Communications and Marketing
New Master's degree programme in Public Policy und Transformation starts in summer semester 2026
Climate change, demographics, digitalisation and globalisation: against the backdrop of these far-reaching, global processes of change, political processes are highly complex at all levels - right down to cities and municipalities. The new Master's programme at H-BRS focuses on the interface between public policy, social justice and ecological sustainability. The aim is to enable students to analyse complex transformation processes, develop political measures and implement them in a scientifically sound and practical manner. There is also a special focus on political communication: students learn how to convey political content in a way that is understandable and appropriate for the target audience - from participation formats and traditional public relations strategies to the use of digital and social media.
The degree programme is designed for three semesters full-time or six semesters part-time. It includes modules in German and English and can be started once a year in the summer semester. The study location is the Sankt Augustin campus. This is the second Master's degree course to be added to the programme of the Department of Social Policy and Social Security. The English-language Social Protection degree programme, which involves an in-depth examination of social security systems, has already been established for more than ten years and is in high demand.
"Transformation does not take place in the abstract, but on the ground. With the new Master's degree programme, we want to prepare students to help shape political change where it actually takes effect: in cities, communities and regions," says Professor Christian Rexrodt, Dean of the faculty. "And this with an interdisciplinary view from different perspectives. An absolute necessity for stabilising our democratic values."
The content of the new Master's degree programme is broad and interdisciplinary. Issues from politics play just as much a role as those from sociology, economics, communication and data analysis. The central module "Climate and Social Policy", for example, focuses on analysing sustainability concepts and linking these with tasks of general interest, such as those typically performed by local authorities, for example mobility or care for the elderly. Questions of ethics, which are applied to a wide variety of fields such as technology, economics or climate, play a major role in the course of study. "It is important to us that transformation is not only dealt with theoretically, but very concretely: using the example of municipal services of general interest, social infrastructure and political decision-making processes on site," says course director Professor Michael Sauer.
The university believes that the new Master's programme prepares graduates very well for a career in the public sector or in consulting organisations. All organisations with a focus on transformative action can be considered as employers, in particular local authorities, ministries, political parties, planning offices, associations and NGOs as well as think tanks and research institutions. Private sector institutions are also a possibility, for example in the field of corporate social responsibility.
"Anyone who wants to not only observe politics, but actively help shape it, will find excellent conditions for a meaningful career with a social impact in this degree programme," says programme coordinator Dr Anne Bruns.
Contact
Michael Sauer
Vice Dean of the Department of Social Policy and Social Security Studies, Professor for Social Policy
Location
Sankt Augustin
Room
F 238
Address
Grantham-Allee 2-8
53757 Sankt Augustin
Telephone
+49 2241 865 313
Location
Location
Sankt Augustin
Address
Grantham-Allee 2-8
53757 Sankt Augustin
Location
Sankt Augustin
Room
E 240
Address
Grantham-Allee 20
53757, Sankt Augustin
Telephone
+49 2241 865 9560