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1 Year On Campus Masters Program
University of ManchesterManchester’s MA Political Science offers two distinctive routes—Democracy and Elections (Research Route) and Governance and Public Policy (Standard Route)—designed for students who want deep research training or policy-focused study. You’ll learn core political science concepts, master qualitative and quantitative research methods, tailor your studies with optional units, and study in a department renowned for its election scholarship and strong links to top employers, ranked top 10 in the UK and top 40 worldwide for Politics (Times Higher Education World Rankings by Subject 2025).
Curriculum structure: Year 1 (Research Route): Year 1 includes six mandatory course units—POLI60312 Research Design and Skills; POLI60341 Tools and Techniques of Applied Quantitative Analysis; SOCS60230 Qualitative Research Methods; POLI70771 Philosophy of Politics Research; POLI60121 Political Parties in Contemporary Britain; POLI71042 Understanding Political Change—and two optional units from the available list (e.g., POLI60031, POLI60182). You’ll start shaping your dissertation topic as you learn methods and refine a research question. Year 2 (Research Route): The dissertation (12,000–15,000 words, 60 credits) forms the core independent research project, supervised by specialists and integrally linked to your chosen units.
Year 1 (Standard Route): Year 1 includes four mandatory units—POLI60312 Research Design and Skills; POLI70271 Understanding Governance; POLI70892 Governance and the State; POLI60301 Comparative Political Analysis—and four optional units to build a broad, policy-oriented foundation. This route emphasizes applying theory to policy questions and may include hands-on opportunities through Policy@Manchester and placements in and around the city. Year 2 (Standard Route): The dissertation (12,000–15,000 words, 60 credits) completes the degree, with the option to pursue a fully-funded 1+3 NWSSDTP pathway into PhD study and continued engagement with policy research networks.
Special features include a prestigious, large and well-known politics department, interdisciplinary study, and unique city-based policy engagement opportunities, all supported by facilities like the John Rylands Library and The University of Manchester Library. The course is taught by an interdisciplinary team and incorporates resources such as Policy@Manchester, the British Election Study partnership with Oxford, and strong research training across political science, economics, social statistics, and global development.
Focus areas: Learning outcomes include developing subject-area expertise in democracy, elections, governance, and public policy, along with highly transferable skills in research design, critical inquiry, and written and oral communication. The programs are professionally aligned with OfS regulation and benefit from the university’s status as a highly-targeted institution by top employers (High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2024) and a world-class research culture that includes the British Election Study. The department’s reputation is reinforced by Times Higher Education World Rankings by Subject 2025 (top 10 UK, top 40 worldwide for Politics) and by active engagement with public policy through Policy@Manchester and the NWSSDTP collaboration, which provides pathways toward doctoral study. Recent graduates have joined organisations such as the British Red Cross, Home Office, The House of Commons, NHS, KPMG, BNY Mellon, Boeing, and Princeton University, illustrating strong employability and diverse career trajectories. The university also offers a dedicated, award-winning Careers Service available during your course and for two years after graduation to support employment and professional development.
You’ll gain practical, work-relevant skills through a mix of lectures, workshops, group work, and student presentations, all within an environment that emphasises hands-on engagement with real-world policy questions. You’ll also benefit from access to world-class facilities and resources, including the John Rylands Library (over 4.5 million books and extensive archives) and The University of Manchester Library, plus networked study spaces and dedicated support for disabled students. Transition: In addition to these core experiences, you’ll have opportunities to apply learning through policy engagement and research networks.
- Policy@Manchester institute: engage with policymakers and practitioners, attend talks and seminars, and pursue professional experience placements in policy work.
- Placements with policy makers in and around the city (Governance and Public Policy route): hands-on policy experience and networking with public sector actors.
- Group projects and collaborative research: team-based learning and peer feedback to simulate real-world research teams.
- British Election Study collaboration (co-hosted with Oxford): exposure to one of the world’s longest-running election studies.
- Access to specialist software and data-rich coursework through mandatory and optional units (e.g., research design, quantitative and qualitative methods) and dedicated dissertation supervision.
- Comprehensive library and information resources to support advanced research and writing.
Graduates typically move into roles across local and central government, international and supranational institutions (such as the UN and the EU), think tanks, NGOs, research institutes, and management or policy consulting. The university’s Careers Service offers tailored support, practice interviews, CV and application assistance, and job listings, available during the program and for two years after graduation. The NWSSDTP 1+3 pathway provides a funded route into PhD study, and the department’s Policy@Manchester and research networks help sustain ongoing research and policy engagement after graduation. Recent graduates have joined organisations such as the British Red Cross, Home Office, The House of Commons, NHS, KPMG, BNY Mellon, Boeing, and Princeton University.
- Which university services will help you to employ: Dedicated Careers Service with tailored support, practice interviews, CV and application help, and ongoing access for two years after graduation.
- University industry partnerships: Policy@Manchester, British Election Study (with Oxford), ESRC NWSSDTP 1+3 pathway for PhD transition.
- Long-term accreditation value: OfS-regulated higher education with ongoing professional development support.
- Graduation outcomes: Placement in prominent public, private, and third-sector organisations as listed above.
- Further Academic Progression: Further Academic Progression: 1+3 ESRC NWSSDTP:
IELTS: 7 overall, including 7 in writingTOEFL IBT: 100 with 25 in writing and no sub-score below 22 in each section. TOEFL code: 0757PTE: 76 overall, with 76 in writing and no sub-score below 70Pre-Sessional English Courses: 6 Week Pre-Sessional Course - IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.5 in writing and no more than one sub-skill of 6.0; 10 Week Pre-sessional Course - IELTS 6.0 overall with 6.0 or above in each sub-skillIELTS for UKVI (Academic) required if not yet eligible for separate visaThis programme is not AvailableForeign ServiceGovernment AgenciesThe MilitaryThe Private Sector: ConsultantsThe Private Sector: Transnational Business
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