The Master's-level Public policy design degree is an outstanding program that combines approaches and expertise from the fields of political science and design.
Public policy design is an updated approach to the development, implementation and evaluation of public policy: a hybridization of design and public policy practices. It applies method and creativity to developing pertinent, strategic and cost-effective solutions to social, economic and political problems. This multidisciplinary process is based on principles taken from design science, political science, economics, sociology and other related fields to build policies that appropriately and effectively address the needs and expectations of society, citizens and public service users.
Public policy design aims to improve the governance of public institutions by promoting creativity, innovation, transparency, citizen participation, future planning and efficiency in implemented policy. The emergence and steady rise of public policy design since the 2000s is illustrated in the creation of 27E REGION, an experimental laboratory, along with private-sector agencies specialized in providing support to public administrations.
Public policy design has become an essential building block in the development, evaluation and implementation of public policies. The Master’s-level DPP program prepares public policy designers capable of understanding public management issues, stakeholder ecosystems and the beneficiaries of national and local government initiatives, and capable of applying methods and tools from the field of design to the creation of public policy.
- The program is open to applicants who have completed a three- or four-year post-secondary degree, or a five-year post-secondary degree in design.
- Applicants without a first-year Master’s degree (M1) can apply for recognition of previous professional experience.
- Previous experience abroad (an internship or student exchange program, for example) is encouraged.
UE1 – Design, implementation and evaluation of public policies
- Introduction to public policy evaluation
- Sociology of local policy
- Administrative institutions, deconcentration and decentralization
- Data processing tools and techniques
- Collective intelligence tools in public policy transformation
- Regional economic development as an indicator to measure impact
13 ECTS credits, validated by a case study and on-site written examination
UE2 – Implementing a design-based approach in public policymaking
- From service design to public policy design in Europe and France
- Analytical mapping of policy transformation through design
- Experimenting with design principles to enable ideation
- Uses for design and designing uses
- Transforming services, organizations and management through public design
13 ECTS credits, validated by a case study and on-site written examination
UE3 – Design, implementation and evaluation of public policies
- Advanced study of public policy evaluation
- Cultural democratization and cultural rights
- Social and public health policies
- Transportation and mobility policies
13 ECTS credits, validated by a written summary report
UE4 – Design tools and methods: identification and implementation
- Introduction to sketchnoting
- Software for collaborative production and presentations
- Visualization of information: an introduction
- Spoken communication and storytelling
- Usage studies
13 ECTS credits, validated by the preparation and presentation of a deliverable
UE 5 – Apprenticeship oversight and career planning
- Co-development and career opportunities
8 ECTS credits, validated by the preparation and presentation of a professional report
Graduates are equipped to: design services with users and stakeholders for greater impact;
be familiar with major national and local public policies and fulfil stated expectations in projects/orders effectively;
collect, process and analyze qualitative and quantitative data to understand current and future needs and uses and to make informed public policy decisions;
apply user- and process-centric design methods in the development, testing and prototyping of solutions for current and future user needs;
bring creative and innovative problem-solving skills to the design, implementation and assessment of policy-specific tools and solutions.
The combined Political Science program /Ecole de design Nantes Atlantique design degree is a solid, stand-out asset for students, who acquire a dual cultural approach to project management issues and methods that combines design and public policymaking.
- Apprenticeship or continuing education
- Temporary employment contract / Permanent employment contract / Apprenticeship contract/ Professionalization contract
The program prepares students for a career as a public policy designer; a role for which significant hiring potential exists in the national, local and hospital civil service and specialized design firms.
First-year Master’s students (M1):
Open to Sciences Po Rennes students in 4th year.
For those not enrolled at Sciences Po Rennes, the 4th year entrance exam must be completed.
The information on the fourth-year entrance exam is updated each year and can be found on this page.
Second-year Master’s students (M2):
Degree-seeking students: open to Sciences Po Rennes students who have obtained 240 ECTS credits or students from other Sciences Po schools in their fifth year of study; students with a five-year university Master’s degree; engineering graduates via a partnership with their alma mater.
Continuing education: open to all continuing education applicants with validated legal and other relevant professional experience.
The information on M2 applications is updated every year and can be found on this page.