Comparative Public Policy MSc

Level: Postgraduate taught

Subject: Social Policy

Year of entry: 2027

Study options

Mode of study

On campus

Full-time
  • MSc | 1 year | Start date: September 2027

Key facts

School

School of Social and Political Science

College

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Study location

Central Area

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About the degree programme

Study Comparative Public Policy MSc at the University of Edinburgh. This programme will give you deep analytical training in the systematic comparison of social and public policies across regions, countries and systems. 

How do countries and regions across the globe navigate the most pressing public policy challenges? Thinking about public policy in comparative terms is second nature to any policy professional or scholar in Scotland. 

Here, home to the Scottish Parliament, we continuously compare policy processes and outcomes to others parts of the UK. But with its complex international connections, we have a long tradition of comparing across countries, across time and between different systems of governance and economics. 

With faculty and students from many countries, comparison is a feature of the engagement inside the classroom and beyond.

Policy makers often argue for what 'works' elsewhere. This programme teaches you to test those claims critically and examine when comparison is meaningful (and when not), how to construct one that holds, and what how we can genuinely can learn from each other. 

Some of the questions we might discuss:

  • What has the better long-term labour market outcomes: losing a job in Copenhagen and having time to re-orient or losing a job in London and being pushed to find work as fast as possible?
  • How can one country offer free university tuition and another require private fees, but both have similar levels of education immobility?
  • What forces shape some countries decisions to sustain huge levels of public debt and keep growing while others harshly cut spending to service debt payments?

Our aims

We have designed our MSc Comparative Public Policy to create a programme that is theory-led, empirically informed and practice-oriented.

We want you to:

  • think critically, cleverly and creatively about comparative public policy
  • understand the economic, political and social factors that lead international organisations, countries, regions and cities across the world to develop responses to public policy issues
  • identify the factors that shape similarities and differences in public policy issues responses across time and space through enriching analytical and practical exercises
  • gain the theoretical tools to understand why particular sets of policies are implemented in particular countries
  • be able to rigorously assess what works best, and what some countries or regions can - or cannot - learn from others
  • leave Edinburgh ready to work in the world of policy, and devise thorough analyses for stakeholders in the public and private sector
  • leverage the comparative perspective as a unique strength to tackle policy problems in today's highly integrated societies

Study options

The MSc in Comparative Public Policy programme is studied full-time over one year.

You will take six taught courses, three in each semester.

 

Proposed new programme

We would like to hear your views on a potential new postgraduate opportunity in Politics. Please fill out our short survey.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees by award and duration

Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year.

Full-time

Graduate discount

If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.

Find out how to receive your graduate discount

Deposit

You do not have to pay a deposit to secure your place on this programme.

Costs

Accommodation and living costs

You will need to pay for your accommodation and living costs (such as rent, food and utility bills) for the duration of your programme.

For 2026-2027, we estimate that it will cost an average of £18,504 each year (£1,542 each month) to live in Edinburgh as a postgraduate.

The exact amount you spend will depend on different factors, especially the accommodation you choose.

Living costs: estimates explained 

Funding opportunities

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • borrowing money
    • taking out a loan
    • family support
  • personal savings
  • income from work
  • employer sponsorship
  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Search for other funding opportunities

You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

These entry requirements are for the 2027-28 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2028-29 academic year will be published in early Oct 2027.

Qualifications

A UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent, preferably in a social science or other relevant discipline.

We may also consider your application if you have a different background but have taken courses relevant to the programme or have relevant work experience.

Entrance to this programme is competitive. You can increase your chances of a successful application by exceeding the minimum programme requirements. Relevant work experience is not required but may increase your chances of acceptance.

International equivalent qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test (restrictions apply)
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English (restrictions apply)
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition) before 21 January 2026: total 100 with at least 20 in each component We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition) from 21 January 2026: total 5.0 with at least 4.0 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 8 with at least 6 in each component. We do not accept Oxford ELLT Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 155 with at least 135 in each component.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.   

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

What you will study

Our curriculum has three essential components, which provide a framework for your learning over the course of the year. They are:

  • core content equipping you with key analytical skills
  • content that emphasises comparative and global perspectives
  • further options on policy that interest you
Core content equipping you with key analytical skills

This part of the programme introduces you to government, institutions and the policy process. We will teach you everything you need to know to make comparisons from a theoretical and methodological standpoint.

