Government and Public Affairs
The Master's Degree Programme in Government and Public Affairs offers a solid and cohesive education in the main fields of politics, administration, public policy, governance systems and, more generally, public affairs, while ensuring a high degree of versatility in the majors that can be pursued.
The programme combines in-depth theoretical foundations with a practical and applied approach, responding to the needs of a labour market that requires professional figures capable of:
- managing public-private sector relations
- understanding and influencing political decision-making processes
- communicating effectively in increasingly interconnected institutional contexts, both nationally and internationally
One of the strengths of the programme is its multidisciplinary approach, which blends topics from the follow disciplines:
- political science
- law
- economics
- history
- sociology
- demography
communication sciences
- The degree class is LM-62
The Directors
Lorenzo De Sio
Lorenzo De Sio’s interests are focused on quantitative analyses of voting behaviour and party competition in comparative perspective, with a focus on issue attitudes and issue-based party strategies. A member of the ITANES (Italian National Election Studies), through the years (amid visiting positions at UC Irvine, the EUI and Stanford) he has joined several international research projects, including “The True European Voter”, “EU Profiler”, “euandi”; later, he has directed the Issue Competition Comparative Project (ICCP) and is currently directing POSTGEN (Generational gap and post-ideological politics in Italy – PRIN funding). His work has appeared on the American Political Science Review, Comparative Political Studies, Political Psychology, Scientific Reports, West European Politics.
Mark Thatcher
Mark Thatcher is full Professor of Politics, Department of Political Science, Luiss University. Previously, he was Professor of Comparative and International Politics at the London School of Economics. He has been visiting professor at Sciences Po, Paris, Fellow of the Robert Schuman Centre, European University Institute, and taught at the Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris. He read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Balliol College, Oxford, qualified as a Barrister and obtained his doctorate at Nuffield College, Oxford. His research interests lie in comparative public policy both in cultural heritage and the governance of markets at national and international levels. He has published several books with Oxford and Cambridge University Presses as well as articles in international journals.
The Master's Degree Programme in Government and Public Affairs is structured in an innovative way, envisaging a set of common courses after which students can opt for a number of tailor-made majors.
The curriculum is split into three distinct but interconnected phases:
1. Common Courses
A core of basic courses, taught in Italian or English, providing the theoretical and methodological foundations common to all students.
2. Majors
Choice of three majors, each focusing on specific areas:
- Government and Administration (taught in Italian)
- Communication and Public Affairs (taught in Italian)
- Public Policy (taught in English)
3. Personalisation and Practical Skills
This phase involves:
- the selection of elective courses, recommended for each major but also transversal
- the completion of practical certificates, obtained through intensive courses that combine technical skills and practical application of the knowledge acquired
Year I - 2026/2027
History of Institutions and Administration
The course provides students with the historical knowledge and the conceptual and methodological tools necessary to understand the evolution of the institutional and administrative systems of European states from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 21st century.
Social Research Methods and Techniques
The course equips students with the tools to design and conduct research in the social sciences, devise a practical project and develop an understanding of the challenges and problems involved in the various stages of research, as well as the skills required to address them successfully.
Italian Political System
The course provides the tools to understand the political changes that have taken place in Italy over the last 25 years and the prospects for the future.
Law of Elective Assemblies
The course offers an in-depth understanding of the procedures and working methods of the Italian parliament, as well as insights into the operations of supranational elected assemblies.
Public Economics
The course provides an introduction to the economic analysis of the reasons, objectives, fields and instruments of public intervention, both in terms of expenditure and fiscal policy.
Demography and Italian Society
Public Ethics
The course equips students with the tools to grasp the core concepts and theoretical turning points of reflection in the field of applied public ethics enabling them to apply these skills in practice. It also explores the applications of public ethics to codes of ethics and the rules of administrative law.
Administrative Law
The course offers an introduction to the fundamental principles of public administration law and the main reforms in the administrative system. It fosters an understanding of the interconnections between the economic system, the political system and the institutional setup, as well as the changes that have influenced them.
Public Policy Analysis and Evaluation
The course presents the main concepts of the empirical study of public policy, with the aim of providing an understanding of the logic of evaluation and its methodological problems.
