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Master's in Public Policy with a life sciences degree

I've got a 2.1 in a biosciences degree from KCL, and am interested in studying public policy as a potential route into the Civil Service. UCL run a good looking Public Policy MSc but say that ideally you need a law, philosophy or political science background. I'm not really sure how silly a question this is, but how would a life science graduate fare when applying to a course like this? Moreover - if I were eligible with my degree - do you think I'd be able to cope with the type of work?
I think the best way to find out whether you are eligible or not is to send an E-mail to various departments offering a PP MA/MSc. Then I would say it also depends on your specific interests in public policy. General PP, Economic Policy, Social Policy might be a little bit harder for you, as you lack a background in economics/sociology/political science. Will you be able to cope with the work? You are the only person that can answer... You will certainly need more effort than people with a social science background. But if you are very motivated and hard-working, I think you can do it. Then, I think you might have an advantage for more specific PP programs, i.e. those that concentrates on: Science and Innovation Policy. If you are interested, take a look at SPRU (at Sussex)... It is a world leading centre for science and innovation policy and they offer MSc programs in the field.

PS: I had a look at UCL's MSc... The structure looks very good... But in all honesty, I think you would need to work very very hard to fill the gaps in your knowledge, especially in political science/IR and economics.
Thank you for the reply. I actually phoned the department and they said I would be fine to apply (they told me they get applicants from all kinds of courses not necessarily related to policy). I did think that might be the case though (regarding what you've said) - how would you suggest I improve my understanding of the relevant areas of the course? Do you reckon there's any decent reading material which might give me a bit of preparation?
It would probably be better to do readings while taking the MSc: if you do that now (as you can't catch up three years in a few months) the risk is to do something that won't really serve your studies (at least directly) or that you will be doing during the course itself. And, during the MSc, the lecturers themselves might suggest background readings directly thought for their courses (and if their incoming classes have very diverse backgrounds, chance is that they start from the basics). So, right now, I would concentrate more on some introductory book on British politics and policies... Just to have a general understanding. Plus revising some statistics, if u did it earlier, might be useful.

Otherwise, if you prefer to do more from now, you can read some introductory book on public policy, policy making, politics of PP... So when there is some concept you are unfamiliar with, you can understand what to look for. For economics, I would try to read something in microeconomics (you can find plenty of books, and even a short introduction). For political science I am not sure as I have seen that the options are taken from political methodology, comparative politics, political economy, international political economy, IR... It depends on what you will decide to do.

Good luck with your application :smile:
If you want to apply to the civil service fast stream, you just need a 2:2 in any subject. Most of the application process is then blind. You should think about applying for the fast stream at the same time as a masters, particularly as a 2:2 will make it harder for you to get funding, so it may be better to go straight into the job if you can.


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Original post by polscistudent88
It would probably be better to do readings while taking the MSc: if you do that now (as you can't catch up three years in a few months) the risk is to do something that won't really serve your studies (at least directly) or that you will be doing during the course itself. And, during the MSc, the lecturers themselves might suggest background readings directly thought for their courses (and if their incoming classes have very diverse backgrounds, chance is that they start from the basics). So, right now, I would concentrate more on some introductory book on British politics and policies... Just to have a general understanding. Plus revising some statistics, if u did it earlier, might be useful.

Otherwise, if you prefer to do more from now, you can read some introductory book on public policy, policy making, politics of PP... So when there is some concept you are unfamiliar with, you can understand what to look for. For economics, I would try to read something in microeconomics (you can find plenty of books, and even a short introduction). For political science I am not sure as I have seen that the options are taken from political methodology, comparative politics, political economy, international political economy, IR... It depends on what you will decide to do.

Good luck with your application :smile:


Thank you for all the advice! I'll have a quick look at some introductory books but I suppose it is best to hold off any major reading until I've actually started the course.

Original post by Little Jules
If you want to apply to the civil service fast stream, you just need a 2:2 in any subject. Most of the application process is then blind. You should think about applying for the fast stream at the same time as a masters, particularly as a 2:2 will make it harder for you to get funding, so it may be better to go straight into the job if you can.


I did apply for the Fast Stream last year but didn't make it through to the assessment centre - I am planning on applying again this year though.

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