USI Università della Svizzera italiana
Master of Arts in Public Management and Policy
Lugano, Switzerland
MA
DURATION
4 semesters
LANGUAGES
English, Italian
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
30 Jun 2026*
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
CHF 4,000 / per semester **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* 30/04/26 for non-EU/EFTA; 30/06/26 for EU/EFTA
** applicants whose official residence was in Switzerland or Liechtenstein at the time of the final high school exam - Maturità - pay a reduced semester fee of CHF 2,000 per semester
Key Summary
About: The Master of Arts in Public Management and Policy (PMP) at Università della Svizzera italiana, offered with UNIL, IDHEAP and UNIBE, trains professionals to address public-sector challenges. Supported by the Swiss Confederation, it covers public management, governance, policy analysis, digital government, sustainability, inclusivity, transparency, and practical interdisciplinary learning.
Career Outcomes: Graduates access positions of responsibility in public administrations, international organizations, non-profits and private sector—in Swiss federal, cantonal and local institutions. Typical roles: policy analyst, public manager, civil servant, NGO manager, digital government specialist, sustainability officer, communications and HR manager. The degree builds skills in management, finance, law, stakeholder relations.
Master of Arts in Public Management and Policy
The Master in Public Management and Policy – PMP, is offered by the Università della Svizzera italiana in collaboration with the universities of Lausanne, the Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration - IDHEAP, and Bern within the framework of the inter-university network “Swiss Public Administration Network.” Supported by the Swiss Confederation, this master’s program is designed to train qualified professionals ready to effectively and swiftly tackle the challenges of the contemporary public sector.
The modernization of the public sector, the relationships between public administration and the business system, and the demands for transparency and accountability towards citizens are becoming increasingly important in economic and social systems. This is alongside the significant growth of the non-profit sector and the spread of social enterprises. The PMP master’s program aims to develop the necessary skills to lead and interpret ongoing transformations such as digitalization, sustainability, inclusivity, and diversity, providing concrete responses to global challenges and the need for innovation and reform in modern societies.
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Career Prospects
A PMP graduate is equipped to gain access to positions of responsibility in public administrations international organizations as well as non-profits and private organizations, both in Switzerland and abroad.
In Switzerland, in particular, the PMP Program has become one of the leading stepping stone for a career in Swiss public institutions (federal, cantonal and local), benefiting from a national recognition through the partnership of universities in all three linguistic regions (the universities of Lausanne -UNIL, Berne –UNIBE and Lugano -USI) and the formal support of the federal government.
The programme allows graduates to master the main functions of an organization (Management, Communication, Finances, HR, Business Government relationships etc.) as well as the broader context (laws, regulations, digital government, sustainable development etc.) in which national and international institutions are embedded.