Evaluating & Designing Public Policies: Experiments, Scalability & Data Engineering

Summer School modules are designed to be intensive, intellectually stimulating short courses. They are taught by King’s academics in academic disciplines where King's has expertise. Classes are highly international, giving students an opportunity to collaborate with peers from all around the globe.

Each module consists of 150 study hours, comprising 45 hours of intensive synchronous and asynchronous teaching, independent study and group work and is examined to university standards. Comparable to an in-semester 15-credit King’s undergraduate module and therefore typically awarded 3-4 US credits or 7.5 ECTS, many summer students ask their home institution to award them external credit for their King's summer module to use towards their degree programme when they return home.

Evaluating & Designing Public Policies: Experiments, Scalability & Data Engineering covers methods of impact evaluation in public policy and aspects of their implementation providing a comprehensive understanding of how to assess and create evaluation designs of public interventions.  

Students will explore a variety of evaluation techniques. The curriculum includes experimental designs, quasi-experimental and non-experimental approaches, equipping students with the skills to critically assess the effectiveness of public policies.  

The module integrates lessons on evaluation techniques with recent developments in policy evaluation methods. It discusses scalability – examining why policies that succeed on a small scale often face difficulties when expanded; methods to compare the size of the effects of alternative policies; and the importance of data engineering, highlighting new and participatory ways of collecting data and measurements of complex concepts, such as beliefs, identity and prejudices.  

At the end of the module, students will be able to:

• confidently read a wide range of impact evaluation studies and competently assess their strengths and limitations 

• critically think through the steps required in designing an evaluation study 

• evaluate the relative merits of alternative designs, data needs and formulate strategies to overcome empirical challenges  

The course is designed for undergraduate and graduate students, policymakers, researchers, and professionals who want to critically assess evaluation studies, design their own evaluations, and gain knowledge of the recent developments in policy evaluation and implementation. It is expected that students will have studied up to a second year of a relevant degree.

Students must have previous exposure to basic econometrics, for example through an introductory econometrics or statistics course. They need to have some familiarity with descriptive statistics estimators, such as mean, standard deviation and mode and basic understanding of hypothesis testing (concepts like t-test and p-values). Knowledge of linear regression is an advantage but not strictly required.

Entry requirements

• Open to students who are currently, or have been, enrolled in an undergraduate degree. It is expected that students will have studied up to a second year of a relevant degree.
• Students must have previous exposure to basic econometrics, for example through an introductory econometrics or statistics course. They need to have some familiarity with descriptive statistics estimators, such as mean, standard deviation and mode and basic understanding of hypothesis testing (concepts like t-test and p-values). Knowledge of linear regression is an advantage but not strictly required.
• Minimum grade requirement of 2:1 degree equivalent. See International grade equivalents on our Undergraduate Summer School homepage, under Entry requirements.
• English language requirement of at least level C1 in the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR). See full English Language requirements on our Undergraduate Summer School homepage, under Entry requirements.
• Minimum age at the start of the course is 18 years old.

Assessed coursework - to be confirmed by the academic

Taught on-campus any time between the hours of 9am and 6pm from Monday to Friday. 

*Early application discount: prices apply for applications received by 23:59 GMT on 14 February 2025. Subject to availability at the time of application. From 15 February 2025, the standard 2025 tuition fees apply.

As per the fees listed above, booking two sessions receives a discount. This discount cannot be used in conjunction with other discounts of promotions. Subject to availability at the time of application.

More information on our fees, entry requirements and residential package can be found on the Undergraduate Summer School homepage.

Read our Terms and Conditions