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Why you should pursue your master’s at Universidad Icesi?

Since it was founded in 1979, Icesi University has had the support of the corporate sector of Valle de Cauca department, Colombia. The university meets the need for exceptionally-trained leaders who work in the public sector, business, and academia, thereby contributing to the country’s cultural, economic and social progress. Distinguished leaders from the region are part of the university’s Governing Council and its Board of Directors. It has an extensive network of contacts with renowned institutions and universities all over the world.

Multiple disciplines and postgraduate programs: Currently, Icesi University has six schools. Overall, 26 undergraduate programs, 22 master’s programs, 17 medical-surgery specializations and one doctorate are offered, all approved by the Ministry of National Education. The five colleges are: Administrative and Economic Sciences, Engineering, Law and Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Health Sciences, and education.

High-quality professors: The professors teaching in the Master of Government have broad professional experience, combining a high level of expertise in sectors such as academia, the public sector, international organizations, NGOs and more. Most of our professors have been formed at the best universities in the world and their broad experience, enrich the university’s active learning strategies.

Competences

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Competition 1

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Competition 1

Understand the particularities of the public and public goods, the singularities that differentiate them from the private and the demands and responsibilities that their management and administration implies.

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Competition 2

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Competition 2

Analyze institutional, political and social actors in different settings and levels of the public sphere and account for the interests and incentives at stake.

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Competition 3

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Competition 3

Identify the complexity of the organizations in which it operates.

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Competition 4

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Competition 4

Use qualitative and quantitative instruments to face and solve problems of public management and governance.

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Competition 5

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Competition 5

Coordinate efficient and inclusive decision-making processes.

We have a master's degree with high quality world standards

Why a Master of Government?

Building the appropriate political, social and institutional conditions for sustainable, equitable and secure development is the principal challenge for societies in the modern world, including in Colombia and the southwest region.

Although great potential exists in the country and the region, it is necessary to strengthen political institutions and training the human capital in order to promote sustainable development, taking into account the social, economic and environmental characteristics of the political context must also always be taken into account. To achieve these goals, the public sector requires employees and professionals who are highly trained and motivated to engage in public management effectively, efficiently, responsibly and transparently. This also requires the involvement of experts who can determine the complexity of the organizations in which they work and successfully deal with the intrinsic difficulties of administrative and political processes by identifying specific groups, actors, interests, restrictions and viable alternatives.

The Master of Government from Icesi University is a clear reflection of the university’s social mission and the responsibility it has to the city, the department, the region, and the country. Its academic program is centered on a multidisciplinary focus that facilitates a comprehensive approach to the challenges related with public management from different perspectives from political science, economics, law, sociology, and management.

Purpose

The Master of Government trains highly qualified professionals by strengthening their ability to find effective and innovative solutions for the complex institutional, political, and social challenges that public management and governance in Colombia and the world are currently facing.

Who is this program for?

Public officials and professionals from any background training who seek, or are willing to seek, to significantly enhance their profile as leaders in the public sector or who wish to elevate their impact and professional career in the following settings: non-governmental organizations, trade associations, political parties, unions, areas of public interest within private firms, and in the media in both national or international settings.

Academic Skills

This master’s degree aims to train professionals in acquiring theoretical, methodological and technical skills so that it can be used in the analysis and interpretation of political processes from broad perspectives on the institutional, social and political complexities at country and region levels.

By combining analytical and applied approaches, which use advanced academic knowledge and take lessons from real cases, the Master of Government strengthens core competencies and skills, such as:

  • Understanding the features of the public sector and public goods, what makes these different from the private sector and the demands and responsibilities required for public management and administration.
  • Analyzing the institutional, political and social actors in different settings and levels of the public sphere and recognizing the interests and incentives at play.
  • Identifying the complexity of the organizations in which professionals work.
  • Using qualitative and quantitative instruments to confront and resolve public management and governance problems.
  • Coordinating efficient and inclusive decision-making processes.
  • Assuming management leadership.

Government, governance, and public management

The challenges of public management, governance and the exercise of government are increasing in our globalized world. How can we create political stability, reduce unemployment and poverty, increase the quality of public goods and services, grow human capital, build infrastructure, respond to diverse global pressures, build peace, have both well designed and transparent public accounts, and last but not least protect the environment?

It’s impossible to answer these questions and to face these challenges unless efficient states and contemporary societies have public servants with the attributes and expertise to design and manage political, administrative and governance processes of the highest quality, with transparency, efficiency and legitimacy. Thus, successfully confronting public management challenges is an essential condition for achieving both a sustainable development and societies’ wellbeing.

Methodology

The Master of Government is a two-year program divided into four academic semesters. It requires classroom training which are held in the evenings, with twelve hours of teaching time each week, divided between two days.

Training areas

Appropriation of public management skills:

This area is distinguished by a series of courses that give the student the key technical resources for public management. By taking these courses, students will build the essential competencies to participate in decision-making processes, based on essential knowledge and guided by the premises of effectiveness and efficiency.

A Master’s degree with solid support

The Master of Government is backed by the Universidad Icesi’s broad experience, gained through the development of numerous research and social intervention projects related to the public sector. In recent years, Icesi University has experienced a significant increase in its academic production, in terms of both quality and quantity, which has been supported by its academic centers and observatories, including: POLIS, CIES, CIENFI, PROESA and GAPI.

Additionally, this master’s degree also relies on the teacher´s knowledge and experience from different academic programs such as: Political Science, Economics with a concentration in Public Policy, Sociology and Law. This gives to this master degree an interdisciplinary approach that enrich the learning process of our postgraduate students.

International Experiences

Student exchange programs: As part of its educational project, Icesi seeks to develop professionals with abilities they need to understand and take action in a globalized world. For this reason, the university has built a broad network of international contacts, including the International Student Exchange Program membership, which brings together 300 universities in more than 40 countries. Universidad Icesi is the only Colombian university in the program. Thus, Master´s students in Government can get access to any of these exchange programs so that they have an international experience doing at least a semester of their studies aboard.

Mission of International Studies: As part of the training process, Master´s students in Government have the opportunity to participate in missions of international studies. Such opportunity is part of the active learning process developed by Icesi University so that students can learn directly from the experience by personally visiting public and/or private organizations, NGO´s and other policy makers abroad and learning from the interaction with these political actors*Subject to fulfillment of academic requirements and acceptance by the host university. Students are responsible for costs.