Educational goals

The Master's degree course in 'Government, Administration and Territory' (hereinafter referred to as GATe) offers students theoretical and practical preparation for the analysis and governance of complex political systems in the contemporary world, for the promotion, planning, implementation and evaluation of administrative activities and public policies, using a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach. The acquisition of advanced knowledge in a variety of subject areas will enable the student to acquire tools for analysing and evaluating administrative processes, governance and the formation and results of public policies. The aim of the course of study is to enable students to acquire knowledge about the structure and functioning of public institutions at various levels of government, looking at the organisational and decision-making processes of the public administration and at relations between the latter and private, profit and non-profit actors interacting with the public sector, also with a view to reacting to organisational changes and digital transformations taking place within the public administration. The knowledge provided is also useful for enhancing job-related, cultural and scientific knowledge, acquiring new knowledge for career advancement, for those already working in the above-mentioned fields, and fostering life-long learning. Further to changes in the profiles of professionals working in and with the public administration, the course provides students with the opportunity to develop essential soft skills (teamwork, communication skills within and outside institutions, solving simple and complex problems) for working in complex public and private, national and international organisations. Students will be able to use the theoretical and methodological tools learned in different disciplines in order to understand and govern the processes of change and innovation in public and private organisations and the complex processes of public policy. This ability will also be developed through workshop activities that will enable students to apply this knowledge to problem-solving. The predominantly "distance" delivery mode of the course will also enable students to use digital tools and workspaces, helping to enhance their IT skills and ability to use these tools flexibly. The educational objectives of the course of study are pursued through four areas of learning: Political-social and organisational area: course subjects in this area will enable students to acquire a knowledge of tools for analysing and evaluating administrative processes, governance, the formation and implementation of public policies and evaluation of results. Students will acquire knowledge about the functioning of political institutions from a multi-level perspective, policy formation and implementation, including the regulatory implications of policy choices, organisation of public administration, elements concerning the historical and social context of administrative action, governance, and public policy formation and implementation. Legal area: the course subjects in this area will enable students to acquire a comprehensive knowledge of the founding principles of regional, local, national and supranational law and of the dynamics of change, steering new relations among citizens and between citizens and the public administration. By the end of the course of study, students will have acquired a sound knowledge of the founding principles of the organisation and activities of Italian regional and local administrations and the dynamics of change in relations between citizens and the public administration. Economic and business area: course subjects in this area will enable students to acquire knowledge and skills concerning public budgeting tools from a multi-level perspective, and to draw up and implement economic and local development policies at different levels of government, including the definition of policies in terms of demand, supply and tools needed for their implementation, also in the framework of European integration. Mathematics, statistics and IT area: course subjects in this area will enable students to acquire tools and methods to be able to plan and assess public intervention. At the end of their studies, students will be able to carry out in-depth analyses of socio-economic data essential for public administration and local economic actors, applying the most relevant statistical techniques. In the first year of the course, students will acquire the basic skills in the above areas, while in the second year students will complete their preparation in the areas indicated above, also acquiring transversal skills. An advanced English language course is designed to enhance the language skills already acquired by students in Bachelor's degree courses and raise their knowledge of specialist terminology. The training course will conclude at the end of the second year with the presentation of a final thesis. These specific objectives will be pursued through an educational path that seeks to be as varied and flexible as possible, giving students the opportunity to explore different aspects in depth, starting with a series of core course subjects in political, social, organisational and legal subjects, before going deeper into economic, business and statistical subjects, as well as workshop experience, all in keeping with the multidisciplinary nature of the degree programme.

Career opportunities

Expert in government, administration and public policy. The Master's degree course provides useful preparation for the following purposes: - professional placement at intermediate and higher levels of local, regional, State and European government, in local public bodies and private associations, companies, institutions and foundations with a public purpose, as well as organisations of national and supranational interest; - public administrations and specialists for the planning and implementation of public policies in various public and private sectors; - consulting work for public and private organisations as freelancers; - continuation of study and research activities (additional master's degrees, doctorate). The course is also useful for the acquisition of new knowledge for the career advancement of those already working in the above-mentioned fields, as part of life-long learning.

Admission requirements

In order to be admitted to the Master's degree course, the student must hold a degree in one of the following classes pursuant to DM 270/2004: L-14 LEGAL SERVICES STUDIES; L-16 ADMINISTRATION AND ORGANISATIONAL SCIENCES; L-36 POLITICAL AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS SCIENCES; L-37 SOCIAL SCIENCES FOR COOPERATION, DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE; L-39 SOCIAL SERVICE; L-40 SOCIOLOGY or the Single-cycle Master's degree LMG/01 LAW or the corresponding degree classes pursuant to DM 509/1999. In the case of a degree in other classes or an academic title obtained abroad recognised as suitable by the competent offices of the University, the minimum curricular requirements consist of skills and knowledge, acquired by the student in the previous educational paths, expressed in the form of number of CFUs, referring to the political-social-organisational, legal, economic-business and mathematical-statistical-computer areas, in particular: - at least 6 CFUs in one or more legal subjects, corresponding to SSDs: IUS/01 Private law; IUS/07 - Labour law; IUS/09 - Institutions of public law; IUS/10 - Administrative law; IUS/12 - Tax law; IUS/14 - European Union law IUS/21 - Comparative public law; - at least 6 CFUs in one or more socio-political and organisational subjects corresponding to the SSDs: SPS/01 - Political philosophy; SPS/02 - History of political doctrines; SPS/03 - History of political institutions; SPS/04 - Political science; SPS/07 - General sociology; SPS/08 - Sociology of cultural and communication processes; SPS/09 - Sociology of economic and labour processes; SPS/10 - Sociology of the environment and territory; SPS/11 - Sociology of political phenomena; - at least 3 CFUs in one or more economics and business subjects corresponding to the SSDs: SECS-P/01 - Political economy; SECS- P/02 - Economic policy; SECS-P/03 - Financial science; SECS-P/04 - History of economic thought; SECS-P/07 - Business economics; SECS-P/08 Business economics and management; SECS-P/10 - Business organisation; - at least 3 CFUs in one or more Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science disciplines corresponding to the SSDs: INF/01 Computer science; SECS-S/01 - Statistics; SECS-S03 - Economic statistics - SECS-S/04 - Demographics; SECS-S/05 - Social statistics. as indicated in the Master degree's Academic Regulations, which also define how curricular requirements are to be verified. The Academic Regulations also set out procedures for verifying the adequacy of the student's initial preparation.