Institutions, Media and Technologies
The course provides an understanding of the relationship between public institutions, media and digital technologies in the contemporary era. It analyses how technologies transform the functioning of institutions and institutional communication, exploring topics such as e-government, administrative transparency and the use of digital media in public governance. It also examines the role of digital platforms as spaces for interaction between citizens and institutions.
Year II - 2027/2028
Organisation and Public Management
The course provides the basic tools underlying public management (personnel management, budgeting, procurement of goods and services, strategic and operational planning) and knowledge about the functioning of public authorities (AAPP) and their main characteristics.
3 Electives
Writing a Master's Thesis
This course prepares students for writing a master's degree thesis in public policy. It includes discussion of the fundamental elements of a research thesis, how to develop a good thesis topic and how to approach and implement research in public policy.
Additional credits
Certificate 1
Certificate 2
Internship or Project Work
Final Thesis
Total ECTS
Year I - 2026/2027
History of Institutions and Administration
The course provides students with the historical knowledge and the conceptual and methodological tools necessary to understand the evolution of the institutional and administrative systems of European states from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 21st century.
Social Research Methods and Techniques
The course equips students with the tools to design and conduct research in the social sciences, devise a practical project and develop an understanding of the challenges and problems involved in the various stages of research, as well as the skills required to address them successfully.
Italian Political System
The course provides the tools to understand the political changes that have taken place in Italy over the last 25 years and the prospects for the future.
Law of Elective Assemblies
The course offers an in-depth understanding of the procedures and working methods of the Italian parliament, as well as insights into the operations of supranational elected assemblies.
Public Economics
The course provides an introduction to the economic analysis of the reasons, objectives, fields and instruments of public intervention, both in terms of expenditure and fiscal policy.
Demography and Italian Society
Public Ethics
The course equips students with the tools to grasp the core concepts and theoretical turning points of reflection in the field of applied public ethics enabling them to apply these skills in practice. It also explores the applications of public ethics to codes of ethics and the rules of administrative law.
Comparative Politics
The course aims to provide structured expertise on the conflicts, actors, institutions and processes that influence European political systems. Through a comparative perspective, the programme combines theoretical analysis and empirical data and is based on a direct link with the work of CISE (Italian Centre for Electoral Studies).
Public Opinion and Elections
The course provides structured expertise on the conflicts, actors, institutions and processes that influence electoral dynamics and the social and individual mechanisms of political opinion formation and voting choices, with a focus on contemporary European reality.
Political Participation and Media
The course provides an understanding of the issues and practices of political participation, with a focus on the role of the media in shaping public opinion and the democratic public sphere. It analyses the influence of traditional and digital media on participatory processes and explores forms of online participation and media activism in contemporary democracy.
Year II - 2027/2028
Information and Communication Law
The course provides the tools to develop a key knowledge of the main issues of information and communication law, both with regard to traditional sectors and with reference to their applications in the Internet and in digital communication in general.
3 elective courses
Writing a Master's Thesis
This course prepares students for writing a master's degree thesis in public policy. It includes discussion of the fundamental elements of a research thesis, how to develop a good thesis topic and how to approach and implement research in public policy.
Additional Credits
Certificate 1
Certificate 2
Internship or Project Work
Final Thesis
Total ECTS
Year I - 2026/2027
European Politics and Institutions since 1945
The course provides an analytical framework and practical skills to investigate social and labour market regulations and contribute to the design of innovative and comprehensive approaches.
Applied Research Methods
The course addresses the main issues, tools and techniques of social science methodologies, teaches students how to structure and conduct basic research projects and provides the ability to understand and critically evaluate the results of empirical research in the social sciences, with a focus on public policy analysis.
Comparative Public Policy
The course focuses on fundamental public policy issues, with a focus on macroeconomics, market regulation and cultural heritage. It analyses institutional structures and policies across different countries and historical periods, comparing how national systems adapt to supranational and international developments.
Public Regulation and Economic Governance in Europe
The course provides fundamental tools for analysing EU regulation. It builds on the main concepts of EU law and explores regulatory methodologies and instruments and their application in key policy areas.
The Economics of Europe in a Global Context
The course examines the process of European integration, the EU institutions and European decision-making, allowing students to develop a critical understanding of the inner workings of EU economics and politics.
EU Law and Regulation
The course provides fundamental tools for analysing EU regulation. It is based on the main concepts of EU law, and explores regulatory methodologies and instruments and their application in key policy areas.
