MPhil in Technology Policy

The MPhil in Technology Policy is an intensive, nine-month professional practice master's programme designed for people with a background in science or engineering who are interested in developing the skills needed to meet the challenges of integrating technology, management, economics, and policy. Although the programme straddles the boundary of business and government and has a strong common core taken by all students on the programme, it allows for more in-depth study of public and private enterprise perspectives.

The programme's focus is on business-government interactions, and its aim is to provide students with both the wider political and institutional context and the analytical skills delivered by Cambridge Judge Business School faculty working in operations, strategy and, most especially, economics and policy. The MPhil in Technology Policy programme provides the context and skills needed to cope with the rapidly evolving environment in many technology-rich sectors, including information and communications technology, defence and aerospace, energy and electricity, manufacturing, transport and logistics, pharmaceuticals and health.

The channels of communication between government and industry are often weak, and there can be significant difficulties in spanning the divide. Our central goal, therefore, is to prepare our graduates to move along and across these frontiers and to understand, influence, intervene and shape the evolution of business, government and the intersection of the two. Beyond simply understanding and analysing policies, our goal is to teach students how to be proactive by making the case for alternative metrics, instruments and goals as a means of gaining competitive advantage.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students should have met the following learning outcomes :

Knowledge and Understanding

• knowledge of a range of key concepts and tools such as systems thinking, microeconomics, the role and power of government, the importance of the law and regulation, complexity, decision-making under uncertainty, project valuation and strategic thinking;
• an opportunity to interact with, and to learn from, real policy-makers and real cases in areas such as: accounting and finance, communications and IT, transport, energy etc.

Skills and Other Attributes

• be familiar with: constitutional structures, policy analysis, issues in business management, entrepreneurship and innovation, and UK and European science and technology policy;
• display competence in: microeconomics (including cost-benefit analysis), risk and hazard management;
• have had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with: political economy, analytical frameworks such as real options, negotiations, management of technology, enterprise management and various technology domains such as energy or information systems;
• have gained a deeper understanding of a technical, policy or management subfield of their choosing.

Open Days

See further the Postgraduate Admissions Events pages for other events relating to Postgraduate study, including study fairs, visits and international events.

Cambridge Judge Business School also hosts Experience Days throughout the year. Please see Cambridge Judge Business School wide-events page for further information.