The American University School of Public Affairs (SPA) is an
institution
An institution is a humanly devised structure of rules and norms that shape and constrain social behavior. All definitions of institutions generally entail that there is a level of persistence and continuity. Laws, rules, social conventions and ...
of
higher education
Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education.
The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...
and
research
Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...
located in
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
that grants
academic degree
An academic degree is a qualification awarded to a student upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions often offer degrees at various levels, usually divided into und ...
s in
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...
,
public administration
Public administration, or public policy and administration refers to "the management of public programs", or the "translation of politics into the reality that citizens see every day",Kettl, Donald and James Fessler. 2009. ''The Politics of the ...
,
public policy
Public policy is an institutionalized proposal or a Group decision-making, decided set of elements like laws, regulations, guidelines, and actions to Problem solving, solve or address relevant and problematic social issues, guided by a conceptio ...
, and justice, law, and criminology. Established in 1934 as part of
American University
The American University (AU or American) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Its main campus spans 90-acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, in the Spri ...
, the school houses three academic departments - Public Administration & Policy, Government, and Justice, Law & Criminology - as well as ten centers and institutes.
History
The School of Public Affairs was created on March 3, 1934 with a $4,000 grant from the
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The foundation was created by Standard Oil magnate John D. Rockefeller (" ...
to provide training to 80 promising young federal government employees in downtown Washington, D.C. By 1937, its enrollment had grown to more than 1,000 students, and it had expanded its mission to include undergraduate and graduate degrees.
SPA's institutional role shifted several times over the next twenty years. In 1957, it was renamed the School of Government and Public Administration, and in 1973, it was combined with the existing Schools of Justice and International Service to become the College of Public and International Affairs. In 1988, the School of International Service was recreated as a freestanding school, and the College of Public and International Affairs was once again the School of Public Affairs.
The dean's office, department offices, and most faculty are located in Kerwin Hall. The executive education programs occupy the Watkins building, and some faculty and staff have offices in Hurst Hall.
Department of Public Administration and Policy
The Department of Public Administration & Policy (DPAP) is home to 32 full-time faculty members and enrolls about 65% of SPA's graduate students.
Degree programs
*
Master of Public Administration
A Master of Public Administration (MPA) is a specialized professional graduate degree in public administration that prepares students for leadership roles, similar or equivalent to a Master of Business Administration but with an emphasis on the ...
* Master of Public Administration and Policy (Online)
* Key Executive Master of Public Administration
*
Master of Public Policy
The Master of Public Policy (MPP) is a graduate-level professional degree. It provides training in policy analysis and program evaluation at public policy schools. The MPP program places a focus on the systematic analysis of issues related to pu ...
* Master of Science in
Organization Development
Organization development (OD) is the study and implementation of practices, systems, and techniques that affect organizational change. The goal of which is to modify a group's/organization's performance and/or culture. The organizational chang ...
* Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy
The MPA, Key Executive MPA, and MPP are accredited by the
. The school is also an institutional member of the
Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management
The Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) is an American organization whose focus is improving public policy
Public policy is an institutionalized proposal or a Group decision-making, decided set of elements like laws, r ...
.
Research centers
* Center for Environmental Policy
* Center for Public Finance Research
* Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation
* Metropolitan Policy Center
Recognition
DPAP's programs are routinely recognized by ''
U.S. News & World Report'' as being among the top 20 in the country. In the 2020 ranking of graduate schools of public affairs, the department's masters programs are ranked 13th.
Notable faculty
*
Cornelius Kerwin
Cornelius Martin "Neil" Kerwin (born April 10, 1949) is an American academic in public administration and former president of American University.
A 1971 undergraduate alumnus of American University, Kerwin continued his education with a Master ...
, former president of
American University
The American University (AU or American) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Its main campus spans 90-acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, in the Spri ...
*
Laura Langbein
Laura Irwin Langbein (born ) is a quantitative methodologist and professor of public administration and policy at American University in Washington, D.C. She teaches quantitative methods, program evaluation, policy analysis, and public choice. He ...
