Government and Public Affairs
- Degree
- Graduate school
- Credits
- 120 ECTS
- Duration
- 2 Years
- Language
- Italian, English
- Year
- 2027/2028
The Master’s Degree in Government and Public Affairs, classified as LM-62, provides advanced training in key areas of politics, administration, public policy, governance systems, and public affairs.
Delivered in Italian and English, the course meets the growing demand for professionals who can manage public-private sector relations, understand and influence political decision-making processes, and communicate effectively in interconnected institutional contexts, both nationally and internationally.
The Programme integrates political science, law, economics, history, sociology, demography, and communication sciences, combining a solid theoretical foundation with a practical and applied approach.
After the first semester, students can choose one of three majors:
- Government and Administration, in Italian: trains experts in the management and administration of public administrations, foundations, and think tanks;
- Communication and Public Affairs, in Italian: this specialisation focuses on political and institutional communication and the management of institutional relations;
- Public Policy, in English: explores the European and international dimensions of public policy and prepares students to work within supranational institutions.
In line with the educational objectives of the LM-62 master's degree programme, the course prepares professionals who are capable of:
- analyse and interpret how national, sub-national, and supranational political systems operate, integrating different disciplinary perspectives;
- managing and administering public and private organisations involved in public affairs, coordinating complex decision-making processes;
- design, implement, and evaluate public policies using advanced qualitative and quantitative methodologies;
- manage complex institutional relationships, understanding the dynamics of ethical lobbying and interest representation;
- draft regulatory acts and institutional documents, with a particular focus on the national, European, and international contexts;
- develop institutional and political communication strategies, tailoring messages and tools to different audiences and to both traditional and digital channels;
- operate with independent judgement, ethical responsibility, and the ability to lead multidisciplinary teams in multicultural settings.
The Directors
Lorenzo De Sio
Lorenzo De Sio is a Full Professor of Political Science at Luiss. He is Director of CISE (Italian Centre for Electoral Studies). His research interests focus on democracy, voting behaviour and party strategies; he has published several books and numerous articles on these topics in leading international academic journals, including the American Political Science Review, Comparative Political Studies, Political Psychology, Scientific Reports and West European Politics.
A member of ITANES (Italian National Election Studies), throughout his career – which has also included research periods at the University of California, Irvine, the European University Institute, Stanford University and Sciences Po Paris – he has participated in numerous international research projects, including The True European Voter, EU Profiler and euandi. He subsequently directed the Issue Competition Comparative Project (ICCP) and the PRIN POSTGEN project (Generational Gap and Post-Ideological Politics in Italy). He sits on the board of the European research infrastructure MEDem (Monitoring Electoral Democracy).
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 curriculum allows you to build an academic and professional profile that aligns with your interests and career goals, combining specialist training, a personalised pathway, and learning through real-world experiences.
The educational offering is divided into:
- Essentials: courses that provide the theoretical, methodological, and disciplinary foundations of the degree programme, developing the core knowledge upon which to build the subsequent specialisation pathway.
- Majors (where included in the curriculum): in-depth courses focusing on specific subject areas or professional fields, allowing students to develop advanced and distinctive skills in their area of interest.
- Profile: elective courses that allow you to further personalise your learning path by selecting content that aligns with your academic and professional aspirations.
- Certificates: These are distinctive features of the Graduate School’s educational model, integrated into the curriculum to give students the opportunity to choose learning activities developed in collaboration with Corporate and Institutional Partners. With a strong focus on practical application, the Certificates enable students to gain specialised skills, engage with industry professionals, and delve deeper into methodologies and experiences gained across various professional settings. Upon completion of each Certificate, a blockchain-notarised digital micro-credential is issued. This securely and verifiably attests to the skills acquired and can be shared on major professional profiles, enhancing one's educational background.
- Field Experience: real-world professional experiences that allow you to put the skills you've developed during your studies into practice and foster the connection between your academic training and the world of work.
- Final Thesis: the culmination of the educational journey, dedicated to research, critical analysis, and the application of acquired knowledge.
🇮🇹 Major: Government and Administration
Semester I - Essentials
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.
Semester II - Essentials & Major
Demography and Italian Society
The course introduces the basic concepts of demography and the tools for quantitative and qualitative analysis of Italian demographic phenomena, with a particular focus on regional differences and changes over time.
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.
Semester I - Major
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.
