The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs (Maxwell School) is the professional public policy school of Syracuse University, a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kn ...

Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, Yonkers, and Rochester. At the 2020 census, the city' ...

. The school is organized in 11 academic departments and 13 affiliated research centers and offers coursework in the fields of

public administration Public Administration (a form of governance) or Public Policy and Administration (an academic discipline) is the implementation of public policy, administration of government establishment ( public governance), management of non-profit es ...

international relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such ...

, foreign policy,

political Science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and ...

, science and technology policy,

social sciences Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of so ...

, and

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics anal ...

through its undergraduate (BA) degrees, graduate Master of Public Affairs (MPA), Master of Arts (MA), and PhD degrees. The school has been recognized as one of the world's best graduate schools of public affairs. It awards the oldest public administration degree in the United States.

History

The school is named for George Holmes Maxwell, a Syracuse alumnus and

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

patent attorney who in 1924 donated $500,000 to the university to establish a school which would aim "to cull from every source those principles, facts, and elements which, combined, make up our rights and duties and our value and distinctiveness as United States citizens". Maxwell's initial interest was in training all undergraduates for their roles as informed citizens in the American democracy; University officials convinced him the school should also provide professional training for future government officials and other public servants. The Maxwell School was dedicated on October 3, 1924, and was the first program to offer a graduate professional degree in

. That Master of Public Administration program is the oldest continuously operating, university-based MPA in the United States. In 1937, the school took its full name and moved into Maxwell Hall, a purpose-built building on the west end of Syracuse University's main campus. In that year, Syracuse University's graduate programs and undergraduate instruction in the social sciences were moved into Maxwell, giving the school the unusual hybrid structure that remains today. In 1968, Maxwell professor Dwight Waldo presided over the Minnowbrook I conference, which established the foundations for New Public Administration. Subsequent Minnowbrook II and III conferences were held in 1988 and 2008 at the eponymous

Blue Mountain Lake Blue Mountain Lake may refer to: * Blue Mountain Lake (Arkansas), a reservoir in Arkansas * Blue Mountain Lake (New York lake), a lake in Hamilton County in the central Adirondacks, New York * Blue Mountain Lake (hamlet), New York Blue Mountain Lak ...

retreat. The school's rapid growth necessitated the 1990 "Campaign for Maxwell", which raised capital to fund a new building to accommodate the expansion. The ''Holden Observatory'', built in 1887, was moved to create space for a new 5-story building. The result of the campaign was the

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Bohlin Cywinski Jackson is a United States-based architectural practice that was founded in 1965 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania by Peter Bohlin and Richard Powell. Bohlin's firm then merged with John F. Larkin and Bernard Cywinski's Philadelp ...

-designed Eggers Hall, which opened in 1994. Eggers Hall adjoins Maxwell Hall at the corner, together forming an "L" shaped complex that houses the present-day Maxwell School. In 2013, the Maxwell School and the

Center for Strategic and International Studies The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is an American think tank based in Washington, D.C. CSIS was founded as the Center for Strategic and International Studies of Georgetown University in 1962. The center conducts policy ...

, a think tank in Washington, D.C., entered into a collaborative agreement that included headquartering all Maxwell operations at CSIS.

Academics

Departments

Anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...

Economics Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics anal ...

* Executive Education *

Geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, an ...

History History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

International Relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such ...

* Policy Studies *

Political Science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and ...

Social Science Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of s ...

Sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...

Research centers

The school hosts or co-hosts 13 research centers or institutes, encouraging interdisciplinary study and conversation within such broad rubrics as global affairs, domestic policy, conflict and collaboration, environmental studies, aging, public wellness, citizenship, and national security and counterterrorism. * Autonomous Systems Policy Institute *Campbell Public Affairs Institute * Center for Aging and Policy Studies (CAPS) *Center for Environmental Policy and Administration *Center for Policy Research: The ''CPR'', established in 1994, houses the Metropolitan Studies, Aging Studies programs, the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion, and the Upstate Health Research Network. *Center for Qualitative and Multi-Method Inquiry *Institute for the Study of the Judiciary, Politics, and the Media: Co-sponsored with Syracuse Law and the

S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, commonly known as Newhouse School, is the communications and journalism school of Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY. It has programs in print and broadcast journalism; music business; graphic ...

