University College London (UCL)
Data Science and Public Policy (Political Science) MSc
London, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
This MSc program combines skills in data science with insights into public policy and political science. It aims to help students understand how data analysis can inform policy decisions and improve governance. The course covers technical methods like data handling, statistical analysis, and programming, alongside theoretical topics related to politics and policy-making processes. Students will develop both practical skills and critical understanding, preparing them to analyze data in complex political and social contexts.
The program is designed for those interested in applying data science tools to real-world policy issues. It emphasizes hands-on projects, enabling students to work with actual datasets and develop applicable solutions. Besides technical training, students explore topics such as public administration, political institutions, and policy evaluation. This combination prepares graduates for careers in government, research, or the private sector where data-driven decision-making plays a key role. The program encourages a balanced approach, blending technical skills with a deep understanding of the political landscape.
UCL Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships available to postgraduate students, including our UCL Masters Bursary for UK students and our UCL Global Masters Scholarship for international students. You can click the link below to search via the scholarships finder for awards that you might be eligible for. Your academic department will also be able to provide you with more information about funding.
External Scholarships
Online aggregators like Postgraduate Studentships, Scholarship Search, Postgraduate Funding and International Financial Aid and College Scholarship Search contain information on a variety of external schemes.
If you have specific circumstances or ethnic or religious background it is worth searching for scholarships/bursaries/grants that relate to those things. Some schemes are very specific.
Funding for disabled students
Master's students who have a disability may be able to get extra funding for additional costs they incur to study.
Teaching and learning
The programme includes a variety of teaching and learning methods, designed to develop different critical skills. This includes lectures, small-group and faculty-led seminars and technical training through regular computer labs. You will produce essays, policy briefs and research papers that make use of cutting-edge approaches in data science.
You will undertake a range of formative and summative assessments. Formative assessments include in-lecture practical exercises and discussions; applied problem-sets; and in-class quizzes. The programme will also make use of extensive computer-lab-based problem sets which will help to develop and test your practical coding skills. Summative assessments include essays, reports and exams.
Contact time takes various forms:
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Project supervision
The credit value of the module indicates the total learning hours you will spend to achieve its learning outcomes. One credit is often equated to ten hours of notional learning, which includes all contact time, self-directed study, and assessment
Each module on the programme will involve approximately three hours of contact time per week (spread across lectures and seminars), and at least eight hours of private study per week. While week-to-week schedules will vary, students can expect to spend 25% of their time in lectures, 20% in tutorials or practicals, up to 10% in advisory or supplemental engagement sessions, and about 45% working on independent study and research.
Your research project/dissertation will take up a good portion of your time in the programme, particularly towards the end. The learning hours will mainly be spent researching and writing your final dissertation. During the research and writing stages, you will also have regular contact with your supervisor(s) who will guide and support you throughout your work.
Modules
Full-time
The one-year Political Science Route curriculum delivers highly structured training in applied data science as well as substantive instruction in political science.
In the summer before Term 1, you will complete an online, self-paced foundation module in Maths and Stats. You will take the final exam on the Maths and Stats module in the first week of term. Although the Maths and Stats exam mark does not count toward the Data Science and Public Policy degree in a formal sense, the exam provides feedback on your readiness for the technical demands of the Data Science and Public Policy MSc programme. You will also take an online Data Camp, which is a short course to help you brush up or learn the fundamentals of R before joining in September, and prepare for the programming needs of the MSc.
Alongside your selected modules, you will complete an independent research project under the supervision of an academic in the Department of Political Science. Your project will apply the data science skills developed throughout the year to answer a substantive question of public policy of your own choosing, subject to the agreement of your dissertation supervisor.
Compulsory modules
- Statistical Learning for Public Policy
- Data, Evidence and Public Policy
- Statistical Programming for Social Data Science
- The Politics of Public Policy
- Dissertation
Optional modules
- Data Science Theory
- Machine Learning in Economics
- Causal Inference
- Quantitative Text Analysis for Social Science
- International Political Economy
- Public Management: Theories and Innovations
- Terrorism
- Making Policy Work
- Policy Implementation
- Law and Regulation I
- International Trade Policy
- The Political Economy of Development
Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Data Science and Public Policy (Political Science).
What this course will give you
This programme will provide you with intensive training in applied data-science methods, computer programming, statistics, and machine learning, with a focus on applying these tools to questions in public policy. You will also take specialised modules in political science and economics through which you will develop a strong understanding of key issues in public policy formation, development and analysis. The programme features a combination of compulsory modules and options, enabling you to chart your own path.
The foundation of your career
Alumni from current MSc programmes in UCL's Political Science and Economics departments have gone on to attain employment in diverse areas such as:
- The civil service (e.g., HM Treasury, local government).
- International institutions (e.g., the European Commission, the UN).
- Central banks (e.g., Bank of England and European Central Bank).
- Research (e.g., policy and economics-related institutes akin to the Institute of Fiscal Studies, the Institute of Government etc.)
- Consultancy (e.g., within the Big Five), and throughout the financial sector.
(Graduate Outcomes survey 2017-2022)
Employability
The programme is designed to teach you the knowledge and skills required to provide insight into important questions in public policy using advanced statistical methods. A series of in-depth substantive modules, delivered by economists and political scientists, will provide you with the analytical tools to think deeply about important questions in policymaking. The methodological training will enable you to understand and, crucially, apply cutting-edge quantitative methods to real-world problems. Our research-based curriculum promotes a variety of research skills, which will enable you to understand, and contribute to, quantitative analyses of public policy.
Networking
Students at UCL Economics have invaluable opportunities to meet world-leading academics and experts in the subject field during their studies. Drawing on its myriad close relationships with organisations such as the Institute for Fiscal Studies, UCL Economics has collaborative and consultative relationships with government, the policy sphere and broader public and financial sectors. The department has a rich programme of internal and external seminars, student camps, the incredible, student-run Economists Society and an annual Careers Week which brings together our vibrant and global alumni community, industry speakers and skills workshops. These deep, rich connections and collaborations mean our students do more than study here, they springboard to new levels in their careers.