Governance in Theory and Practice

Please check the start date and application deadline on the online courses' main page

About this course

This course is organized as an introductory exploration to the wider multidisciplinary study of governance and offers diverse literature and methodological approaches. The course will guide participants through the key theoretical debates surrounding the concept of governance while at the same time present a range of empirical examples illustrating how governance works in practice. The target group of this course is oriented but not limited to students, policy practitioners, NGOs staff, civil and international servants Governance in Theory and Practice Online Courses Course Description.

The course is divided into four units. The first unit is an introduction to the key concepts of governance. The second unit introduces governance studies in the discipline of public administration. Unit three discusses governance in the study of international and global politics. Finally, unit four introduces the concept of “good governance” in development studies and the study of political economy.

Learning Goals

Having knowledge of:

• The pathways of change underlying the causal relationship (linking the intervention to the outcomes).
• Randomised designs and quasi-experimental designs.
• Software code that can be applied in analysis.  

Understanding: 

• How to formulate evaluation questions.
• How to choose a good comparison group that approximates the counterfactual given real-life scenarios.
• The strengths and weaknesses of each methodology and when to choose each methodology.

Prerequisites

A Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent). Candidates with any educational background are welcome to enrol.

The course instructions and all readings are given in English. Fluency in English, both reading and writing, is essential in both technical and common language.

Cost

600 EUR

Estimated Workload

The course is completed once you fulfil the course requirements and pass the final assignment and oral exam. 

The estimated workload is 60 hours, including 10-15 hours per week and 10-15 hours per assignment/oral exam.

Certification

Participants that complete the course obtain an online educational certificate indicating the course has a 2 ECTS equivalence workload.

Duration: 10 weeks

• 1 week to access the platform and become familiar with the material
• 4 weeks of coursework
• 1 week to submit the final assignment and
• 2 weeks for potential resits.

Application Process

You can apply for each course by using the online application form.

During the application process, you will need to upload the following documents:   

• Curriculum Vitae (PDF)
• A copy of your (valid) passport (PDF or JPEG)

After completing the application, you will receive a confirmation email along with the payment information. Once we receive the payment, we will register you as a participant for the course, and the Online Courses Administration Team will contact you. The administrative process typically takes an average of 5-10 working days.   

If you have any questions regarding the application documents or the application process or if there are any clarifications you need before applying, please feel free to reach out to the Capacity Development Office at the email address: onlinecourses@merit.unu.edu. 

Payment

By credit card: https://www.aanmelder.nl/173049/subscribe.

In case you cannot pay by online transfer, please send an email to onlinecourses@merit.unu.edu including your name, your preferred course and starting date. We will send you bank transfer information, and we will only register you upon receiving a bank transfer. This process will take longer to complete.

Please note that we are unfortunately not able to provide scholarships or tuition fee waivers for the online courses.

Refund Policy for Course Withdrawal

Full refund before registration deadline: Participants who withdraw before the registration deadline and before official registration in the university system are eligible for a full refund of fees paid. Administration costs are not refunded (15 EUR).

Partial refund after registration, until one week before the course start date: If a participant withdraws after the registration deadline but before one week of the course start, 50% of the tuition will be refunded. Administration costs are not refunded (15 EUR).

No refunds once course has begun: No refunds will be issued in case withdrawal happens one week before the course starts.

If a participant completes the registration and payment but is deemed not eligible for the course, the full tuition fee minus the administration costs (15 EUR) will be refunded. If you have doubts about your eligibility, please email us at onlinecourses@merit.unu.edu