Government and Local Governance

This masters program is seeking to cover the gap in the Palestinian public service and non- governmental market by providing both sectors, and also their partners from the private sector, with experts who own knowledge, practical skills and experiences. The program addresses capacity building, research skills, analytic and planning skills of public servants and nongovernmental organizations’ leaders. The program specifically addresses the topic of good governance and national development planning, local development and sustainability.

  1. Providing students with theoretical frameworks of public administration and public policy making and implementation through multi- focused tracks; legal, political and administrative.
  2. Responding to challenges of public service work through providing multi-disciplinary research dimensions in government and local government, and public policy.
  3. Enriching government and local government based research with focus on strategic planning and budgeting.
  4. Preparing and equipping students with public policy related skills (making, implementing evaluating and analyzing) that can contribute to Palestinian public policy reform.
  5. Equipping students with necessary skills for public financial analysis and economic policy affairs.

Graduates of the program are expected to contribute to providing public and non-governmental sectors with well and highly qualified experts who can lead and take part in national and local sustainable development planning and implementation. 

 

Intended Outcomes

  1. Graduates qualified with distinguished research skills that can contribute to solving public problems.
  2. Graduates that can lead policy making, implementation, evaluation and analysis; and capable to connect theory with practice.
  3. Graduates who are capable to conduct scientific policy analysis to help policy makers.
  4. Graduates who are capable to conduct national and local strategic plans that respond to real challenges.
  5. Graduates who are well equipped with leadership skills that leads comprehensive public sector reform process 
  6. Graduates who understand and believes in good governance and public service ethics and able to use it in public jobs. 
  1. Public agencies and institutions employees, managers and leaders
  2. NGOs leadership and management
  3. Financial analysts
  4. Policy making supporters and consultants
  5. Local governors, leaders and developers
  6. International NGOs consultants
  7. Leaders of public positions elections’ campaigns
  8. National and local development based by Researchers
  9. Academic professors
Program Requirement

Students are required to complete 36 credit hours distributed as follows:

 

1. Compulsory Courses (21 Credit Hours)

Course No.

Course Title

Prerequisite(s)

GOVS633

Public Policy Principles (policy design, implementation, and evaluation) 

 

GOVS630

Scientific Research Approaches in Social Sciences

 

GOVS634

Comparative Public Law

 

GOVS635

Local Governance and Local Municipalities

 

GOVS736

Financial Management & Analysis in the Public Sector

 

GOVS737

Strategic Planning in Local Government 

 

GOVS7341

Statistics in the Social Sciences

GOVS630

 

2. Elective Courses: Elective course aim at meeting students different research interests. These are two categories: (1) 6 credit hours offered within courses of the Masters of Government and Local Government itself, (2) up to 3 credit hours offered within other programs in Birzeit University

 

3. Elective Courses within the Program:(6 credit hours)​

Course No.

Course Title

Prerequisite(s)

GOVS631

State Theory

 

GOVS730

Sustainable Development Policy Implementation

GOVS633

GOVS731

Ethics in Public Service 

 

GOVS732

Political Communication 

 

GOVS733

Contemporary trends in Public Administration 

GOVS500

GOVS734

Program Evaluation in Public and Nonprofit Organizations

 

GOVS735

Economics for Public Decision-Making

 

GOVS738

Decision Making in Government and Administration

 

GOVS739*

Leadership theories and  Skills

 

GOVS7340

E-government 

 

GOVS7342

Legal Development of Local Government in Palestine 

GOVS634

GOVS7343

Community Participation in Local Government 

GOVS635

GOVS7344

Land Management and Rural and Urban sustainable Planning

 

GOVS7345

Special topic 1

 

GOVS7146

Special Topic 2

 
*This course can be substituted with BUSA7301 Leadership

 

4. Elective Courses within other programs:(3 credit hours)

 

From Master of International Studies (INST)

3

Negotiations and Diplomacy

INST7311

3

International Development 

INST7314

3

Principles of International Law

INST6334

3

Regional studies 

INST7361

From Master Program in Law (JURI)

3

Evolution of the Constitutional System in Palestine

JURI631

3

Constitutional Review

JURI639

3

Public Freedoms and Fundamental Rights

JURI7313

3

Administrative Law/Administrative Responsibility 

JURI7323

3

Advanced Studies in Public International Law 

JURI635

3

International Human Rights Law 

JURI731

3

Political Parties

JURI7333

3

Comparative Parliamentary Systems

JURI7343

3

International Humanitarian Law

JURI7314

3

Diplomatic and Consular Law

JURI7324

3

International Criminal Law

JURI7334

3

International Organizations

JURI7344

Master Program in Democracy and Human Rights  (DMHR)

3

International Human Rights Law

DMHR6331

3

Human Rights and Current Laws in Palestine 

DMHR6184

Master Program in Gender and Development(GADS)

3

Gender Analysis and Gender Planning

GADS635

3

Applications of Modern Approaches to Gender and Development

GADS731

Master Program in Business Administration(BUSA)

3

Leadership

BUSA7301

​

5. Track “A” or Track “B”: (6 Credit Hours); Thesis or two Seminars in addition to Practical Internship and a Comprehensive Exam​

Course No.

Course Title

Prerequisite(s)

GOVS860

Thesis

 

GOVS830

Seminar 1

 

GOVS831

Seminar 2

 

GOVS801

Practical Internship

 

GOVS806 

Comprehensive Exam

  
  1. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree in law either in political science, economics, public administration, or in other fields approved by the Program Council from a university recognized by Birzeit University. 
  2. Students are required to take the English language test specified by the program. According to the results of this test, the need to register for a remedial course in English language ENGC 530 will be determined. Students are required to complete this course before the beginning of the third semester, according to the applied academic regulation related to remedial courses. 
  3. A personal interview with the Program Committee. 
  4. Applicants are required to complete the remedial courses determined by the program.