Administrative Studies
85
members of teaching and research staff
900
students
12
research groups
Administrative Sciences at Tampere University is the largest unit in Finland providing education and conducting research in the field of Administrative Sciences. Our areas of education and research include Administrative Science, Public Financial Management, Public Law, Local and Regional Governance, Environmental Policy and Regional Studies. Education within the unit is also provided by research groups specializing in security management and higher education administration. In addition, the unit hosts ten high-quality research groups.
The unit employs 17 professors and associate professors, as well as approximately 70 other researchers and teachers. Each year, around 150 experts in public administration graduate with a master's degree from our five study tracks and three international master's programmes, and approximately eight doctoral graduates earn a PhD in administrative sciences.
We are a significant partner for Finnish public administration and one of the leading units in Europe in the study of public sector operations and regulation, regional development, regional conflicts, environmental policy, and the interfaces between the public and private sectors. Each year, we carry out numerous commissioned studies and reports for ministries, municipalities, joint municipal authorities, and other stakeholders. In addition, the unit’s staff serve in international expert roles commissioned by organizations such as the World Bank, the Council of Europe, the European Commission, and the OECD.
Our key research funders include the Academy of Finland, the Strategic Research Council of the Academy of Finland, the European Commission, public administration actors, as well as numerous foundations and international funders such as the Nordic Council of Ministers.
News and announcements
17
professors and associate professors
40
ongoing research projects
8
PhD graduates per year
Research in Administrative Sciences
Research in administrative sciences is conducted across multiple disciplines, including regional studies, administrative science, public law, public financial management, municipal politics, and environmental policy. The research produces new knowledge on governance, management, economics, the legal regulation of public administration, regional change, and the political dimensions of the environment.
Key Research Themes
• The interface between the private and public sectors
• Sustainable urban and regional development
• Organizational reform, services and innovation
• Justice, responsibility, equality, and well-being
• Political agency and participation, and democracy and power
• The materiality of conflicts and crises, and lived politics and spatiality
• Security management and risk management
• Fundamental rights, the foundations of public authority and legislative drafting
Research Groups
Doctoral Programme in Administrative Sciences
9
Finnish-language and international master’s programmes
150
master’s graduates per year
100
different courses in the curriculum
Education in Administrative Sciences
Administrative Sciences educates experts in organizational management, economics, administration, and legal regulation, as well as specialists in local and regional change and environmental policy. The degree programme in administrative sciences provides students with the tools to understand, analyze, and develop open and pluralistic societal action.
English-language Master’s Programmes
Master's Degree Programme in Research and Innovation in Higher Education (MARIHE)
MARIHE (Master in Research and Innovation in Higher Education) is an international Erasmus Mundus joint or double degree programme focusing on the management and development of higher education, research, and innovation in a global context. The two-year programme combines studies at several universities in Europe and Asia, offering students a unique opportunity to explore changes in higher education systems, research and innovation policy, and organizational management in a multicultural environment. The programme emphasizes internationality, mobility, practical work experience, and critical thinking, and prepares experts and leaders to work in higher education institutions, research organizations, public administration, and international institutions.
International Security, Security Management and Politics (SAFER)
The master’s programme focuses on the transformation of national and international security and the governance of security in a world where the boundaries between internal and external security are becoming blurred. The studies combine international security research and perspectives from public administration, with an emphasis on multidimensional threats such as hybrid threats, crises, and global security governance. The programme provides a strong theoretical foundation as well as practical competencies.
Transformative Urban and Regional Governance (TURG)
The Master’s Programme in Transformative Urban and Regional Governance educates experts who can engage with societal and economic transformation as a political, institutional, and place-based process. Drawing on administrative studies, regional studies and security studies, the programme emphasises the capacity to analyse power relations, mobilise collective action, and design governance arrangements that enable experimentation, learning, and long-term transformation across urban and regional contexts. TURG prepares students to address challenges such as sustainability transitions, social inequality, economic restructuring, and democratic renewal. Graduates are prepared to work across governance levels and sectors, contributing to transformation processes at local, regional, national, and international contexts.
Doctoral Programme in Administrative Sciences
Study tracks that offer courses in English
Administrative Science
Administrative science is a field of study that examines public administration and politics, as well as management and the functioning of organizations. Studies develop the ability to analyse and solve complicated societal challenges, as well as questions and problems related to management and organizations. The studies provide competencies for managerial and expert roles.
Public Financial Management
Public financial management combines an understanding of the public administration context, knowledge of the principles of economic activity, and the application of performance information. The focus is on the institutions of public finance and the economy, efficiency, accountability, effectiveness, and sustainability of public sector activity. Studies in public financial management cover the steering and management of public finances, from strategic planning to budgeting, performance monitoring and evaluation, as well as accounting and reporting.
Public Law
The study track in public law examines key areas of constitutional law and administrative law, such as the legal regulation of public administration, the foundations of the exercise of public authority, fundamental and human rights, and the international dimensions of public law. In public law studies, students adopt the distinctive features of legal reasoning, learn to identify legally relevant material, locate various sources of law, and apply them in legal interpretation and decision-making.
Local and Regional Governance
The core of the local and regional governance study track is expertise related to the governance, management, and development of municipalities and regions. The studies focus particularly on local and regional decision-making, change management and governance, as well as networks.
Environmental Policy and Regional Studies
The study track in environmental policy and regional studies examines issues of power, politicization, agency, participation, space, and materiality. Key topics include environmental problems and crises, urban development, sustainability transformation, regional change, as well as conflicts and their management. The international dimension is reflected in teaching through themes such as borders, migration governance, and climate policy.
Research collaboration
We collaborate in multidisciplinary projects at Tampere University. Our research collaboration extends widely beyond our university, encompassing domestic and international universities, research institutes and institutions, as well as actors in civil society and public administration. We contribute broadly to the international scientific community across various fields of administrative sciences.
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Support for decision-making
We actively participate in the Finnish Government’s analysis, assessment and research activities (VNTEAS), as well as in various evaluation and development projects that provide research-based support for decision-making and the development of public administration. We also produce expert statements for parliamentary committees.
Network collaboration and strategic partnerships
Forms of cooperation also include co-creation and collaborative research, where studies are conducted in close interaction with practitioners. In addition, the unit is involved in various EU-funded projects and international networks that address current issues in governance, politics, and public management. We also collaborate with a wide range of organizations, associations, and grassroots actors. Alongside these forms of cooperation, we maintain strategic partnerships, such as a donation professorship with the Fire Protection Fund. This collaboration strengthens the societal relevance of research and supports the long-term development of expertise in rescue services and safety.
Expertise and training
Researchers in the unit of administrative sciences work extensively as experts and trainers for various stakeholders, such as authorities, public organizations, and NGOs.
