Public policy school

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CIGI Campus, previously housed in the former Seagram Museum, and the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA) in Waterloo, Ontario Centre for International Governance Innovation 2.jpg
CIGI Campus, previously housed in the former Seagram Museum, and the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA) in Waterloo, Ontario

A public policy school or school of public affairs is typically a university program, institution, or professional school of public policy, public administration, political science, international relations, security studies, management, urban planning, urban studies, intelligence studies, global studies, emergency management, public affairs, nonprofit management, criminology, and the sociology of law.

Contents

Public policy schools typically train students in two streams. The more practical stream treats the master's degree as a terminal degree, which trains students to work as policy analysts or practitioners in governments, government relations, think tanks, business-to-government marketing/sales, and consulting firms. A more theoretical stream aims to train students who are aiming to go on to complete doctoral studies (e.g., a PhD), with the goal of becoming professors of public policy, political science in general, or researchers.

Curriculum

Public policy schools offer a wide range of public policy degrees. At the undergraduate level, universities, especially research-intensive universities may offer a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree with majors or concentrations in public policy, public administration, political science, international relations, policy studies or any other differently named but content-wise identical major or concentration. These undergraduate degrees are typically offered by a university's public administration or political science faculties whether it be part of a public policy school or a college of arts and sciences. Well known Master's degrees within this academic field include the Master of Public Policy (MPP), the Master of Public Administration (MPA), the Master of Public Affairs (MPAff), the Master of Public Service (MPS), the Master of Urban Planning (MUP), the Master of International Affairs (MIA), and Master of Arts or Master of Sciences in International Relations, Political Science, or International Security, or other sub-fields of political science. Schools with an international and interdisciplinary focus may award a Master of Arts degree in International Policy Studies. [1] [2] Some schools teaching nonprofit studies as its own field of study may offer a Master of Nonprofit Organizations or a Master of Public Administration in Nonprofit Management. In the field of criminology and the sociology of law, some offer bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in criminology, law and society, administration of justice, legal studies, and criminal justice. Some schools also offer Executive master's degrees in the same topics for mid-career individuals and a Master of Professional Studies degree to signify that the education takes an applied rather than theoretical approach. Other universities teach urban planning and confer professional degrees such as the Master of Urban Planning (M.U.P.), Master of City Planning (M.C.P.), Master of Regional Planning (M.R.P.), Master of Urban and Regional Planning (M.U.R.P.) to qualify students and alumni to work as urban planners.

Doctoral degrees include PhDs in public policy, policy studies and public administration, or in political science with a concentration in any of the aforementioned sub-fields, as well as the Doctor of Public Administration (DPA). Some schools offer relatively short-duration certificate programs aimed at working policy analysts, government managers, public executives, or any other working professional who needs this education regardless of employment sector.

In North America, students typically pursue a graduate public policy degree after having completed an undergraduate degree, either in a public administration or political science field. Some programs admit students with any undergraduate degree; however, students without a background in public administration or political science may be required to do qualifying courses in these areas. Some universities allow students to complete both degrees concurrently. North American public policy programs are generally located in an autonomous graduate or professional school within a larger university, while at others combine both graduate and undergraduate programs into a single semi-autonomous constituent college.

While degrees in Public Policy and Public Administration at most universities are generally taught at the graduate level (master's and PhD), some undergraduate degree program majors, concentrations, and minors either as standalone degrees or as concentrations within a degree in political science or international relations still exist, especially at research universities and professional schools where research, graduate, and undergraduate faculty overlap and/or have close cooperation unlike liberal arts colleges (particularly liberal arts colleges in the United States) that focus on the more theoretical and philosophical sides of political science rather than the applied and administrative side of political science.

Notable institutions

North America

Canada
United States

Schools of public policy that have met professional standards of education and quality in the United States are accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA): [3]

Mexico

South America

Brazil

Europe

In Europe, the LUISS School of Government offers a multidisciplinary approach to public policy combining economics, political science, new public management, and policy analysis, while the French institute of political studies Sciences Po complements these core disciplines with organizational sociology, human security, political economy, and leadership.

The European Commission through its Erasmus Mundus Programme has funded the Erasmus Mundus Master Program in Public Policy [6] since 2007. This program brings together four leading policy-oriented schools in Eurorpe: The IBEI (Spain), Central European University (Hungary), the International Institute of Social Studies of the Erasmus University Rotterdam (The Netherlands) and the Department of Politics at the University of York (United Kingdom).

France
Germany
Italy;
Netherlands
United Kingdom
Russia
Spain

Asia

China
Japan
Philippines
Singapore
South Korea
Thailand
United Arab Emirates

Oceania

Australia

See also

Related Research Articles

The Master of Public Policy (MPP), is one of several public policy degrees. An MPP is a master's-level professional degree that 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 public policy and the decision processes associated with them. This includes training in the role of economic and political factors in public decision-making and policy formulation; microeconomic analysis of policy options and issues; resource allocation and decision modeling; cost/benefit analysis; statistical methods; and various applications to specific public policy topics. MPP recipients serve or have served in the public sector, at the international, national, subnational, and local levels and the private sector.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sciences Po</span> Higher-education institution in Paris, France

Sciences Po or Sciences Po Paris, also known as the Paris Institute of Political Studies, is a private and public research university located in Paris, France, that holds the status of grande école and the legal status of grand établissement. The university's undergraduate program is taught on the Paris campus as well as on the decentralized campuses in Dijon, Le Havre, Menton, Nancy, Poitiers and Reims, each with their own academic program focused on a geopolitical part of the world. While Sciences Po historically specialized in political science, it progressively expanded to other social sciences such as economics, law and sociology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Institut d'études politiques de Rennes</span> Political science university in Rennes, France

The Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Rennes also known as Sciences Po Rennes, is a French university established in 1991 in Rennes, the regional capital of Brittany. The institution is one of 10 political science institutes in France and is considered one of the grandes écoles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Institut d'études politiques de Strasbourg</span> French Grande Ecole, located in Strasbourg, France

Sciences Po Strasbourg - Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Strasbourg is a Grande école located in Strasbourg, France. It was founded on 9 October 1945, with the IEP Paris . Since 1 January 2009, it is part of University of Strasbourg, the second largest university in France. Its current director is Jean-Philippe Heurtin. In 2024, Sciences Po Strasbourg was ranked 2nd of French schools of political science by Studiesadvisor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sciences Po Lille</span> Grande école in Lille, France

Institut d'études politiques de Lille, officially referred to as Sciences Po Lille, is a grande école located in Lille, France. It is a part of the Conférence des Grandes Écoles. It was created as one of the French Institutes of Political Studies. The school's focus is on educating France's political and diplomatic personnel, but its academic focus spans not only the political and economic sciences, but also law, communications, finance, business, urban policy, management, and journalism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Institut d'études politiques de Bordeaux</span> French grande école

Institut d'études politiques de Bordeaux, also known as Sciences Po Bordeaux, is a French grande école located on the university campus of Pessac, Bordeaux. It is attached to the University of Bordeaux. Established in 1948, Sciences Po Bordeaux is one of the ten Institutes of Political Studies in France.

The Grenoble Institute of Political Studies, also known as Sciences Po Grenoble, is a French "grande école" of political science and more broadly of social sciences located in the campus of the University of Grenoble in Grenoble, France. It is administratively a subsidiary of the Université Grenoble Alpes.

The Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA) is a non-profit educational organization of graduate schools of international affairs, with 42 members and 37 affiliates around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy</span> Public policy school of the University of Michigan

The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, also known as the Ford School, is the public policy school of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1914 to train municipal administration experts, the school was named after University of Michigan alumus and former U.S. President Gerald Ford in 1999.

The School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) at Virginia Tech offers graduate and undergraduate education in the fields of public administration, public policy, international affairs, urban affairs, and urban & regional planning. It has three campuses throughout Virginia: Arlington; Blacksburg and Richmond.

The American University School of Public Affairs (SPA) is an institution of higher education and research located in Washington, D.C. that grants academic degrees in political science, public administration, public policy, and justice, law, and criminology. Established in 1934 as part of American University, the school houses three academic departments - Public Administration & Policy, Government, and Justice, Law & Criminology - as well as ten centers and institutes.

The Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) is one of 17 schools comprising the University of Pittsburgh. Founded in 1957 to study national and international public administration, GSPIA prides itself on its "Local to Global" distinction. As of 2018, it is one of only two policy schools with programs in the top 20 for both International Relations and City Management and Urban Policy. The former mayor of Pittsburgh, Bill Peduto, is a GSPIA alumnus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin School</span> Public policy school at the University of Kentucky

The James W. Martin School of Public Policy and Administration is the graduate school of Public Affairs at the University of Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schar School of Policy and Government</span> Public policy school of George Mason University

The Schar School of Policy and Government is the public policy school of George Mason University, a public research university in the Commonwealth of Virginia near Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Young School of Policy Studies</span> Department of Georgia State University

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University houses the Departments of Criminal Justice & Criminology, Economics, and Public Management & Policy, School of Social Work, and the Urban Studies Institute. Georgia State University is the largest university in the state of Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration</span> Public policy school at George Washington University

The Trachtenberg School, officially the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration (TSPPPA), is the graduate public policy school in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences of the George Washington University, in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bush School of Government & Public Service</span> Public policy school of Texas A&M University

The Bush School of Government and Public Service is an undergraduate and graduate college of Texas A&M University founded in 1997 under former US President George H. W. Bush's philosophy that "public service is a noble calling." Since then, the Bush School has continued to reflect that notion in curriculum, research, and student experience and has become a leading international affairs, political science, and public affairs institution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs</span> American university in Denver, Colorado

The University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs is located in the Lower Downtown ("LoDo") district of Denver, Colorado. The School is fully accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA). The School offers graduate programs in public administration, public affairs, and criminal justice, and undergraduate programs in criminal justice and public service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Levin College of Public Affairs and Education</span> Public administration school of Cleveland State University

The Levin College of Public Affairs and Education (Levin) is an accredited college that houses the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs, School of Communication, as well as, the Department of Counseling, Administration, Supervision and Adult Learning, the Department of Criminology and Sociology, the Department of Educational Studies, Research and Technology, and the Department of Teacher Education. Levin is a part of Cleveland State University located in Cleveland, Ohio. The Levin College offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees, as well as professional development programs. Its urban policy research centers and programs provide communities with decision-making tools to address their policy challenges. The Levin College is recognized for offering highly ranked programs in urban policy, local government management, nonprofit management, and public management and leadership.

References

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  2. "MAIPS at Stanford". Archived from the original on November 28, 2011.
  3. "NASPAA Standards". Archived from the original on February 10, 2014.
  4. "Schools Detail | NASPAA". www.naspaa.org.
  5. "Roster of Accredited Programs". NASPAA Accreditation. 2014-04-07. Archived from the original on 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  6. "Home". mundusmapp.