (the May and two October weekends) during the course of your registration period (up to six years). All other studies and supervision can be undertaken online.
Teaching, Supervision and Assessment
Teaching is a mixture of online provision and seminars at the study weekends held at the Vinson Centre. Each module will be assessed by shorter assignments before you move on to the thesis. These shorter assignments are designed to ensure that you are well prepared when you start your thesis. Appropriate supervisors will be appointed for module four. You will meet those supervisors regularly.
A Flexible Qualification – entry and exit routes
This programme is flexible so that you can join from other University of Buckingham programmes and gain exemptions from modules of the professional doctorate. Also, if you decide that the professional doctorate is not for you, your work will not be wasted: there are other exit routes.
MA in Political Economy – you can register for this degree and transfer to the Professional Doctorate in January of the first academic year. The fees that you have paid for the MA will be credited towards your professional doctorate so that the total fee will be approximately the same as if you had registered for the professional doctorate from the outset.
MA in Political Economy – students who enrolled on the MA in Political Economy in September will be able to transfer to the professional doctorate programme in October (following year) and move straight to module four. A special programme of study and assessment will be designed so that those transferring in this way obtain at least 120 level-7 credits when taking into account the assessments that they have already taken at that point. If you entered the professional doctorate in this way, you can extend your MA thesis to doctoral level.
MSc or PGCert in Central Banking – if you have completed the PGCert or MSc in Central Banking, you will be able to enter the professional doctorate at Module two (PGCert) or Module four (MSc),
University rules and regulations regarding the return of awards where credit is used for two qualifications would have to be followed.
There are also flexible exit routes so that, if you complete Modules One to Three successfully, but choose not to complete Module Four, you will receive a Postgraduate Diploma in Political Economy. However, you will be able to return within five years and complete the professional doctorate subject to the usual rules and regulations of the University regarding the return of qualifications when a qualification is taken further for another award.
Fees & Scholarships
The fees for this course are:
| Start | Type | First Year | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|
Sep 2025 Part-time (4 Years) | UK | £6,240 | £24,800 |
| INT | £6,240 | £24,800 |
The University reserves the right to increase course fees annually in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI). If the University intends to increase your course fees it will notify you via email of this as soon as reasonably practicable.
Course fees do not include additional costs such as books, equipment, writing up fees and other ancillary charges. Where applicable, these additional costs will be made clear.
Scholarships
Details of our postgraduate scholarships can be found on our Bursaries and Scholarships page.
You should make an application to study at the University and receive an offer letter confirming our acceptance of your application before applying for a scholarship.
How To Apply
Apply directly
You can apply directly using our online application form – all you need to do is click the ‘apply’ button at the bottom of this page.
Contact
To discuss further, please contact our Admissions team admissions@buckingham.ac.uk.