Current Academic Schedule

Current Academic Schedule (Summer term 2026)

This page presents an overview of the courses offered within the Master of Public Policy Program in the current/upcoming semester. To achieve your MPP degree, you'll have to complete mandatory courses, elective courses, language courses and participate in a project group (winter semesters only).

Please note that this information is subject to change!

Mandatory courses

All first-year students need to register for and participate in the following courses:

Comparative and International Public Policy*

Lecturer: Pau Palop-García

Time (location): Wednesdays, 10-12h (t.b.a.)

Module: M Pub 2020 201CPP#01

Moodle: You will be enrolled by us.

Course description: The central aim of this course is to give students the opportunity to examine and compare concrete public policies across a variety of national and sub-national contexts. Complementing “Introduction to Public Policy” and the theories and approaches presented there, the course will provide a survey across diverse policy areas, including economics, public health, migration, and foreign policy, to name just a few areas. The course will also introduce appropriate methods for comparative policy analysis. Overall, the course aims at teaching an advanced understanding on how to compare public policy across countries as well as key policy issues in various societies with a special focus on contemporary policy concerns.

Further details about this course can be found here.

Quantitative Methods for Public Policy*

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Guido Mehlkop

Time (location): Mondays, 14-16h (t.b.a.)

Tutorial: Thursdays, 8-10h (t.b.a.)

Module: M Pub 2020 202QM#01

Moodle: You will be enrolled by us.

Course description: In the modern social sciences, theoretical propositions must be tested with real world empirical data. Progress is enhanced by eliminating hypotheses which do not pass empirical testing. Therefore, scientific work is based on the interplay between theory and sound empirical testing. This introduction to quantitative methodology provides a course in statistics: sampling distribution; reducing complexity (means and deviations); describing data sets graphically; estimating population means; z-transformation and T-tests; associations between nominal and ordinal scaled data (cross-tabs, chi-square); associations between metric data (coefficient of correlation, OLS regressions).

Further details about this course can be found here.

Management and Leadership*

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Heike Grimm

Time (location): Thursdays, 10-12h (t.b.a.)

Module: M Pub 2020 203ML#01

Moodle: You will be enrolled by us.

Course description: This course seeks to familiarize students with the theories and practical concepts of leadership and political advocacy. It is designed to capacitate students to work successfully in management positions, to direct and coordinate human resources, and to advocate issues successfully in a political context. Leadership is a process of influencing and supporting others to work enthusiastically towards achieving objectives. A leader is the catalyst that transforms potential into reality. Good leaders develop through a continuous process of self-study, education, training, and experience. In this context we will discuss major factors in and principles of leadership and discuss implications for strategic management and political leadership. In the context of political advocacy, we aim to better understand the complexity of leadership in public and political environments. Political advocacy can include many activities that a person undertakes such as media campaigns, lobbying, or public speaking which need to be aligned to ensure optimal outcomes. The assessment of specific examples will allow us to draw lessons on how to best align those activities to optimize political advocacy. At the end of the course, participants should be able to apply a variety of leadership styles; identify leadership mistakes and be able to avoid them; distinguish between private, public, and non-profit leadership styles; transfer good practice examples of public and political leadership into practice. Furthermore, the students will have the opportunity to learn more about their own leadership skills and styles. A professional consultant will join us to improve our leadership skills.

Further details about this course can be found here.

All second-year students need to register for and participate in the following courses:

Research Colloquium

Students writing their master thesis need to participate in one of the colloquia, usually the one offered by their supervisor. Should your supervisor not offer a colloquium, please visit the one of the second reader, or make arrangements with other faculty of Brandt School, or the wider university. The MPP Program Coordinator offers assistance in finding the fitting colloquium. Make sure to regularly consult with your supervisor, also during office hours.

You need to register for a research colloquium in ELVIS during course registration period. It is not necessary to also register the Master thesis itself on ELVIS.

Heike Grimm	Tuesdays, 14-16h (C19.02.46)
Achim Kemmerling & Evans Tindana Awuni	Mondays, 14-16h (C19.03.39)
Pau Palop García	Tuesdays, 14-16h (room t.b.a.)
Alejandra Ortiz-Ayala	Mondays, 14-16h (C19.02.46)

Master of Public Policy Model Study Plan (summer semesters highlighted)

Practical Training

Internship

The Public Policy degree program (MPP) includes a mandatory internship as one requirement for completing the degree.

