UK · Master's
Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
Master of Public Policy
Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
Course Overview
Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government opened in 2012 as Europe's flagship policy school — built on a £75M endowment from Sir Leonard Blavatnik and modelled on the Kennedy School at Harvard. The 12-month MPP is its only Master's programme and admits roughly 130 students per cohort from 60+ countries, deliberately balanced across emerging-market and OECD candidates. The curriculum runs across three terms: foundations (economics, politics, law, ethics), specialisations (climate policy, technology policy, public finance, global health), and a summer project where each student undertakes a 6-week consultancy with a government or international organisation.
Sri Lankan applicants choose Blavatnik because the school's faculty (Ngaire Woods, Tom Simpson, Stefan Dercon) leads a network that includes the World Bank, IMF, UNDP, McKinsey Public Sector, BCG, and Bridgespan. The MPP is widely regarded as the single fastest credentialled route into senior international development roles. Tuition is £48,000/year (one of the higher Oxford Master's fees), but the school offers exceptionally generous scholarships — at the most recent count, roughly 75% of admitted students received financial aid.
Entry Requirements
Academic
- check_circle Sri Lankan Bachelor's (Hons) with First Class or strong Upper Second-Class (2:1 / GPA 3.5+) in ANY discipline.
- check_circle Minimum 2 years of relevant work experience by the programme start date (the median admit has 4-5 years) — public sector, civil society, consulting, international organisations, journalism, advocacy, or related.
- check_circle Personal statement (1,000 words) including a Policy Memo response to a real-world prompt.
- check_circle Three references; CV; transcripts.
- check_circle Two application rounds: November 14 (Round 1) and January 2 (Round 2). Most Sri Lankan scholarship-linked candidates apply by Round 1.
English Proficiency
- check_circle IELTS Academic: 7.5 Overall (min 7.0 in each section).
- check_circle TOEFL iBT: 110 Overall (min 22 in Listening, 24 in Reading, 25 in Speaking and Writing).
- check_circle Waived if your Bachelor's was taught and assessed entirely in English and completed in a majority-English country — Sri Lanka does NOT automatically qualify; English test required for most Sri Lankan applicants.
Estimated Cost of Study
| Expense Category | Amount (£) | Approx. LKR |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition Fee (full 1-year programme) | £48,000 | Rs. 19,200,000 |
| College Fee (Oxford colleges) | £3,500 | Rs. 1,400,000 |
| Living Expenses (12 months, Oxford) | £17,000 | Rs. 6,800,000 |
| Student Visa & IHS Fee | £1,300 | Rs. 520,000 |
| Total Programme Investment | £69,800 | Rs. 27,920,000 |
*LKR conversion based on current bank rates. Subject to change.
Career Outcomes & PR
Eligible for the 2-year UK Graduate Route on completion. Blavatnik MPP grads place into the World Bank, IMF, UNDP, McKinsey Public Sector, BCG, EY-Parthenon Government, Tony Blair Institute, the UK Civil Service Fast Stream, the FCDO, and into senior advisory roles in their home governments. Sri Lankan returnees route into the Treasury, Central Bank, Ministry of Finance policy units, and into IFI / development-bank country offices (ADB, JICA, GIZ). Median post-MPP salary: £65,000 (LKR 26M/yr); top-decile placements in the US exceed USD 130,000.
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