. *Maxwell X Lab: Started in 2017, the "X Lab" bridges the gap between university research and the public and non-profit sectors. The research leverages behavioral science and randomized controlled trials to build evidence for what works. Syracuse University alumnus Joseph Boskovski started the Maxwell X Lab with Professor Leonard Lopoo, then-director of the Center for Policy Research at Maxwell, in January 2017, according to an article by writer Edy Semaan on the school's official news website. The Maxwell X Lab has worked with the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion, the City of Syracuse, the Early Childhood Alliance, and others, covering areas like healthcare and education. *Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs: Established 2005 and named for

Daniel Patrick Moynihan Daniel Patrick Moynihan (March 16, 1927 – March 26, 2003) was an American politician, diplomat and sociologist. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented New York in the United States Senate from 1977 until 2001 and served as a ...

, studies challenges to the quality of governance worldwide. *

Institute for Security Policy and Law The Institute for Security Policy and Law (SPL), formerly known as the ''Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism (INSCT)'', is a multidisciplinary research institute based in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and ...

, formerly known as the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism

Joint and concurrent degrees

Master of Public Health The Master of Public Health or Master of Philosophy in Public Health (M.P.H.), Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH), Master of Medical Science in Public Health (MMSPH) and the Doctor of Public Health (Dr.P.H.), International Masters for Healt ...

, with SUNY Upstate Medical * Public Diplomacy, with the Newhouse School * Documentary Film and History, with the Newhouse School * Masters in Public Administration with School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...

Maxwell maintains formal relationships with a number of American and global institutions, among them the

Chinese Academy of Governance The Chinese Academy of Governance (), usually mentioned as the China National School of Administration by media, was a public administration academy for middle and senior government officials in China from 1994 to 2018. The academy was located at ...

, East China Normal University, Fudan University, the Hertie School of Governance, the

Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM Bangalore or IIMB) is a public business school and Institute of National Importance located in Bangalore, India. Founded in 1973, it was the third IIM to be established, after IIM Calcutta and I ...

, the

Korea Development Institute The Korea Development Institute (KDI) is a Korean government agency A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversi ...

, the Korea Institute of Public Administration, Moscow State University, Seoul National University, and Tsinghua University.

Online programs

Online Executive Master of Public Administration Program

The Maxwell School offers an online Executive Master of Public Administration degree for mid-career professionals. The curriculum requires 30 credits, includes live online classes and real-world learning opportunities, and can be completed in 15 months. Courses focus on mastery in leading and managing organizations with diverse stakeholders; formulating, implementing, and evaluating policy; and applying rigorous and evidence-based analysis to inform decision-making.

Rankings

Since 1995, the Maxwell School has been ranked the top graduate program for public affairs in the country in 11 out of the 12 times the rankings were administered by '' U.S. News & World Report''. In 2022, the school ranked #1 in Public Management and Leadership, #2 in Nonprofit Management and Public Finance and Budgeting, #6 in the Environmental Policy and Management department, and six other sub-speciality ranked in the top 15. In 2018, Foreign Policy magazine ranked the master's program in International Relations #16 in the world.

Notable alumni

Government and politics

John R. Bass John Rodney Bass II (born 1964) is an American diplomat, who has served as the Under Secretary of State for Management since December 2021. He was the United States Ambassador to Afghanistan from 2017 to 2020, the United States Ambassador to Tur ...

, US Ambassador to Georgia,

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

, and

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...