Primary purposes of the internship are the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills from the classroom in a work setting, to give students a practical perspective on policy analysis and public management and to help them compare their abilities and interests with requirements in particular fields of public policy.
Internships may be conducted in government agencies, international organizations, NGOs, or other non-profit or for-profit organizations. The job description must show that the work assigned to the intern will be relevant to public policy analysis and/or management.
Internships must comprise at least 180 hours, 5 of which may be used for writing the internship report. Typically, the internship will be conducted during the summer break between the second and the third semester (mid-July to mid-October). The hosting agency must name an individual person, responsible for supervising the intern and for communicating with the Brandt School if needed. In order to receive credits for their internship, students have to submit an internship report of 4-5 pages via moodle, no later than 30 days after the last day of the internship.

For further information, please consult the internship regulations on Moodle and contact the Brandt School’s internship coordinator Florian Heintze (florian.heintze@uni-erfurt.de).

Language Training

Your study rules (“Studien- und Prüfungsordnung”) require that, during your studies, you collect a total of 6 credits and a grade in the language module.

This means that you can either take one course with 6 credits, or two courses with 3 credits each (3+3=6). Should you decide to take two courses, these must be conducted in the same language, advancing you (at least) one proficiency level in one language.
Either way, you will have to do one module exam, providing you with a grade. You may take more courses in the language module, if you like.

Students with no or little knowledge of German take German classes up until level A2.1 (CEFR)

Students who are not yet proficient in German (level “A2”) must take the German language module. Therefore, the Brandt School offers special German beginners' classes for international MPP students.

Lecturer: Tomiwa Japhet Adeyemo

Time (location): Mondays, Thursdays & Fridays 8-10h (room t.b.a.)

First Session on Thursday, October 16 at 8am.

Module: ZS ENi 2020 SprdeA2.1#02

Moodle: You will be enrolled by us

Course description: As per the study and exam regulations (M Pub 2020, section 5, paragraph 3), Master of Public Policy students need to complete the language module in German, reaching at least proficiency level “A2” as one requirement for graduation. These courses, offered specifically for Brandt School students, are the major offer to get you there. After “A1” in winter semesters, “A2” is offered in summer semesters. Course content: Grammar, vocabulary, conversation for beginners.

Further details about this course can be found here.

Students with A2 or higher-level knowledge of German

… continue improving their German language skills (if applicable)

… or opt for another foreign language on offer (e.g. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish), offered by the University’s Language Center (Sprachenzentrum). The list of offers is on their website or on E.L.V.I.S. (Summer Semester 2026 > (ZS) > ZS Acquisition of a langue level 2020).

Important notes

Please check for schedule clashes with (mandatory) MPP courses, before signing up for a particular class (see sign-up procedure)!
Some classes require a placement test beforehand; for the test dates see here.

In addition to courses, the Language Center also offers proficiency exams (Niveaustufenprüfungen) in several languages that you can take (regardless of whether you have taken a course or not) at the end of the lecture period, providing you with a certificate of your level. For current information, please check the Language Center’s websites for the respective languages.

Elective courses (Specializations)

Currently, Brandt School is offering four specializations, based on the research areas of our core academic staff.

Out of the four specializations offered, you will need to have completed two at the end of your study period
To complete a specialization, you need to visit two seminars and do one module exam in one of the courses visited
You may do more seminars, but mind the workload
While we cannot guarantee that a course will be offered again in future, we can say whether it was offered before. Courses that have been taught in the previous summer semester are marked with one asterisk (*). Courses that have been taught in an earlier semester are marked with two asterisks (**). New courses are marked with three asterisks (***).

Non-Profit Management and Entrepreneurship

Social Innovation Management**

Lecturer: Priscilla Boatemaa Appiah

Time (location): Tuesdays 10-12h (t.b.a.),

Module: M Pub 2020 601SPNPM#02

Moodle: Please use Brandt School's enrolment key.