Profile
3 elective courses
Writing a Master 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.
Certificates
Certificate 1
Certificate 2
Field Experience
Internship
Create
Final Thesis
Total ECTS
🇮🇹 Major: Communication and Public Affairs
Semester I - Essentials
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.
Semester II - Essentials & Major
Demography and Italian Society
The course introduces the basic concepts of demography and the tools for quantitative and qualitative analysis of Italian demographic phenomena, with a particular focus on regional differences and changes over time.
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.
Semester I - Major
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.
Profile
3 elective courses
Writing a Master 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.
Certificates
Certificate 1
Certificate 2
Field Experience
Internship
Create
Final Thesis
Total ECTS
🇬🇧 Major: Public Policy
Semester I - Essentials
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.
Semester II - Essentials & Major
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.
Semester I - Major
One mandatory course to be chosen out of the following two:
Cultural heritage policies: nations and markets
The course examines the principles and regulations governing international and comparative cultural heritage law in the digital age. Through case studies and practical examples, it helps students better understand the legal aspects of this field, the interaction of law with other disciplines and with cultural policies, and the influence of globalization on the regulation and management of cultural heritage.
Regulation by independent agencies
The course examines the establishment and functioning of independent regulatory authorities in Europe, which have taken on an increasingly important role in market governance and are essential to the functioning of the European single market, as well as to businesses and consumers.
Profile
2 electives core courses out of 4
1 cross elective course
Writing a Master 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.
Certificates
Certificate 1
Certificate 2
Field Experience
Internship
Create
Final Thesis
Total ECTS
Luiss offers various opportunities for international experience and the development of skills that are valuable in global academic and professional settings.
Students can take part in Double and Triple Degree Programmes, QTEM Masters Network programmes, Erasmus and International Exchanges, Free Mover semesters abroad, international Summer Schools, the Joint Programme in Digital Transformation, and ENGAGE.EU international mobility programmes.
Admission depends on the course of study and the requirements set out in the individual calls for applications. Explore all the international experiences offered by Luiss and choose the one that best aligns with your educational and professional goals.
Admission procedures and requirements for 2027/2028
To enrol in the Master’s Degree in Government and Public Affairs at Luiss, you must follow the admission procedures for the 2027/2028 academic year.
In October 2026, the competition notices will be published, detailing the requirements, selection methods, and application deadlines.
Check the page dedicated to admission to Luiss Master’s Degree Courses for updates and to find the procedure that applies to your profile.
Tuition fees
The single annual fee for enrolment in the first year of the Master’s Degree in Government and Public Affairs for the 2027/2028 academic year is €16,000, payable in three instalments, plus the regional tax.
Scholarships and financial support
Luiss offers scholarships and partial or full exemptions from tuition fees, thanks in part to support from public and private partners. This enables students to access tangible support throughout their academic journey.
Explore all the opportunities for Luiss scholarships and financial aid, and check the requirements, deadlines, and how to apply.
The Master's Degree in Government and Public Affairs trains qualified professionals to manage complex decision-making and communication processes, bringing together technical, institutional, and strategic dimensions.
Graduates can find professional opportunities at European institutions, ministries, independent authorities, government agencies, and international organisations. The knowledge and skills gained also open doors to careers in public affairs and lobbying firms, institutional press offices, think tanks, cultural foundations, political parties, and large companies operating in regulated sectors.
Professional profiles for students majoring in Government and Administration and Public Policy
- Policy Maker
- Management and Control Specialist in Public Administration
- Policy Expert or Policy Analyst
- Cultural policy expert
- Lobbyist
Career paths for the Communication and Public Affairs major
- Head of Institutional Communications
- Social research specialist or consultant
- Political communicator
- Political Social Media Manager
- Lobbyist
Luiss Alumni Network
With over 70,000 alumni worldwide, the Luiss Alumni Network is a dynamic and ever-growing community, created to keep the connection with the university alive after graduation. With 19 active international chapters, alumni and students take part in local initiatives that strengthen their sense of belonging and foster intergenerational dialogue.
The activities on offer include professional discussions, networking events, opportunities for training and in-depth study on current issues, class reunions, cultural visits, and initiatives aimed at enhancing the Alumni community.
Discover the Luiss Graduate School’s Employability Journey and the initiatives designed to support students as they develop their skills, build their professional networks, and enter the world of work.