(BA '86) * John Berry, US Ambassador to Australia (MPA '81) * David Bing, Mayor, City of

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

(MS '06 & JD '06) * Carolyn Bourdeaux, member, US House of Representatives (DPA '03) * Andrew R. Ciesla, Senator, State of

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

(MPA '76) *

James B. Cunningham James Blair Cunningham (born 1952) is an American diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Afghanistan. Cunningham has served in various diplomatic positions, including Chief of Staff to NATO Secretary General Manfred Woerner (1989 ...

, Ambassador for

Kabul, Afghanistan Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...

(BA '74) * Benjamin Diokno, Professor Emeritus at the University of the Philippines Diliman School of Economics and

Department of Budget and Management The Department of Budget and Management (DBM; fil, Kagawaran ng Badyet at Pamamahala) is an executive body under the Office of the President of the Philippines. It is responsible for the sound and efficient use of government resources for nati ...

secretary of the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, 1998-2001 and 2016–present (PhD '81) * Kwabena Duffuor, Finance Minister of

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and Tog ...

(MA '75) * Robert Duffy, New York Lieutenant Governor (MPA '98) * James E. Graves Jr., Federal Judge,

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (in case citations, 5th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following federal judicial districts: * Eastern District of Louisiana * ...

(MPA '81) *

Stanley L. Greigg Stanley Lloyd Greigg (May 7, 1931 – June 13, 2002) was an American politician who served one term as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from northwestern Iowa. A Democrat, he was elected to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of ...

, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from northwestern

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

(MPA '56) * Ponatshego Kedikilwe, Vice President,

Republic of Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label= Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kala ...

(MPA '72) * Stephanie Miner, Mayor, Syracuse, NY (BA '92) *

Mohammad Al Murr Mohammad Ahmad Mohammad Al Murr Al Falasi (born 1955 in Dubai) is a short-story writer from the United Arab Emirates. He has published over 15 volumes of short stories and has had two collections translated into English: ''Dubai Tales'' and ''The ...

, Speaker, UAE Federal National Council (BA '78) * Bismark Myrick, former Ambassador to Liberia (MA '73) *

Masahide Ota Masahide (written: 正秀, 正英, 昌秀, 政秀, 政英 or 雅英) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese samurai *, Japanese sprinter *, Japanese diplomat *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese basebal ...

, Governor, Okinawa Prefecture (MA '56) * Matt Rhoades, American political consultant and strategist for the

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in ...

(MPA '00) * Steve Rothman, member, US House of Representatives (BA '74) * Salvador del Solar, former

Prime Minister of Peru The president of the Council of Ministers of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente del Consejo de Ministros del Perú), informally called Premier (form of address) or Prime Minister, is the head of the cabinet as the most senior member of the Council ...

(MA '02) *

Donna Shalala Donna Edna Shalala ( ; born February 14, 1941) is an American politician and academic who served in the Carter and Clinton administrations, as well as in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021. Shalala is a recipient of the Preside ...

, Member of the US House of Representatives and former Secretary of Health and Human Services (MPA '70 & PhD '70) * Arun Shourie,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

n politician and civil servant (PhD '66 & MA '65) * Lt. General Jay B. Silveria, twentieth Superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy. (MSS '97) * Christine Varney, former Antitrust Officer Department of Justice (MPA '78) *

John P. White John Patrick White (February 27, 1937 – September 3, 2017) was an American university professor and a government official who served in the Clinton Administration. Life and career White was born in Syracuse, New York in 1937 and received ...

, Former Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Defense (PhD '69 & MPA '64)

Non-profit

* Marc S. Ellenbogen, President, Prague Society for International Cooperation and Chairman
Global Panel Foundation
(MIR '85) *

Mark Emmert Mark Allen Emmert (born December 16, 1952) is the current president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. He is the fifth CEO of the NCAA; he was named as the incoming president on April 27, 2010, and assumed his duties on November 1 ...

, President,

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

(former President,

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seatt ...

) (MPA '76, PhD '83)

Academia

Walter Broadnax Walter Doyce Broadnax (October 21, 1944 – December 2, 2022) was an American academic administrator, educator, and university president. He was a Distinguished Professor of Public Administration at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Af ...

