MA Public Opinion and Political Behaviour
When angry at a particular government policy, some people sit in their armchair and complain, others write letters and organise committees, some participate in social media campaigns, while others still protest or even riot in the street. Politicians care about public opinion, so how do we explain these choices? How are reactions shaped by people's social background, their economic circumstances, their personality, or even their genetic inheritance? Can politicians and the media influence public opinion and if so, how?
MA Public Opinion and Political Behaviour explores the interaction between the mass public and political elites in advanced industrial democracies. You are introduced to the latest theoretical debates about the nature, significance and measurement of public opinion, exploring when and how these opinions translate into political participation, from voting behaviour and signing petitions to suicide bombing.
You also look at the main theoretical approaches in the study of politics, combined with a selection of optional modules including:
Quantitative data analysis in political explanations
Survey measurement and question design
Political parties in Britain and Europe
Measuring public opinion
Democracies in Europe
Our Department of Government is one of the most prestigious in Europe, with an outstanding record of teaching, research and publication. We are 6th in UK for research power in politics and international studies (Times Higher Education research power measure, Research Excellence Framework 2021).
With this course you also have the opportunity to study abroad at one of our partner institutions and achieve a dual award, which means you'll receive two Masters degrees in two years. Find out more on our dual award webpage.
Campus Information
Colchester campus
Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
Intakes
- Oct
Application Processing Time in Days: 30
Minimum English Language Requirements
| English Level Description | IELTS (1.0 -9.0) | TOEFL IBT (0-120) | TOEFL CBT (0-300) | PTE (10-90) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expert | 9 | 120 | 297-300 | 86-90 | |
| Very Good | 8.5 | 115-119 | 280-293 | 83-86 | |
| Very Good | 8 | 110-114 | 270-280 | 79-83 | |
| Good | 7.5 | 102-109 | 253-267 | 73-79 | |
| Good | 7 | 94-101 | 240-253 | 65-73 | |
| Competent | 6.5 | 79-93 | 213-233 | 58-65 | |
| Competent | 6 | 60-78 | 170-210 | 50-58 | |
| Modest | 5.5 | 46-59 | 133-210 | 43-50 | |
| Modest | 5 | 35-45 | 107-133 | 36-43 | |
| Limited | 4 | 32-34 | 97-103 | 30-36 | |
| Extremely Limited | < 4 | < 31 | < 93 | < 30 |
Job Opportunity Potential
You get more than just a degree with Essex Business School, you get a head start on your career.
Our courses allow you to experience the cutting edge of modern business practices and are designed to equip you with the essential skills and knowledge that you will need for an exciting and fast-paced career in business and beyond.
On this page you will find information on a wide variety of career pathways for business school graduates. From Accountant to Wall Street Wizard (yes, we encourage our graduates to build their own job titles where possible) you will discover where a degree from Essex Business School could take you.
We are a big department with academic expertise in five key subject areas: accounting, finance, entrepreneurship, management and marketing. Therefore, this page will guide you through the key skills and alumni destinations for each of our subject areas.
As business themes operate through every industry you will find that doors open for business school graduates in virtually every sector. On this page you’ll hear from business school graduates who have taken their opportunities and built upon the skills gained on their degrees to become entrepreneurs, traders, business leaders and so much more.
Which career will suit me?
- Graduates from business subjects typically have good commercial awareness which makes them very versatile candidates and attractive to recruiters.
- Many graduates go on to have successful careers in HR, finance, marketing, new venture creation and consulting and are often suited to professional level employment soon after graduation.
- Graduates from Essex Business School are very well suited to entrepreneurship and often set up their own businesses either as students or shortly after graduating.
At Essex Business School, we have five core subject areas, plus The Essex MBA. To find out about the specific career prospects for your chosen subject, click on one of the panels below. To find out more about how Essex Business School supports your employability skills and career prospects more generally as a department, please keep scrolling.
PSW Opportunity
- 2 Years PSW is applicable after completing a minimum duration of 9 months course (like- Undergraduate, Postgraduate Level)
- 3 Years PSW is applicable after completing PhD level courses.
Admission Requirement / Eligibility Criteria
Many of our Postgraduate Taught Masters will consider applicants with 50% or 5.3/10 from Band 1 or Band 2 institution/ 55% or 5.8/10 from all other institutions from Bachelor degree. Some courses and departments have higher entry requirements as well as other admissions criteria
Academic IELTS (including UKVI IELTS, non-UKVI
IELTS, IELTS Online, and IELTS Indicator) and British
Academic Centre International English Test (BACIET)
6.5 overall with minimum component scores:
Listening: 5.5
Reading: 5.5
Writing: 6.5
Speaking: 5.5
TOEFL iBT, TOEFL MyBest, TOEFL Special Home Edition
88 overall with minimum component scores:
Listening: 17
Reading: 18
Writing: 26
Speaking: 20
Pearson Test of English (PTE)
58 overall with minimum component scores:
Listening: 42
Reading: 42
Writing: 58
Speaking: 42
Cambridge Advanced English (CAE) and Cambridge
Proficiency English (CPE)
176 overall with minimum component scores:
Listening: 162
Reading: 162
Writing: 176
Speaking: 162
- Course Type: Full Time
- Course Level: Masters/PG Degree
- Duration: 01 Year
-
Total Tuition Fee:
21700 GBP
Average Cost of Living: 13632 GBP /year
Application Fee: N/A