Short eight-week courses
Online courses in public policy
Developed by the Blavatnik School of Government (Oxford University) and Pearson. Study with us and help create a world better served, better led and better governed.
Our courses
Our mission is to inspire and support better government and public policy around the world. Our online short courses aim to address your specific, public policy learning needs so you can join an elite group of policymakers who are change-makers in their specific sector of government or public service-related work.
Evidence in Public Policy
Learn to hone the critical skills needed to design and implement policies informed by facts.
Values and Public Policy
Gain the skills to understand the key moral and ethical value concepts that should inform public policy.
Upcoming course
Our academics are working hard to bring you our next public policy course offering this winter.
Are the courses right for me?
Our courses are for you if you’re a professional looking to enhance your knowledge of public policy, whether you work directly or indirectly with policy.
Early-to-mid-career civil servant
Experienced NGO professional
Experienced professional in a private organisation
Public service representative or candidate
‘The final project provided a great opportunity to apply the theory taught during the course. In particular, it allowed me to test my understanding of some of the methods and concepts that I was less familiar with in a context/policy setting I was not used to working within.’
Evidence in Public Policy course graduate 2020
About us
Pearson and the University of Oxford’s partnership is founded on a mutual goal to provide excellent learning opportunities to busy professionals.
Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government is a global school committed to improving the quality of government and public policymaking worldwide. The School combines the academic rigour of the top-ranked university in the world with an applied, real-world focus.
As the world’s most experienced online learning company, Pearson offers a full spectrum of best-in-class services for delivering better online courses. The organisation partners with more than 40 higher education institutions around the world, supporting approximately 350-degree courses, in addition to certificates and non-credit-bearing credentials.
Advantages of studying online
Our courses are for you if you’re a professional who needs a flexible study option to fit into your busy schedule, without compromising on quality.
Study from anywhere
Taught 100% online, you can benefit from the Blavatnik School of Government’s expert teaching, from anywhere in the world.
Learn from the best
You will be taught by the world’s top academics and study alongside peers who are passionate about making an impact on policy around the world.
24-hour access to learning material
The EdX-delivered learning platform is easy to use, easy to navigate and accessible via your computer, tablet or mobile phone, 24 hours a day.
Recent blog articles
How busy professionals study at Oxford
Find out the three ways learning with a top tier university is made possible for you, the busy professional, via the short course option.
What you will learn in the Values and Public Policy course
Have you ever considered the purpose of government? Find out how you’ll explore this topic and much more on our new short course.