Master’s Program in Public Policy

1. Objective

Master’s Program in Public Policy (MPP) is designed for students who wish to develop and advance their knowledge and skills in preparing, implementing, analyzing and evaluating the effectiveness of public policy of the government or administration at national and sub-national levels.

Public policy is a set of principles or regulations adopted by the governmental institutions to address challenges of a society or to navigate and achieve specific agendas. Based on public policy, enterprises, private companies, national and international organizations can develop internal policies, strategies, rules and guidelines on how they should operate their business or missions.

2. Expected Learning Outcomes

After graduating with Master’s degree in Public Policy of the National University of Management, students will be able to:

  • Interpret, explain, analyze and evaluate public policy developed by government institutions at national levels and sectoral levels.
  • Implement public policy in accordance with the defined scope and direction.
  • Identify socio-economic challenges and provide feedback to government institutions at national and sub-national levels via adoption of public policies in parallel with national and international law, economic situation, national and international policies.
  • Use research skills to expand and strengthen knowledge, skills and dissemination.
  • Use English for speaking, debating, writing and researching national, national, regional and international public policy.
  • Appreciate the spirit of teamwork, cooperation, collaboration and social responsibility, adhering to the principles of humanitarianism and sustainable development.

3. Admission Requirements

  • Applicants must possess a Bachelor’s degree in Law, Economics, Management or any other equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport.
  • Applicant must successfully defend the research proposal and English proficiency test.

4. Credit and Graduation Requirement

Under the Master’s Program in Public Policy, students are required to study for two years and complete 48 credit hours comprising of 36 credits for basic core courses, major courses and elective courses and 12 credits for thesis. Under this program, the students are encouraged to actively participate in guest lectures/workshops, academic dialog forum and local/oversea study tours.

Year I (8 Courses)

Semester I

Foundations of Public Policy
Policy Institutions and Personnel
Law and Public Policy
Economic Analysis and Policy  
Specialized Seminar I

Semester II

Research Methodology
Public Policy Process
Digital Technologies and Public Policy    
Political Psychology  
Specialized Seminar II

Year II (4 Courses and 1 Thesis)

Semester III

Cost-Benefit Analysis in Public Policy
Foreign Policy Analysis
Strategic Management for Public Sector
Global Geopolitics and Policy  
Specialized Seminar III

Semester IV

Research Thesis*
*including Specialized Seminars I, II, III and guided by an academic supervisor

Specialized Seminar is conducted in series by NUM School of Public Policy to support our students in mastering their majors and in writing their master’s theses. Within one week after the event, each student must submit the reflection paper to administration for credit.

5. Employment Opportunities

There are numerous employment opportunities for the graduates of NUM School of Public Policy, which can be classified in to public sector, private sector, non-profit organization, international organization, and academic.  

In public sector, the graduates may serve as civil servants in charge of policy, planning and administration; legislative assistants in charge of research, drafting policy and legislative proposal; diplomat; public and international affairs management and relations, etc.

In private sector, the graduates may serve as corporate social responsibility (CSR) managers, consultants, public relation officers, strategy and planning managers, etc. For non-profit organization, the graduates may serve as program managers, advocacy officers, researchers, policy advisors, etc.

In an international organization, the graduates may serve as policy officers, foreign service officers, development analysts, etc. For academic, the graduates can serve as academic researchers, professors, think tank analysts, etc.

6. Submit Your Application

Submit your application here!

Download application form here!

7. Messages from Professors

  • Professor Dr. Phim Runsinarith

Dear prospective students!

My name is Phim Runsinarith, the Director of Center of Excellency for R&D and Innovation and Professor of Economics, National University of Management.

I have worked in different capacities for various institutions including United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and Kobe University.

I have been conducting policy researches and provided policy recommendation on various social and economic sectors. I am also a founder of Faculty of Digital Economy and served as a Dean of that faculty from 2019-2023. I will teach research methods and economics. I earned the degrees of Bachelor of Economics and Master of International Public Policy from Osaka University and PhD in International Development from Nagoya University.

  • Professor Dr. Peter Becker

I am Peter Becker, a German lawyer, economist, and political scientist. Among others, I hold a doctoral degree in political science from the University of Potsdam, Germany, and was appointed professor of law.

In addition to teaching public law and politics at several universities, I worked in various positions for German government agencies and as an attorney. Since my retirement, I have been on missions for the German Senior Expert Service in Indonesia and Cambodia. Now I am going to support the new Master’s program on Public Policy program at the National University of Management in the area of public policy and law. 

Cambodia’s public sector is currently undergoing rapid transformation and faces many new challenges. With the opening of this new master’s program, the university will fill the gap in social sciences caused by this development. Therefore, the skills imparted by the program will open up great job opportunities for students in both the public and private sectors. The key concept is that international lectures will provide insides on how public planning and public services work successfully in different parts of the world, thereby enabling students to choose the best solutions for Cambodia.

  • Professor Kim Veara

Dear all! My name is Kim Veara, Director of ASEAN Economic Research Institutes (AERI) of the National University of Management, and a deputy secretary general at National Committee for ESCAP.

I earned my master’s degree in International Development and completed my PhD course in the same field at Nagoya University (Japan) in 2015. My teaching and research interest are microeconomics, macroeconomics and the Cambodian economy. In performance of the above roles, I have been directly involved and conducted a number of research projects and provided policy recommendation on the solutions of social and economic challenges in Cambodia