BSc Public Governance

Program 

Within the Public Governance program, you will study the society and its many challenges from an international point of view, constantly comparing different countries and viewpoints. What makes the program unique is its integration of insights from three core disciplines:

• Public administration : the program offers crucial insights into the various models of state, state traditions, models of democracy and regulatory systems. You will develop a thorough understanding of the theories of, e.g., political behavior, policy-making, democracy and organizational science.
• Economics : the Bachelor’s program analyses public governance by using fundamental macroeconomic theories about the role of the state in the economy, and microeconomic theories of individual decision-making and theories of public finance and public economics.
• Law: the legal perspective will allow you to analyze public governance from the angles of legal traditions, theories of constitutionalism, the rule of law, and regulation.

Read more about this study program

Typical courses are:

• Political Science
  Understand the various models of state, political institutions, and models of democracy. 
• Macroeconomics and International Economics
  Using the principles of macroeconomics, and the role of governmental institutions in economics as a whole, explore how a country’s economic performance is affected by international trade and exchange rate policies.
• Constitutional Law
  You are introduced to core constitutional concepts such as the rule of law, legality, sovereignty, liberty and equality, to various traditions of constitutionalism, and the various systems of government as they can be distinguished from a legal perspective 
• Strategic Public Management
  Learn about the core concepts, models, and perspectives of public management, and achieve crucial strategic management skills in public organizations in a cross-cultural setting. 

Check the program per year

Prof. dr. Harald Bennink explains the subject 'Italy and the Eurozone' (video - 4:14 min)

Study Public Governance in Tilburg

• The program is small-scaled and interactive, and it takes an internationally comparative approach to public governance.
• The program adopts modern teaching methods, including games, simulations, cases, and actionable research.
• Every year, you will have the chance to develop unique skills in a Governance Clinic : an assignment where you approach an interdisciplinary societal challenge from a governmental point of view. Assignments are drawn from, for example, the sphere of mobility, law enforcement, health care, education or social security. For example, the first-year students conducted commissioned research on private sponsorship schemes for refugees for Oxfam Novib: Public Governance students make Oxfam Novib Clinic a real success
• Right from your first year onwards, you will get to work on real-life issues as they occur in public organizations. The program is practice-oriented and includes a series of field trips and an internship. This link between theory and practice will give you a solid foundation for your future.

More reasons to choose this program

What to expect when coming to Tilburg

• Why Tilburg University?
• Student life in Tilburg
• International student support
• Study in Holland

On top of your Bachelor's

• Join one of our student organizations. A great way to meet like-minded students and make friends.
• Challenge yourself by participating in one of the programs of excellence.
• Broaden your horizon by studying a semester abroad - an experience of a lifetime.

Pursue a Master's degree

After your Bachelor’s, you can opt to join the workforce right away, but most students choose to continue with a Master’s degree. You are directly eligible for a Master’s program in Public Governance. Because of the broad approach taken in the program, other Master’s programs such as the Master's program in Global Management of Social Issues or the Research Master in Public Administration and Organisational Science are also open to you.

Of course, it is also possible to continue your Master’s elsewhere in the Netherlands or abroad, in fields such as: public administration, political science, law, economics, or international studies. This is the crown to your work and your specialization which will launch your career.

Career prospects

You will explore a range of academic fields related to public governance, and develop a broad set of professional skills. Combined, these elements of the program will give you a wide range of career perspectives. You can end up working in various different public fields, such as security and law enforcement, economics or governmental finance, but also health care, education, and social security.

An example of a career option is to become a Public Affairs Officer within a large international organization. In such a position, you would develop relationships between the organization and the public sector, and try to stress the societal position of the company as a lobbyist.

Other possible positions include strategic advisor, policy maker, project leader or manager within organizations such as Schiphol Airport, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oxfam Novib, municipalities or (inter)national governmental organizations abroad.

Admission requirements

Dutch students can check their eligibility in the application procedure for Dutch students.

The admission requirements for this program for international students are, in short:

• You have a high school diploma which is equivalent to the Dutch VWO diploma. Examples of accepted diplomas are the International Baccalaureate, European Baccalaureate and most European high school diplomas which allow direct access to a university in your own country.
• You need to demonstrate your English language proficiency. Tilburg University accepts Academic IELTS (6.0 overall, minimum of 5.5 on individual parts), TOEFL (minimum score of 80 internet based), and Cambridge Advanced English (CAE, score A, B or C).

Deadline

Applying for BSc Public Governance is possible between October 10, 2018 and May 1, 2019.  

Go to  application and admission

Tuition fees for international students

Information about tuition fees

Monthly cost of living

Living in Tilburg is relatively inexpensive compared to other student cities in the Netherlands, such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Utrecht. An indication for your monthly cost of living (including rent, food and drinks, books, and insurance), of course, depending on your lifestyle:

Related Bachelor's programs

• If you are especially interested in the international law discipline, LLB Global Law may be an option for you.
• Global Management of Social Issues could also interest you, if you are interested in the organizational issues of managing societal challenges in an international context.
• If you especially like combining insights from social sciences, law, humanities and business, check out the University College Tilburg: Liberal Arts and Sciences.