Course description: This course on Social Innovation Management undertakes a comprehensive exploration of the dynamic intersection between societal challenges and innovative solutions within contemporary organizational landscapes. In an era characterized by rapid technological advancements, global interconnectedness, and escalating social and environmental problems, the imperative for effective social innovation has never been more pronounced. This course is curated to equip participants with the theoretical frameworks, strategic insights, and practical tools essential for navigating the complex terrain of social innovation. Through an interdisciplinary approach drawing on management theories, social economy science, and the economics of innovation, participants will delve into the multifaceted dimensions of social innovation, ranging from the identification of societal needs to the design and implementation of transformative solutions and the management of change and innovation processes. Key objectives include fostering a nuanced understanding of the societal context that necessitates innovation, cultivating critical thinking skills to identify novel opportunities, and developing the managerial acumen required to navigate the challenges inherent in socially innovative endeavors. By the course's conclusion, participants will be adept at conceptualizing, implementing, and managing social innovations, contributing meaningfully to the advancement of both organizational and societal goals. The course will be customized to participants prior experiences and organizational contexts for applicability purposes.

Further details about this course can be found here.

Public Health & Wellbeing**

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Heike Grimm & Priscilla Boatemaa Appiah

Time (location): Thursdays, 12-14h (t.b.a.)

Module: M Pub 2020 601SPNPM#02 / M Pub 2020 603 SP SEP#02

Moodle: Please use Brandt School's enrolment key.

Course description: The course "Public Health & Wellbeing" is designed to equip future policymakers with the knowledge and skills necessary to foster societal well-being through strategic policy interventions. In an era marked by unprecedented challenges and evolving social landscapes, this course endeavors to cultivate a nuanced understanding of the intricate relationship between public policies and the well-being of diverse populations. The primary objective of this course is to instill a comprehensive appreciation of well-being as a multidimensional construct, extending beyond mere economic indicators. Through rigorous academic inquiry, students will delve into theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence, examining the intersectionality of well-being across various demographic, cultural, and socio-economic dimensions. Emphasizing evidence-based policymaking, the course aims to empower students with analytical tools to assess and address the impact of policies on the overall quality of life. Furthermore, the course adopts an interdisciplinary approach, drawing insights from economics, sociology, psychology, and public health. Students will engage in critical discussions, case studies, and practical exercises, fostering a holistic perspective essential for crafting policies that transcend traditional boundaries. If you aim to advance the well-being of diverse populations across the lifespan, this course is for you.

Further details about this course can be found here.

Heritage, Tourism and Development***

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Heike Grimm

Time (location): Upon request

Module: M Pub 2020 601SPNPM#02

Moodle: Please use Brandt School's enrolment key

Course description: t.b.a.

Further details about this course can be found here.

International and Global Public Policy

Governing Practices***

Lecturer: Frank Gadinger

Time: Tuesdays, 14-16h (t.b.a.)

Module: M Pub 2020 602SPGPP#02

Moodle: Please use the University's enrolment key

Course description: t.b.a.

Further details about this course can be found here.

Introduction to Migration Policy**

Lecturer: Pau Palop-García

Time: Tuesdays, 12-14h (t.b.a.)

Module: M Pub 2020 602SPGPP#02

Moodle: Please use Brandt School's enrolment key.

Course description:

Further details about this course can be found here.

Policy-making in the European Union***

Lecturer: Pau Palop-García

Time: Tuesdays, 16-18h (t.b.a.)

Module: M Pub 2020 602SPGPP#02

Moodle: Please use Brandt School's enrolment key.

Course description: t.b.a.

Further details about this course can be found here.

Democratic Institutions and Institutional Change. Comparative Perspectives from the Global South*

Lecturer: Mariana Llanos

Time: Mondays, 16-18h (t.b.a.)

Module: M Pub 2020 602SPGPP#02

Moodle: Please use Brandt School's enrolment key.