, former President,

Clark Atlanta University Clark Atlanta University (CAU or Clark Atlanta) is a private, Methodist, historically black research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Clark Atlanta is the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the Southern United States. Foun ...

(PhD '75) *

Kent John Chabotar Kent John Chabotar (born October 7, 1946) is an American political scientist and academic administrator. He was a professor of political science and president of Guilford College from 2002 to 2014. Biography Education Chabotar was born in New Yo ...

, President,

Guilford College Guilford College is a private liberal arts college in Greensboro, North Carolina. Guilford has both traditional students and students who attend its Center for Continuing Education (CCE). Founded in 1837 by members of the Religious Society o ...

(MPA '69 & PhD '73) * Michael Crow, President,

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

(PhD '85) * Alice Stone Ilchman, President,

Sarah Lawrence College Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in Yonkers, New York. The college models its approach to education after the Oxford/Cambridge system of one-on-one student-faculty tutorials. Sarah Lawrence scholarship, particularly ...

(MPA'58) *

William M. LeoGrande William M. LeoGrande is a professor of government and former dean of the American University School of Public Affairs. He is an expert on Latin America. Biography Dean of the American University School of Public Affairs and a specialist in Lat ...

, former Dean,

American University The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was cha ...

School of International Service The School of International Service (SIS) is American University's school of advanced international study, covering areas such as international politics, international communication, international development, international economics, peace and conf ...

(BA '71 & MA '73) * Sean O'Keefe, University Professor at the Maxwell School; former CEO, Airbus Group, Inc. (former Administrator of

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedin ...

and former Chancellor,

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 n ...

) (MPA '79) *

Joseph Rallo Joseph Rallo is the State of Louisiana's Commissioner of Higher Education. Previously he served as vice chancellor of the Texas Tech University System and as the 5th president of Angelo State University. He assumed his current position in 2015. E ...

, former President,

Angelo State University Angelo State University is a public university in San Angelo, Texas. It was founded in 1928 as San Angelo College. It gained university status and awarded its first baccalaureate degrees in 1967 and graduate degrees in 1969, the same year it too ...

and Vice Chancellor,

Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sy ...

(MA '78 & PhD '80) *

James F. Rinehart James Forrest Rinehart (December 1, 1950 – May 10, 2015) was a Professor of International Relations at Troy University. In addition, since 2012, he has served as Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. Previously, Rinehart was Associate Dean (2 ...

, Dean, Troy University, College of Arts and Sciences (MS '91 & PhD '93) * Kenneth P. Ruscio, President,

Washington and Lee University , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexington ...

(MPA '78 & PhD '83) *

Mitchel B. Wallerstein Mitchel B. Wallerstein is an American educator, philanthropist, policy expert, and former senior official of the federal government of the United States. He is the President Emeritus of Baruch College of the City University of New York and is c ...

, President, Baruch College (formerly 8th Dean of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs) (MPA '72)

Private sector

Al-Waleed bin Talal Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud ( ar, الوليد بن طلال آل سعود; born 7 March 1955) is a Saudi Arabian billionaire businessman, investor, philanthropist and royal. He was listed on '' Time'' magazine's Time 100, an annual list of the ...

, founder and CEO of

Kingdom Holding Company The Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) ( ar, شركة المملكة القابضة) is a Saudi conglomerate holding company, based in Riyadh. The KHC is a publicly listed company on the Tadawul (Saudi stock exchange). The KHC consists of a select ...

, member of the

Saudi Royal Family The House of Saud ( ar, آل سُعُود, ʾĀl Suʿūd ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is composed of the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the Emirate of Diriyah, known as the First Saudi state (1727–1818), ...

(MSSc '85)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Maxwell School Of Citizenship And Public Affairs 1924 establishments in New York (state) Educational institutions established in 1924 Public administration schools in the United States Public policy schools Schools of international relations in the United States Syracuse University