The Centre for Public Administration is housed within the School of Applied Social and Policy Sciences. It is an internationally leading research institute, recognised for its local as well as global impact in policy and public administration. The work of the Centre is interdisciplinary in nature, coalescing expertise from a range of disciplines including public administration, social policy, sociology, education, conflict studies, social work, political science, criminology etc. We are committed to high-quality, impact driven research to enhance public administration, public policy and management, and social policy.
Our outreach is reflected in our work both locally in Northern Ireland, across the island of Ireland, and the United Kingdom as a whole, as well as overseas, including in relation to the European Union, Central Asia, and the Middle East among other regions of the world. Our research explores issues related to social justice, democracy, education, health, language, policy making, administrative practice and reform, and contested societies. Through this work we aim to support policymakers, public administration practitioners and civil society.
In addition, the Centre offers Northern Ireland’s only Master of Public Administration (MPA) programme. MPA teaching at Ulster is research-led, with most modules based on the primary research of the module coordinator. The course has been co-developed and is co-produced, with input from expert practitioners including deputy and permanent secretaries in the Northern Ireland Civil Service, local government chief executives, officials from the wider public sector in both Northern Ireland and from further afield, leading NGO directors, and others from civil society and beyond. The course balances theory and practice to ensure students receive the best possible direction for their studies and careers.
Contact
For more information email p.carmichael@ulster.ac.uk