Market Research. Masters in Public Administration (MPA) Julie Rolls May 2014

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1 INTERNATIONAL OFFICE COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING Market Research Masters in Public Administration (MPA) Julie Rolls May 2014 International Office, First Floor, South Wing, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT Tel: +44 (0)

2 Overview This report looks at recruitment trends in the UK for Masters of Public Administration programmes, and also taught graduate programmes in Public Policy. The report has been prepared using HESA data from 2009/10 until 2012/13. The research is intended to assist the School of Public Policy (SPP) in understanding the market for Masters of Public Administration programmes and to consider the business case for such a programme in the light of this information. Background The initial request was to look at the number of students on MPA programmes in the UK, and specifically to look at institutions which SPP considers will be the key competitors. These competitors are the LSE, Oxford, Exeter, Birmingham and the Aberdeen Business School, which is part of Robert Gordon University. Oxford offers a Masters in Public Policy (MPP) degree rather than an MPA, and therefore the data were interrogated to show results for Public Policy. The results have been presented in different charts, but it will be possible to combine the two if required. MPA recruitment trends in the UK The most striking aspect of the recruitment trends in the subject area of Public Administration at taught graduate level is the number of programmes that appear to have been withdrawn over the period 2009/10 to 2012/13. Appendix 1 lists all the programmes that existed over this time; those in italics are those which are no longer running and this includes MPAs offered by Cardiff, Greenwich, Leeds Metropolitan, Manchester, Nottingham Trent, the Open University and, most notably in terms of size, Warwick. This withdrawal of such a large number of programmes at a similar time at so many institutions across the UK is unusual. The driver seems to be the reduction in size of the UK market, possibly the result of funding cuts in the government s Comprehensive Spending Review of Some prospective students may have had access to funding removed, and/or institutions may have had agreements to deliver programmes for specific public organisations for which the funding was terminated. Whatever the reasons, it would appear that demand for MPA programmes has reduced. In order to understand the market as it currently stands, figure 1 shows recruitment trends in Public Administration at institutions which still run an MPA and will recruit students for the 2014/15 academic year. A full list of the programmes is attached in appendix 1. The list also includes a breakdown of each of the five LSE MPA pathways (excluding the EMPA). Reports of this nature usually focus on Russell Group competitors and sometimes selected other institutions where there is a particular pocket of excellence. As the MPA market is small, all MPA programmes at all institutions have been included in figure 1. The key players include both pre- and post-92 universities, indicating that a smaller segment of the potential MPA market is focused on the prestige of the institution. Entry requirements, cost and mode of delivery are also key factors for students on MPA programmes. Some institutions only offer on-site delivery, but another feature of this particular subject is the relative popularity of alternative modes of delivery. Whilst these may not seem relevant to UCL, it is something to be aware of in a market as small as this. For this reason, distance learning and part-time programmes have been included in the list in appendix 1. 2

3 Fig 1: recruitment to MPA programmes in the UK 09/10-12/13, all UK, EU and overseas students MPA students by domicile 2009/ / / /13 UK Other EU Non-EU Total Table 1: Recruitment at institutions still offering Public Administration by domicile marker Concentrating on existing MPAs, the picture shows one- off fluctuations but overall some upward movement in the UK and non-eu segments. However, some caution should be exercised as the figures in the table above include all modes of delivery and it is recommended that focus be placed on the numbers at the most comparable institutions offering onsite delivery of programmes, namely the LSE, York, Nottingham, Birmingham and Exeter. Fig 2: Domicile split of students on MPA programmes at key competitor institutions 3

4 It is worth noting that York also runs an online MPA, but recruitment on the online version does not appear to be differentiated from the on-site version in the HESA data. It may be the case, therefore, that the numbers from York in figures 1 and 2 and in appendix 1 also include their online enrolments. Fig 3: Public Administration students by domicile at institutions still offering MPAs The subject area attracts students from a large number of markets, and there were 78 sending countries in 2012/13. For most markets the numbers involved are too small to identify any clear trends in recruitment or the institutions the students attend. There are a few exceptions to this: i) Chinese students are generally spread across institutions but there was a strong performance by Nottingham in 2011/12 (13 students) and 2012/13 (22 students). ii) LSE dominates the USA market, with strong US recruitment in the International Development and Public & Economic Policy pathways of their MPA. iii) Both Exeter and York recruit comparatively high numbers of South Korean students (11 and 13 respectively in 2012/13). At Exeter all the Korean students are on the MPA with Applied Study, and admission to this pathway is by agreement with the university and the students sponsoring organisation(s). 1 At York all the Korean students are enrolled on the Public Administration with Professional Placement. This route is not advertised on their website and has only recruited Korean students, which suggests that there may be an agreement with a Korean organisation to deliver a programme specifically for them. iv) Portsmouth has consistently enrolled the majority of the Turkish students (18 in 2012/13), which suggests an agreement with a Turkish organisation. v) Robert Gordon University has consistently recruited the majority of the Nigerian students (13 in 2012/13); again, this may indicate some kind of local agreement. vi) Birmingham is the strongest recruiter of Indian students (seven in 2012/13). This may be down to an agreement or word of mouth, but is interesting given that one-year PGT programmes from the UK are not recognised by the public sector in India and therefore of minimal value for students looking to build their careers in the Indian public sector. A full list of markets is attached in appendix

