The Master’s in Public Policy provides a multidisciplinary education that integrates political science, law, economics, and philosophy, equipping students with the essential skills to understand and contribute effectively to decision-making processes across various contexts and governance levels—as well as to respond to pressing societal challenges and the impact of emerging technologies. This programme prepares graduates to take on diverse professional roles, including political analysts, consultants, advisors, and researchers, within the public, private, and non-governmental sectors, at national, international, and supranational levels.

Scientific Committee: Prof. André Azevedo Alves (Instituto de Estudos Políticos); Prof. Inês Gregório (Instituto de Estudos Políticos); Prof. Miguel Morgado (Instituto de Estudos Políticos); Prof. Miguel Gouveia (Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics); Prof. Miguel Poiares Maduro (Católica Global School of Law); Prof. Rita Figueiras (Faculdade de Ciências Humanas)

Faculty: André Azevedo Alves, Bernardo Ivo Cruz, Daniela Silva, Francisco Proença Garcia, Inês Gregório, Jorge Vasconcelos, Margarida Mano, Miguel Gouveia, Miguel Morgado, Miguel Poiares Maduro, Nuno Sampaio, Raquel Duque e Rita Figueiras.

Learning Objectives

This Master’s is tailor-made for students with a multidisciplinary background who are interested in addressing real-world societal challenges through sustainable, interdisciplinary solutions.

Upon completion of the programme, graduates will have acquired:

• A thorough understanding of the basic concepts of public policy and collective decision-making processes;
• Familiarity with major theoretical models and approaches to the development of public policy;
• Insight into how social issues become politically salient, enter the public agenda, and become subjects of policymaking;
• Awareness of the challenges at each stage of policy development, including design, implementation and evaluation.

Graduates will also be able to:

• Critically analyse key public policy issues with independence;
• Recognise and assess how the distribution of resources and power intersects with political actors’ interests and actions, and how this dynamic shapes policy outcomes;

Participate actively in the formulation of public policy proposals across a variety of sectors and institutional contexts.
 

Target Audience

This Master’s programme is intended for students from diverse academic backgrounds who:

• Are curious about the world around them and committed to addressing tangible community issues;
• Want to understand how everyday problems are transformed into political issues, prompting collective action;
• Aim to contribute to interdisciplinary and sustainable solutions for complex socioeconomic challenges in today’s world.