Course description: What is an institution? How do political institutions work? What types of institutions are there? How do institutions change? What is the impact of political institutions on political processes? What is their impact on policy outcomes? In the social sciences, we understand institutions as the rules and norms, formal and informal, that bound the choices of actors and individuals, and thus explain their behavior (March & Olsen, 1984). This course revisits some of the most significant debates and contributions of different institutional theories and scholarships. It pays particular attention to democratic institutions and the classic debates about their functioning, with a special focus on the Global South. It includes sessions on varieties of institutionalism, i.e., normative, sociological, empirical, feminist, as well as on formal and informal institutions (and their interplay), weak and strong institutions (their relation to actors and leadership power), and institutional stability and change with a glance to historical institutionalism. The analyses and comparisons across countries, as well as the examples and contributions from the Global South are meant to broaden and update our understanding of institutions. This knowledge is timely and crucial since institutional problems continue being at the center of our scholarly analyses. In this course students will learn the instruments to analyze and assess how democratic institutions work, how institutional work is affected when democratic qualities decline, and eventually what the consequences are of such deficiencies for democratic erosion and breakdown.

Further details about this course can be found here.

Public Health & Wellbeing**

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Heike Grimm & Priscilla Boatemaa Appiah

Time (location): Thursdays, 12-14h (t.b.a.)

Module: M Pub 2020 601SPNPM#02 / M Pub 2020 603 SP SEP#02

Moodle: Please use Brandt School's enrolment key.

Further details about this course can be found here.

Development and Socio-Economic Policies

Introduction to Migration Policy**

Lecturer: Pau Palop-García

Time: Tuesdays, 12-14h (t.b.a.)

Module: M Pub 2020 602SPGPP#02

Moodle: Please use Brandt School's enrolment key.

Course description:

Further details about this course can be found here.

Evidence-based Policymaking***

Lecturer: Evans Awuni Tindana, PhD

Time (location) : A-weeks: Tuesdays, 16-18h (t.b.a.) B-weeks: Wednesdays, 14-18 (t.b.a.)

Module: M Pub 2020 603 SP SEP#02

Moodle: Please use Brandt School's enrolment key.

Course description: How do policy makers know whether a program worked, for whom, at what cost, and under what conditions? What counts as credible evidence when political stakes are high, implementation is messy, and data are incomplete? Why do some findings shape reform while others are ignored? This course provides a comprehensive introduction to evaluation as a core component of evidence-based policy making. It examines how evidence is generated, judged, synthesized, communicated, and used across the policy cycle, from agenda-setting and policy design to implementation, reform, and scale-up. The course is organized in three parts: (I) foundations of evaluative reasoning, commissioning, and design; (II) designs and methods for credible causal and explanatory inference; and (III) evaluation practice, evidence use, and policy learning. Throughout the course, we will run a ‘live evaluation laboratory’. Students will work in teams on a real or realistic evaluation case and produce a final evaluation report by the end of the course.

Further details about this course can be found here.

Public Health & Wellbeing***

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Heike Grimm & Priscilla Boatemaa Appiah

Time (location): Thursdays, 12-14h (t.b.a.)

Module: M Pub 2020 601SPNPM#02 / M Pub 2020 603 SP SEP#02

Moodle: Please use Brandt School's enrolment key.

Further details about this course can be found here.

The Politics and Policies of Aid**

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Achim Kemmerling

Time (location):

Thursday, April 4, 13:30-17:20h (t.b.a.)
Friday, April 10, 08:50-12:30h (t.b.a.)
Wednesday, April 15 - Saturday April 18 (extern)
Friday, April 24, 14:00-15:30h (t.b.a.)

Module: M Pub 2020 603 SP SEP#02

Moodle: Please use Brandt School's enrolment key

Course description:

Conflict Studies and Management

Human Rights in Practice: Conflict Resolution, Truth Commissions, and Geopolitical Constraints***

Lecturer: Alejandra Ortiz-Ayala, PhD

Time (location) : Tuesdays, 14-16:00h

Module: M Pub 2020 604 SP CSM#02

Moodle: Please use Brandt School's enrolment key

Course description: This seminar examines the tension between sovereignty, collective security, and individual human rights within the contemporary international order. Combining doctrinal foundations with interdisciplinary simulations, the course connects international legal norms to professional decision-making across law, social work, political science, and economics. Students revisit the structure of international law—treaty law, customary law, sovereignty, statehood, the United Nations system, the prohibition of the use of force, and the role of the International Court of Justice—alongside the core instruments of international human rights law, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Situating these legal frameworks within the dilemmas of humanitarian intervention, geopolitical constraint, and post-conflict reconstruction, the seminar explores why the international community often fails to act despite legal and moral imperatives, and how veto powers, regional politics, and resource considerations shape collective responses. By foregrounding the divide between individual and collective rights and examining the interaction between international human rights law and humanitarian law (jus ad bellum and jus in bello), the course equips students to critically navigate the ethical, political, and institutional trade-offs that arise in contexts of mass violence, reconciliation, and state rebuilding.

