Study

Course catalogue

Find individual courses here or browse the curricula of our graduate and executive programmes.
For the PhD programmes, please find more information here.

Reset form
Executive MPA Executive training

Leadership in Local Government

Course-ID: EMPA-E1033
Instructors: Kostas Bakoyannis

Abstract

 

“Local solutions to global problems” is not just a slogan. All politics is local. In an increasingly complex and dynamic world of multiple and overlapping crises, local authorities often find themselves at the eye of a perfect storm. It has become vital to tackle global issues, including questions of growth, the climate crisis, socio-economic inequalities, public health, and the digital transition, from the local perspective. This course helps you to think about these questions like a Mayor and aims to create a learning platform to explore and understand the principles, strategies, and best practices of public policy.

Find out more
Collapse
Executive MPA Executive training

Looking at the Future: Scenario Approaches

Course-ID: EMPA-SC-30
Instructors: Helmut K. Anheier

Abstract

 

In recent years, different forecasting and foresight approaches have been developed in the social sciences that include both qualitative and quantitative techniques, and that have found a wide range of applications. Prominent among them are scenario building and related foresight approaches for developing detailed portraits of plausible alternative futures. They offer policy analysts theoretically informed and methodologically sound knowledge about the challenges and opportunities possible futures might present. These methods form a practical set of tools for gaining better understanding of alternative developments, events and outcomes. The course will review scenario approaches and look at a range of applications. During the first sessions, we will discuss the range of topics of interest to students and develop a work plan for conducting in-class scenario exercises.

Find out more
Collapse
Executive MPA Executive training

Making Change Feasible: Institutional Change & Reform

Course-ID: EMPA-E1019
Instructors: Kai Wegrich

Abstract

 

Public sector organisations today face rising expectations, constrained resources, and increasingly complex political and social environments. In response, calls for change and innovation have become widespread, often framed in terms of improved problem-solving through new tools, methods, and ways of working. This course explores how meaningful change in the public sector comes about. Drawing on research in public administration and political science, participants develop analytical perspectives on diagnosing situations of change, mobilising political support, understanding organisational behaviour, and working with feedback and norms in everyday governance.

Rather than focusing on tools or best practices, the course emphasises judgment, reflection, and situated understanding of reform processes. Participants engage with real-world cases (including their own professional experiences) and reflect on how change unfolds across political, organisational, and societal levels. The course aims to strengthen participants’ capacity to think critically about change and to approach reform with greater analytical clarity, political awareness, and institutional sensitivity.

Main learning objectives:

Develop analytical perspectives on policy, organisational, and institutional change.

Strengthen diagnostic skills for understanding where systems are stable, shifting, or drifting.

Understand the political dynamics of reform, including winners, losers, and coalition-building.

Gain insight into organisational behaviour, feedback processes, and the role of norms in governance.

Enhance reflective judgment about meaningful change in participants’ own professional contexts.

Find out more
Collapse
Executive MPA Executive training

Managing Non-Profit & Non-Governmental Organisations

Course-ID: EMPA-SC-26
Instructors: Helmut K. Anheier

Abstract

 

The increased importance of non-profit organizations -- as service providers, as vehicles of developmental or humanitarian assistance, as policy advocates and social innovators, and as instruments of government reform and privatization -- have moved this set of institutions closer to the centre of policy agendas. Yet there is disagreement as to what management model applies to non-profit organizations: is their management basically a version of business management or public management.  Or could it be that a separate approach is needed that takes fuller account of their distinct characteristics as value-based organizations with multiple stakeholders and complex revenue structures? 

The course will briefly introduce the conceptual background and examine the various theories that have been proposed, and soon focus on organizational governance, performance, management models, and business plans. The course is a mixture of lectures, discussions, and practical applications.

Main learning objectives:

Become familiar with the role of non-profit organizations, including philanthropy.

Appreciate the differences in the governance and the management of non-profit organizations compared to public agencies and business firms.

Learn the fundamentals of strategic management and business planning for non-profit organizations.

Find out more
Collapse
Executive MPA Executive training

Microeconomics of the Public Sector

Course-ID: EMPA-E1030
Instructors: Christian Traxler

Abstract

 

This course introduces key concepts of economics - supply, demand, and the idea of market equilibrium - in an intuitive and non-technical manner. The course moves beyond the notion of efficient market outcomes and discusses the role of governmental interventions in the case of market failure. The course also introduces empirical (quasi-experimental evaluation approaches) as well as theoretical methods (game theory) that are key in applied microeconomics. Overall, participants will gain a thorough yet passive understanding of professional economists' way of thinking and a concise overview of key topics and insights from applied microeconomics.

Methods:

The sessions will be a combination of lectures, policy discussions, and discussions of group work.

No background in economics or mathematics is necessary. 

Find out more
Collapse
Executive MPA Executive training

Negotiation & Mediation

Course-ID: EMPA-SC-21
Instructors: Oliver Gnad

Abstract

 

This course will focus on three main issues: the analysis of conflict, and its solution through the methods of negotiation and mediation. It will focus on practical experiences and give concrete tools for analysing mediation from the outside and be an effective mediator, as well as for being a more effective negotiator when in a competitive negotiation situation. The course will focus less on theory than on tools that are directly usable from the outset.

