Concentrations

Building on the Italian and local endowment and on the Bocconi endowment for management and governance, four electives are offered during the concentrations, allowing you to gain in-depth skills in topics of major relevance in today’s business world. The electives are grouped into 4 concentrations running in parallel in groups of 2. You are required to take two concentrations out of four.

BLOCK 1

1. City Management and Competitiveness

This concentration is designed to provide knowledge and skills for professionals seeking careers in local governments. Its aim is to train you to face management challenges within local governments worldwide, and develop the skills and knowledge to enhance the capacity of cities to make effective decisions, which stimulate the business and social environment.

 

  • City Management and Competitiveness
  • City Branding
  • Co-Production in Service Excellence

 

2. International Public and Non-Profit Management

This concentration is designed to provide knowledge and concrete managerial skills for professionals seeking careers in international public and non-profit organizations. This concentration covers important management topics such as inter-agency coordination, stakeholder management, and cross-sector partnerships, as well as how actors involved in decision-making manage successful negotiation and manage complex projects.

  • Inter-Agency Collaborative Practices
  • Fundraising, Advocacy and Communication
  • Management of International Projects

 

BLOCK 2

1. Business and Government Relations

In today’s world, understanding and managing the complex interactions between businesses and governments is crucial both for public and private managers. Business-Government Relations (BGRs) refer to a multiple set of interactions, from the effects generated by public policies and regulation on business activity to public procurement strategies, and Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) for infrastructure and service delivery. Actually, PPPs represent one of the main important challenges for governments across the world.

This concentration will provide a deep understanding of the dynamics and features of BGRs, with specific reference to PPPs, thanks to a hands-on approach, based on the discussion of cases and the interaction with the most relevant international public and private players.

  • Business and Government Relations
  • PPP Contracts
  • Financing Development

 

2. Political Institutions and Public Sector Efficiency

This concentration introduces the nature, structure, operation, accountability, and behavioral consequences of political institutions and modern bureaucracy in 21st century global public affairs. You will gain an in-depth understanding on the role of bureaucracy, political parties, legislation, public participation, civil society, and various interest groups in government policy making.

The courses offered under this track will focus on evaluation methods, limitations, and criteria of public policies based on the concepts of normative political theory, ethics, behavior of political institutions, and bureaucracies. Specifically, class discussions will be focused on various processes that strengthen and transform institutions based on the needs and demands of the modern public sector.

MPA students specializing in political institutions and public sector efficiency will become experts in leading public sector organizations efficiently. They will also learn to deal with modern bureaucracies effectively to provide better services to the public and contribute to improving standards of governance as professional public sector managers.

  • Governance and Public Policy Issues
  • Open Government and Big Data for the Public Sector
  • Consulting for the Public Sector

 

Suggested paths

  • Experts in Management of International Cities: A+B
  • Experts in International Development and Public Policy: C+D
  • Experts in Local Growth and Social Capital: A+D
  • Experts in Management of International Public Sector Institutions: C+B