Theoretically, you will learn when it is a good idea to compare and how to construct a meaningful comparison, while from a methodological point of view you will learn about the different qualitative and quantitative techniques that may be employed to conduct comparative analyses.

Content that emphasises comparative and global perspectives

You will then select some content explicitly focussed on global and international policy issues. These will be from a range of different policy fields but all put the analytical skills gained into a concrete context.

Further options on policy that interest you

While you will work together with the programme cohort on the core content, there are further study options that let you explore different topics and be in touch with students across disciplines. 

You can choose the emphasis here and that might involve: 

  • exploring a specific policy area such as education, energy or the labour market 
  • a policy mechanism such as public engagement
  • neighbouring fields such as European studies or international political economy 
  • deeper research training, from introductory to advanced, tailored to your own research needs 

Your dissertation

The dissertation is an extended, independent research-based project with a comparative angle. 

It is wholly your own, and it is what makes your MSc a masters degree. You can choose to work on a project that engages with secondary desk-based literature or analysis data directly to address a policy question in a context of your choice.

Many students work on their own with a supervisor, but we also have a placement-based alternative, supported by a dedicated team. In essence, we want you to develop in the way we would want government or any other policy community to develop, as a cohort of specialists informed and enriched by contact with others.

A selection of recent dissertation titles:

  • Governing international development: A comparative analysis of the Marshall Plan and the Belt and Road Initiative in Turkish transport infrastructure
  • Regulating Airbnb: A qualitative comparative analysis of short-term rental policy in Edinburgh, Amsterdam and Barcelona
  • Exploring divergent gig work regulation: an advocacy coalition framework analysis of California and New York
  • Universal Basic Income in transition: A comparative analysis of policy discourse before and after the emergence of mass-market generative AI in anglophone countries
  • Problematising legitimate reproduction: Fertility, family responsibility and citizenship in Singapore’s population policy from “Stop at Two” to “Made for Families”
  • Convergent past, divergent future? Measuring the extent of de-familialisation in family policy in Central and Eastern Europe 
Placement-based dissertation

The placement-based dissertation option aims to offer you the opportunity to work on your dissertation within the context of a workplace of your choosing, subject to Programme Director and Placement Adviser approval. 

The placement will generally consist of eight weeks of research with a host organisation in the UK or overseas, from our network of contacts which includes: 

  • NGOs and charities
  • social enterprises
  • think-tanks
  • government bodies 

Your placement can be completed either in-person, remotely, or in a hybrid format. You will have the option to arrange your own placement, subject to university approval. 

A placement-based dissertation is not guaranteed as part of this programme and will be assigned based on competitive applications. 

Find out more about the placement-based dissertation option on our website. 

Compulsory courses

The courses on offer may change from year to year. You can see details of last year's programme structure under 'Find courses for this programme'.

Option courses

In each semester you choose two courses from a list of recommended options, though you may take others offered across the School of Social and Political Science.

Two of your four options are chosen from a list of courses explicitly focussed on global and international policy issues. While the core courses support your working together as a programme cohort, option courses give you contact with students across topics and disciplines.

Your option courses might: 

  • explore a specific policy area, such as education, energy or the labour market
  • zoom into a specific policy mechanism, such as public engagement
  • broaden your knowledge to neighbouring disciplines, such as European studies or international political economy
  • strengthen your qualitative or quantitative methodological skills to carry out social science research of the highest standard

We encourage you to make the programme your own at every stage, and your programme director will help you work out what it is you really want to do.

The degree programme is complemented by options for research training in a variety of methodologies and research techniques on introductory and advanced level tailored to the research needs of individual students. 

Find courses for this programme

Find out what courses you can study on this programme and how each of them are taught and assessed.

The courses on offer may change from year to year, but the course information will give you an idea of what to expect on this programme.

Full-time

We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

Teaching is delivered through:

  • lectures
  • seminars
  • tutorials
  • essays
  • assessed coursework

Learning outcomes

This programme aims to:

  • provide an introduction to methods and theories of comparative analysis and knowledge of the different forms and purposes of comparison in comparative policy-related research
  • provide an understanding of the political, economic and social contexts of policy-making 
  • equip you with the skills required to research and analyse policy decisions and outcomes within and between countries in a wide range of policy areas 
  • foster an educational setting where students from diverse backgrounds engage in mutually beneficial discussion and debate, learning from a variety of different standpoints and experience
  • enable you to develop the knowledge and skills that support attainment of a qualification relevant to social and public policy research and progression to higher level academic study or professional work

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.  