Main Topics and Learning Objectives:

- Negotiation skills

- Mediation methods and concepts

- Conflict Analysis

Teaching Methods:

Lectures, simulation games, mock negotiations.

Target Group:

Professionals that are often involved in negotiations, especially in the international field.

Find out more
Collapse
Executive MPA Executive training

Policy-Making: Actors, Institutions & Processes

Course-ID: EMPA-C1001
Instructors: Anke Hassel

Abstract

 

Public policies are governmental activities addressing societal problems. Public policymaking is therefore closely linked to the idea of problem-solving. This problem-solving, however, is situated in a political setting shaped by divergent interests, power games, and inherent uncertainty about the future. How public policies are designed and implemented is, therefore, shaped by the interaction of a variety of actors pursuing their specific interests. Policy analysis is about the link between politics and problem-solving (enacting policies). This course introduces a governance perspective to the process of policymaking, including the design and the tools of public policies. Specifically:

1. Governance and politics: What is governance, and how does it relate to politics, policies, and public administration? 2. What is the role of the state, and how does it relate to power? What is policy design? What tools do governments have to implement policies, and how can they monitor performance? 3. Where do innovations come from, and how and why?

Main learning objectives:

Firstly, students will become familiar with the concept of governance as well as the elements and different stages of the policy process: How are policy problems put on the agenda of decision-making? How are policies formulated, implemented, and evaluated?

Secondly, students will review different types of policy instruments. How to make sure policies achieve their goals? How to make citizens and businesses follow the rules?

Thirdly, students will understand the key role of actors and institutions in the policy process and their crucial role in shaping public policy: Who are the actors in the policy field, and how do they interact? What role do ideas play in shaping problems and their suggested solutions? And how do institutions structure policy change, and how do innovations come about? 

Find out more
Collapse
Executive MPA Executive training

Political Communication

Course-ID: EMPA-SC-24
Instructors: Leonard Novy

Abstract

 

In modern democracies, political communication constitutes a pivotal resource and necessity for political institutions, the private sector, and civil society. However, it's not just what one communicates that matters, but also how.

This course combines strategic reflection with practical experience and training, enabling students to grasp and navigate the intricate interplay between media, politics, and citizenry. It introduces crucial concepts such as the role of the public sphere in modern democracies, emerging trends, and practical skills in a highly interactive and reflective manner. The emphasis lies on principles and tools such as campaigning, framing, crisis communication, etc., which are elucidated through concrete examples and case studies. Ultimately, students will acquire a repertoire of practical tools that will enhance their effectiveness in media appearances or public speaking engagements.

Find out more
Collapse
Executive MPA Executive training

Power & Influence: Leadership in Action

Course-ID: EMPA-C1005
Instructors: Monika Weber-Fahr

Abstract

 

“Power and Influence” is a course that gets to the core of leadership and getting things done. It is a course for those of you who want to make things happen, despite the obstacles that might stand in your way – be they part of how you see yourself or part of your surroundings. Throughout the course we will analyze power dynamics and learn how to use them as effective tools for shaping your surroundings and achieving your goals.  Beyond studying some classical texts about power and influence, we also intend to unearth your implicit theories and feelings about the two concepts. These have a profound impact on how you perceive problems and opportunities, and subsequently, how you decide upon particular courses of action. The course includes conceptual models, case studies and simulation exercises to help you understand your own influence style and the dynamics as they unfold around you. You will have the opportunity to observe effective and ineffective uses of power in different organizational contexts and career stages. By design, this course will challenge you to define for yourself what will constitute the responsible exercise of power and influence in your life. 

Find out more
Collapse
Executive MPA Executive training

Public Affairs under Pressure

Course-ID: EMPA-SC-29
Instructors: Caroline King

Abstract

 

This intensive two-day workshop is designed for professionals looking to enhance their knowledge of public affairs and government relations.

Through interactive sessions, case studies, and hands-on exercises, participants will engage on:

The tools of policy analysis, stakeholder management and advocacy campaigns

Public affairs in international comparison

The politics of Geotech

Public affairs and AI

After completing this course, students will be able to identify and explain how public affairs works in practice, in international comparison, under pressure from geopolitics and new technologies. The course combines short conceptual inputs with interactive discussions, case studies, and practical exercises using real-world scenarios. Participants are expected to actively contribute their own professional or sectoral perspectives.

Find out more
Collapse
Executive MPA Executive training

Strategic & Performance Management

Course-ID: EMPA-C1004
Instructors: Gerhard Hammerschmid, Bert George

Abstract

 

The first part of this course centres on explaining the foundations of strategic management. This includes a discussion of what strategy actually entails specifically in a public-sector context, and how strategic planning relates to strategic management. Indeed, strategic planning is perhaps the most popular managerial approach in contemporary organizations – but what is it, how does it fit within a strategic management system and (when) does it actually “work” (or not)? At the heart of this elaboration lies the idea that strategic management is, above all, something managers, policymakers and other professional “do” – and underlying the success of strategic management are the core concepts of strategic thinking, strategic acting and strategic learning. Strategic management should thus be, above all, not a series of fixed “steps” but, rather, a set of tools and approaches that practitioners can draw on, taking into account their context and the issue at hand, and with the aim of achieving better performance.

Find out more
Collapse