5 Public Policy recruitment trends in the UK Fig 4: Public Policy recruitment trends 2009/ /13 Oxford was identified as a potential competitor for a proposed UCL MPA. Oxford s Blavatnik School of Government was established in 2010 and its first student intake was in 2012/13. It does not offer an MPA, but has a Master of Public Policy (MPP) as its flagship programme. A search was run using HESA data for taught graduate programmes with Public Policy in the title, whether they were described as MPP, MSc or MA. The search includes variations such as International Public Policy and Public Policy & Administration but excludes specialisms such as Public Policy and Ageing, as well as MRes and PG certificate programmes. A full list of programmes included is attached in appendix 3. This subject area is dominated by pre-92 universities, and UCL is the market leader by some way. However, market growth over the period in question is modest at around 7% and competition is growing. Both Oxford and Edinburgh have recruited well onto their new programmes at the expense of other institutions, including UCL and KCL. Figures for the current academic year show that UCL s numbers rose again, and it will be useful to compare our enrolment with that of competitors when the data are available next year, to see if the market has grown and how other institutions have fared. 5

6 MPP students by domicile Fig 5: Domicile split of students on Public Policy programmes Fig 6: Public Policy students by domicile As with the MPA, there is a high number of countries sending a small number of students, in most cases too small to identify any clear trends in recruitment or the institutions the students attend. A full list of markets is attached in appendix 4. 6

7 China is growing and UCL recruited the highest number of students from there in 2012/13, but Edinburgh also performed well in the Chinese market in 2012/13, in relation to its overall intake. In the second largest market, the USA, students are clustered in UCL, Oxford and Edinburgh. Again, UCL is the lead recruiter but falling numbers in 2012/13 could indicate a loss of market share to Oxford and Edinburgh. Summary The market for on-site full-time MPA programmes is small and relatively static, particularly with regard to the UK market. There may be recruitment potential, but UCL will need to take market share from competitors rather than relying on market growth. Online and part-time delivery appears to be popular with UK students, and in overseas markets the numbers are influenced by agreements which appear to exist between some UK providers and organisations overseas. There is demand for MPAs from overseas from a wide range of countries. This means there is potentially a good mix of students, but also makes it hard to target specific markets when such small numbers are involved. LSE is the comfortable MPA leader. There may be an opportunity for UCL to challenge this position as another Londonbased institution but one which offers a one-year programme versus the two-year MPA at LSE. It should also be noted that the LSE s programme is premium-priced, currently 21,665 per annum. There may be scope to develop UCL as a high-quality but slightly lower cost alternative. Oxford s MPP programme is also premium-priced, at 32,760 for 2014/15 entry. Fees are the same regardless of fee status. UCL is still the market leader for Public Policy programmes, but there is increased pressure on UCL s Public Policy programmes from competitors, particularly the new entrants of Oxford and Edinburgh. The Public Policy market shrank in 2012/13, and a smaller market together with more providers means that UCL s market share in this subject is at risk. London is the obvious destination for the study of Public Policy/Public Administration. However, the perceived costs of living and studying in the capital can be a deterrent. In addition to this, UK UG students graduating in 2015 are the first to do so from the new, higher tuition fee regime, and their willingness to take on more debt through further study is as yet unknown. The cost and career benefits of studying an MPA and/or MSc Public Policy at UCL will need to be emphasised. Finally, if an MPA is introduced, UCL will need to be clear about the purpose of the new programme and ensure it is sufficiently differentiated from the existing taught graduate degrees in the UCL School of Public Policy in order to avoid undermining recruitment to these programmes. 7