How we support you

Our academic staff

Our staff include early career and more experienced staff with a wide range of social and public policy research interests and teaching experience in both academic and professional settings.

We're proud to host colleagues working in the Global Health Policy Unit, in the Centre for Science, Knowledge and Policy (SKAPE), and in the School's Research Training Centre.

We're a cosmopolitan staff and student community from many countries around the world, and value the contribution that diversity of experience and viewpoints bring to the teaching and learning environment. 

Career opportunities

This degree is highly relevant to anyone who works or intends to work in policy-relevant professions in the public, private or non-governmental sectors.

It will provide you with a recognised qualification that can lead to an enhanced range of employment opportunities and further study.

Graduates have gone on to work as professionals in:

  • the civil service of various national governments
  • international agencies
  • social research
  • non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
  • local government
  • other public and private sector bodies, both locally and internationally

You will develop a range of highly transferable skills, such as communication and project management, which can be applied to roles in any field.

Further study

After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.

Applying for research degrees

Moving on to a PhD (advice from the University's Careers Service)

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. 

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. 

With the Careers Service, you can: 

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions 

Visit the Careers Service website 

How to apply

You apply online for this programme. After you read the application guidance, select your preferred programme, then choose 'Start your application' to begin.

If you are considering applying to more than one programme, you should be aware that we cannot consider more than 5 applications from the same applicant.

When to apply

Programme start date Application deadline
13 September 2027 2 August 2027

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible so that we have sufficient time to process your application. This is particularly important if you are also applying for funding or will require a visa. Applications may close earlier than published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand. 

For an application to be reviewed, it must be a complete application by the application deadline with all supporting documentation uploaded, including your transcripts. 

If you already have evidence that you meet the English language entry requirements, such as via an approved English language test, please upload this evidence at the time of your application. If you have not already met your English language requirements, we will still review your application and issue a decision providing it is otherwise complete. 

We aim to issue decisions within 6-8 weeks of receiving your completed application. During peak times it may take us slightly longer to issue your decision but please be assured we will confirm a decision as soon as we can.

Application fee

A non-refundable application fee of £50 is payable before your application can be considered.

You must pay this once you have submitted your online application and have received your UUN (universal username). Please allow a few days to receive your UUN. 

The application fee must be paid within 7 days of submission of your application. If you do not make the payment within this time period, your application will not be processed.

Payment should be made by credit or debit card using the ePay online payment system (all major cards accepted). 

Application Fee Payment

If you have any questions or are unable to pay using the ePay online payment system, please contact PGApplicationFee.sps@ed.ac.uk 

If your application is made unsuccessful due to non-payment of the application fee, but you now wish to pay and reactivate your application, please contact us at PGApplicationFee.sps@ed.ac.uk and we will consider your request. 

What you need to apply

As part of your online application, you will need to provide: 

You will also need to submit some or all of the following supporting documents:

When you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide.

References

You do not need to provide a reference when you submit your application for this programme.

There may be certain circumstances when a reference will be required, for example if we need to verify work experience. If that is the case, we will contact you after we have reviewed your application to request a reference.

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

After you apply

Once you have applied for this programme, you will be able to track the progress of your application and accept or decline any offers.

Checking the status of your application

We will notify you by email once we have made a decision. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it might take a while until you hear from us.

Receiving our decision

What to do if you receive an offer:

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single postgraduate taught students from outside the UK and new, single postgraduate research (typically PhD) students who:

  • apply for accommodation by 31 July in the year when you start your programme
  • accept an unconditional firm offer to study at the University by 31 July
  • study at the University for the whole of the academic year starting in September

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

We also offer accommodation options for couples and families.

Accommodation for couples and families

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sport Clubs

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life. 

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include: 

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustments

Health and wellbeing support services 

Disability and Learning Support

General enquiries

Postgraduate Admissions Team

Graduate School of Social & Political Science
Chrystal Macmillan Building
15A George Square
Central Campus
Edinburgh
EH8 9LD

futurestudents@ed.ac.uk
Phone:+44 (0)131 650 4086

Academic contact

Dr Jan Eichhorn

Programme Director

  • School of Social and Political Science
  • College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
  • University of Edinburgh

Contact details

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