Master’s Study – Public Administration postgraduate

Public Administration II is a second cycle interdisciplinary master’s programme lasting two years and amounting to 120 ECTS.

 After fulfilling the requirements for the completion of this study programme, the graduate is awarded the title of Master of Public Administration.

 Date of last accreditation by the Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency: 21 March 2013.

Master’s programme Public Administration provides interdisciplinary administrative, legal, managerial and organizational education at the university level. Such an integral design combines theoretical, methodological and applied disciplines and provides a gradual development of interdisciplinary skills. The basic purpose of this postgraduate programme is to educate administrative professional profiles for the most demanding jobs in the field of public administration at the national and European level. Further, it gives the students a broad legal knowledge, which allows the employment both in Slovenia and abroad. It is intended both as academic education towards the doctoral degree, as well as professionalization for demanding working environments. This study programme is divided into two optional specialized fields. One of them is called Administrative-Organizational Field, which provides competences to work professionally in the field of administrative authorities’ organization and conduct. Another one is called Administrative-Procedural Field and it provides skills to work professionally in the field of general and specific administrative procedures. Lectures are focused on current social topics in the fields of constitutional and international human rights law, democratic and rule-of-law state, modernization of public administration, constitutional court protection, juridical regulation of public administration, civil servants law, administrative court protection, administrative systems, administrative procedural law, European administrative law, etc. This programme follows the principles of the Bologna Declaration, taking into consideration globally acknowledged educational practice and combining theoretical and applicative knowledge.

Public Administration II educates future experts from the field of public administration. Its theoretical and methodological elements, as well as the applicability of delivered knowledge are on the one hand the basis for further study, especially within the study programme of Public Administration III, and the source of professional competences, knowledge and skills on the other hand. During the study programme students gain comprehensive skills needed for very diverse range of occupations and careers in the field of public administration, especially in the state administration bodies, in the municipal administration and in public authorities, as well as in the field of public services provision. Further, the programme offers a broad interdisciplinary knowledge to all who wish to work in the European Union institutions and in the private sector, which needs good professionals for constructive engagement with national and international institutions. Graduates can find employment in public administration and in the private sector in Slovenia as well as in the EU because this degree is recognizable according to the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region.

Foreign candidates who have completed education abroad meet the enrolment conditions if they finished:

• The 1^st cycle study programme from the field of law, social and behavioral science or business and administration.
• The 1^st cycle study programme from the field of humanities or other professional fields. In this case, the candidate has to pass the following bridging exams: Basics of Law; Basics of Constitutional Regulation; and Basics of Administrative Law.
• The 1^st cycle study programme or study programme for obtaining higher education in other technical fields, adopted prior to 11 June 2004, however, they have to pass bridging exams, specified by the Study Commission with regard to the technical field of their previous studies.

Candidates can complete the additional study requirements during their 1^st cycle study or by passing exams prior to enrolling in this study programme.

Other conditions may be determined by individual bilateral agreements of transnational education or mobility.

 Criteria for Transferring

When transferring from another postgraduate study programme or other programme of the same cycle (specialization under the old professional higher education programmes or old university programmes) the New University recognizes a part of the requirements the student has fulfilled in the first or previous study programme.

Upon transfer, the following is considered above all:

• whether the student meets the conditions for enrolment in the postgraduate programme Public Administration II;
• the years and semesters of the previous study programme in which the student has fulfilled all study requirements and which can be recognized in full;
• the minimum number of years or semesters which the student must complete in order to obtain a master’s degree in the Public Administration II programme;
• exams and other study requirements from the previous programme which can be recognized;
• bridge exams and other study requirements which the student must fulfil additionally.

 A student who has completed a first cycle four-year professional higher education or university study programme can be recognized no more than 60 credits or one year of postgraduate studies when enrolling in the Public Administration II.

 Other conditions may be determined by individual bilateral agreements of transnational education or mobility.

 Recognition of Prior Knowledge

Recognition of formally acquired knowledge:

A candidate who passed courses in an accredited study programme at another higher education institution prior to enrolling in the New University may request the recognition of the courses if they were taken at the same cycle and level of the accredited programme as those he has enrolled in at the New University.

 Candidates who are enrolling in the New University according to the transfer criteria submit the application for recognition of courses when applying for enrolment. They submit the application on the form “Application for Recognition of Formal and Non-Formal Education prior to Enrolment in the New University “. On the application the student must state clearly and precisely for which course she/he wishes the exam to be recognized. The application must be enclosed with an Academic Transcript and the course curriculum. If the application for recognition of exams is not submitted upon enrolment, subsequent recognition of compulsory courses is payable. The recognition is decided by the Study Commission.

 Recognition of informally acquired knowledge:

Candidates may request recognition of knowledge at the comparable level acquired within informal education outside accredited study programmes (professional exams, projects, scientific or professional works and publications, other copyright works, active participation at summer schools and competitions).

 Decisions on recognition are adopted by the Study Commission. Based on the provided documents of non-formal education, the candidate or student may be recognized the amount of the credits of two optional courses per individual year of study at the most.

 Other conditions may be determined by individual bilateral agreements of transnational education or mobility.

 Selection Criteria in Case of Limited Enrolment

In case of limited enrolment, the Study Commission will decide on selection of candidates based on the average grade at the first cycle study (80% of selection grade) and based on the grade of the diploma thesis (20% of selection grade).

 Other conditions may be determined by individual bilateral agreements of transnational education or mobility.

 Conditions for Progression and Completion of Studies

In order to progress into the second year, the candidate must have completed all courses of the first two semesters or acquired at least 40 credits including all bridging exams either through study or by recognition.

Graduating in Public Administration II requires completing all courses and completing as well as successfully defending the master’s thesis according to New University regulations.