Further details about this course can be found here.

Introduction to Migration Policy**

Lecturer: Pau Palop-García

Time: Tuesdays, 12-14h (t.b.a.)

Module: M Pub 2020 602SPGPP#02

Moodle: Please use Brandt School's enrolment key.

Course description:

Further details about this course can be found here.

Cross-Specializations

Advanced Data Analytics** (Independent Study Unit)

Lecturer: Dr. Hasnain Bokhari

Time (location): n.a.

Module: M Pub 2020 601 SP NPM#03 / M Pub 2020 602 SP GPP#03 / M Pub 2020 603 SP SEP#03 / M Pub 2020 604 SP CSM#03

Moodle: Please use Brandt School's enrolment key

Course description: With data at the core of decision-making today, analysis and interpretation are essential for influencing policy choices. This course is designed to equip public policy students with advanced data analytics skills using Python, preparing them for data-driven decision-making in the public sector. Students will explore a wide range of analytical methods utilizing Python libraries such as pandas, NumPy, and Matplotlib, applying these methods to real-world policy questions with publicly available datasets from global institutions like the IMF and EU. Additionally, the course will introduce the use of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to access and retrieve data from online databases. By connecting with APIs, students will learn to automate data extraction and integrate it into their analytical workflows. Students will also work on a simulated social science problem as a case study, applying Python programming and data analytics techniques to address real-world policy issues, reinforcing their Python skills throughout the process. This course is part of a broader project at the Brandt School titled Computational Social Science for Public Policy, led by Dr. Bokhari as its Principal Investigator. The course offers self-paced learning modules on Moodle.

Further details about this course can be found here.

Independent Study Unit*

Module: M Pub 2020 601 SP NPM#03 / M Pub 2020 602 SP GPP#03 / M Pub 2020 603 SP SEP#03 / M Pub 2020 604 SP CSM#03

Course description: Independent Study Units (ISUs) aim at deepening the students’ knowledge in a field of public policy, at an individual pace and are geared to pursuing individual interests. They may also serve as a means of allowing students to equalize differing levels of prior knowledge. If you are interested in registering for an Independent Study Unit, please discuss its contents and how it fits into your study plan with your academic mentor and contact MPP Program Coordinator Christian Tischmeyer for more details regarding registration and the study agreement. Subject to approval by the academic mentor, the Brandt School’s academic staff as well as faculty members or professors of the Faculty of Economics, Law and Social Sciences or other faculties of the University may be approached as supervisors for an ISU.

According to Section 5, paragraph 3 of the framework regulations of Master programs at the University of Erfurt (M-RPO 2019), an independent study agreement must be signed by both the student and the instructor at the beginning of the semester (within the course registration deadline) to receive credit points for an ISU. In this independent study agreement, the student pledges to work on an agreed topic and corresponding questions regularly and independently as well as to spend the necessary amount of time to reach the learning goals within a given time frame. To check the learning progress and to give the instructor an overview of the working status, specific assignments are given and regular meetings should be agreed upon.

Further details about this course can be found here.

Data Analytics with R and generative AI***

Lecturer: Dr. Hasnain Bokhari

Time (location): Mondays, 12-14h (t.b.a.)

Module: M Pub 2020 601 SP NPM#02 / M Pub 2020 602 SP GPP#02 / M Pub 2020 603 SP SEP#02 / M Pub 2020 604 SP CSM#02

Moodle: Please use Brandt School's enrolment key

Course description: t.b.a.

Further details about this course can be found here.

Important Note

It is not possible to substitute credits earned in one module for credits earned in another module.
It is also not possible to re-take a module exam that you have already passed (with a grade of 4.0 or better). Check the Examination and Study Rules for more detailed and legally binding information regarding the structure of the MPP program. For easy reference, an unofficial English translation of this document is also available.