Training & education

The Public Management Institute is part of the continuing education system of the K.U.Leuven.

The following programmes are organised by or provided through the Public Management Institute:

Master in Public Management and Public Policy

The Master in Public Management and Public Policy is a one-year master's degree (60 ECTS) for present and future civil servants (in Dutch).

The mission of the Master in Public Management and Public Policy is to provide a research driven and practice oriented graduate education, with a continuing concern for enhancing communication skills as well as adequate analysis, decision making and evaluative skills, for individuals wishing to broaden and deepen their knowledge in public administration, management and policy.

MPMP has an explicit policy and management orientation, with specific attention for the relation with society, thereby preparing graduates to be effective in a dynamic and divers professional environment, either in the public, private or non-profit sector. Moreover, students will be equipped with a strong theoretical luggage and a basic methodological knowledge allowing them to conduct applied and fundamental research in the field of public administration, management and policy.

In promoting comparative approaches (both in place and time) MPMP also fosters an open mind and critical thinking as well as reflective skills. Committed to the ideals of public service and advancing the public interest, we seek students who share the same enthusiasm.

The master’s programme includes 4 clusters: 'management', 'policy', 'governance' and 'methods & techniques'. From each cluster students can choose two courses. The programme ends with the writing of a dissertation, the subject of which is selected based on an actual management or policy problem.

After graduation, most students end up in the public sector on a federal, regional or local level. They fulfill either specialist, advising or coordinating functions in various fields. Working students tend to move up inside their organization.
There is also the possibility to pursue an academic career and perform applied or fundamental research. Finally, graduates are also drawn into consultancy.

Open training programmes

Open training programmes are short courses in which specialists from the Public Management Institute and guest speakers with practical experience provide teaching on various topics related to public administration:

- performance measurement
- financial management
- personnel management
- decentralisation and steering of public organizations
- ethics
- quality management
- change management

In-house training programmes

The Public Management Institute provides internal training programmes based on its core competences. In the last five years the Institute has provided internal training courses for 34 public services at various government levels. Key programmes have included the management courses given at the Ministry of Finance, courses in efficiency analysis in the Flemish government and management training courses for magistrates and support staff of courts and the public prosecution services.

Conferences and seminars

Several times a year conferences and seminars are held where the results of the different research projects are presented.