, quantitative methodologist and author of ''Public Program Evaluation: A Statistical Guide''
*
Howard E. McCurdy, space policy expert and author of ''Space and the American Imagination''
*
Kenneth J. Meier
Kenneth J. Meier (born March 3, 1950) is a distinguished scholar in residence at American University and holds faculty appointments at the Cardiff School of Business ( UK) and Leiden University (the Netherlands). He is known for his studies on publ ...
, founder of the ''Journal of Behavioral Public Administration'' and an expert on the political economy of regulatory agencies
*
Barbara S. Romzek, expert on public management, accountability, and government reform
*
David H. Rosenbloom, expert on administrative law and the
National Partnership for Reinventing Government
The National Partnership for Reinventing Government (NPR) was a U.S. government reform initiative launched in 1993 by Vice President Al Gore. Its goal was to make the federal government "work better, cost less, and get results Americans care about" ...
Department of Government
The Department of Government is home to 40 full-time faculty members
and focuses primarily on offering undergraduate
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...
courses to its nearly 1,500 major students. It also serves more than 110 graduate students.
Degree programs
* Bachelors of Arts in Political Science; Communication, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government (CLEG);
Justice and Law; Legal Studies
* Master of Arts in Political Science
* Master of Arts in Political Communication
* Master of Science in Data Science
* Ph.D. in Political Science
Research centers
* Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies
* Center for Data Science
* Political Theory Institute
*
Women & Politics Institute
The Women & Politics Institute (WPI) is a research institute located in the School of Public Affairs at American University in Washington, D.C. Their mission is to close the gender gap in political leadership. The institute provides young women ...
* First Ladies Initiative
* Peace & Violence Research Lab
* Washington Institute for Public Affairs Research
* Analytics and Management Institute
* Project on Civil Discourse
Recognition
''
U.S. News & World Report'' ranks the Department of Government at #56 in the field of political science. The
National Research Council ranks the department among the top 100 programs in the United States.
Notable faculty
*
William M. LeoGrande, professor, co-author of "Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana"
* David Lublin, marriage equality advocate and town mayor of
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Chevy Chase () is the colloquial name of an area that includes a town, several incorporated villages, and an unincorporated census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland; and one adjoining neighborhood in northwest Washington, D ...
*
Jennifer Lawless, former candidate for office and current manager of
Women and Politics Institute
*
Anita McBride
Anita B. McBride is an American academic and former government official who served in the White House under three presidential administrations, including as Chief of Staff to the First Lady of the United States under Laura Bush from 2005 to 2009. ...
, former
chief of staff to the First Lady of the United States
The Chief of Staff to the First Lady of the United States is a position within the Office of the First Lady of the United States, Office of the First Lady in the White House Office, responsible for overseeing strategy, operations, and coordinati ...
and coauthor of ''
Remember the First Ladies''
*
Connie Morella, former U.S. representative from Maryland's 8th District
*
Karen O'Connor
Karen Lende O'Connor (born February 17, 1958) is an American equestrian who competes in three-day eventing. Although she did not come from a family of equestrians, her interest in horses started at an early age, and she received her first ho ...
, author of best-selling introductory American government text ''American Government: Roots and Reform''
*
James A. Thurber, author of ''Obama in Office'' and campaign management specialist
Department of Justice, Law, & Criminology
The Department of Justice, Law & Criminology is home to 27 full-time faculty, more than 450 undergraduates, and approximately 230 graduate students.
JLC is home to AU's
mock trial
A mock trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisti ...
team, which has become a nationally competitive squad under the guidance of head coach Mike Romano.
Degree programs
* Undergraduate majors in Justice and Law & Society
* M.S. in Justice, Law, & Criminology
* M.S. in Terrorism and Homeland Security Policy
* Ph.D. in Justice, Law & Criminology
Research centers
* Justice Programs Office
* Wrongful Convictions Project
Notes
External links
Official website
{{authority control
American University