Policy Evaluation and Implementation
The course analyses the various stages of the policy process (with a focus on evaluation and implementation) and the actors involved.
Analysing the European Public Policy Process
The course provides an in-depth understanding of the functioning of the European Union and its relevance in domestic and international politics. The practical workings of EU institutions are learnt and at the same time analytical and research skills are developed.
Social and Labor Market Regulation
The course provides an analytical framework and practical skills to investigate social and labour market regulations and contribute to the design of innovative and comprehensive approaches.
Demography, Society and policy in Europe and Beyond
Il corso offre strumenti teorici e metodologici essenziali in demografia, insieme a una comprensione approfondita delle politiche pubbliche relative alle dinamiche della popolazione. Un focus chiave è l'interconnessione tra cambiamenti demografici e trasformazioni delle politiche.
Year II - 2027/2028
One mandatory course to be chosen out of the following two:
Cultural heritage policies: nations and markets Il corso esamina i principi e le normative che governano il diritto internazionale e comparato del patrimonio culturale nell'era digitale. Attraverso casi studio ed esempi pratici, aiuta a comprendere meglio gli aspetti giuridici di questo settore, l'interazione del diritto con altre discipline e con le politiche culturali, e l'influenza della globalizzazione sulla regolamentazione e gestione del patrimonio culturale. OR Regulation by independent agencies Il corso analizza la creazione e il funzionamento delle autorità di regolamentazione indipendenti in Europa, le quali hanno assunto un ruolo sempre più rilevante nella governance dei mercati e sono fondamentali per il funzionamento del mercato unico europeo, nonché per le imprese e i consumatori.
2 electives out of 4
1 cross elective
Writing a Master's Thesis
This course prepares students for writing a master's degree thesis in public policy. It includes discussion of the fundamental elements of a research thesis, how to develop a good thesis topic and how to approach and implement research in public policy.
Additional Credits
Certificate 1
Certificate 2
Internship or Project Work
Final Thesis
Total ECTS
Luiss offers numerous programs for students, which are accessible based on their current or future degree program.
- Dual degree programs for students enrolled in a master's degree program
- Erasmus and International Exchange Programs
- Free Mover Semester Abroad
- Summer Schools Abroad
Discover all the international programs and opportunities for experiences abroad offered by Luiss to enrich your academic and professional journey.
Admission procedures and requirements
Admission to the Degree Course in Government, Administration and Politics represents a unique opportunity to join an academic environment of excellence.
Luiss Guido Carli carefully selects its students, guaranteeing high quality services and the best conditions to facilitate their university journey towards personal and professional growth. Our University puts its students at the centre, offering constant support and personalised attention. 
Find out all the information you need to take the next admission test and start on your path to academic and professional success.
Tuition fees, scholarships and benefits
The annual single tuition fee for enrolment in the Master's Degree Programme in International Relations is € 15,000.00, divided into 3 instalments, plus the regional student welfare tax.*
Luiss offers scholarships and partial or total exemptions from university tuition fees, also thanks to the support of public and private partners.
The University has also entered into agreements with Italian banks to offer flexible loans without collateral.
Check out all the opportunities related to Scholarships and Unsecured Loans.
*The amount of the regional student welfare tax will be decided by the Lazio Region in June/July 2026.
The degree program is subject to approval by the Ministry of University and may undergo modifications.
Career paths
The degree programme produces professionals who are well positioned to work in the field of diplomacy, international security and Euro-Mediterranean relations.
Graduates of the programme will be able to pursue careers in international and European organisations, central government and public authorities, think tanks, businesses and non-governmental organisations.
Graduates and employability
- The employment rate of Luiss graduates one year after graduation is 95%.
- The average time that passes between graduation and one’s first job is 1 month, with 70% of graduates already having a job offer before graduation.
- 12% of graduates work abroad.
- Luiss boasts an active network of over 500 employers: businesses, public and private institutions, and multinationals, which offer graduating students and recent graduates concrete job opportunities.
- In 2024, more than 3,200 placements were made between internships and jobs.
- More than 2,800 one-to-one career guidance meetings were provided to support students and recent graduates in their career paths.
- Over 5,000 students took part in networking and recruiting events, organised during 2024: more than 40 events, including 4 career fairs, with the involvement of over 300 employers and 90 Luiss alumni professionals.
