I am pleased to welcome you to the School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University!
As the 21st century ushers in dramatic changes in the process of governance, the ASU School of Public Affairs hopes to continue our long tradition of developing outstanding public leaders, people who are well prepared to meet the rigorous demands and substantial challenges of the future.
The ASU School of Public Affairs offers innovative educational and professional opportunities to help build stronger and more effective public leaders. We are the only public administration program in the Phoenix area to be accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) and are consistently ranked among the top twenty-five public affairs schools in the country. Our programs in public administration and urban management are both ranked in the top ten nationally.
Our academic programs prepare people for a variety of positions in the public and nonprofit arenas by encouraging clear and thoughtful analysis, innovative approaches to management, and a creative understanding of the governance process, broadly defined.
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) is an interdisciplinary, professional degree program designed to prepare students for public service at the local, state, and national levels and in a variety of policy fields. For those students who have a particular interest in nonprofit management or urban management, we also offer an MPA degree with concentrations in Nonprofit Administration and Urban Management. The Master of Public Policy (MPP) program allows students to approach the study of public policy with a focus on public policy in the urban setting. The MPP program prepares students for professional careers as policy analysts and leaders in public service involved in the formulation, approval, implementation, and evaluation of public policy at all levels of government and in the private and non-profit sectors.
In addition to the MPA and MPP programs, the School of Public Affairs also offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Public Administration that prepares future public administration scholars for university teaching and research and develops skilled administrators for high-level positions in the public and nonprofit sectors.
At the undergraduate level, the bachelor’s degree in Urban and Metropolitan Studies offers students the opportunity to explore a wide range of issues influencing the quality of urban life. We offer a concentration in Public Administration and Public Management in conjunction with the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree. We also offer two undergraduate certificate programs: Public Administration/Public Management and Leadership and Ethics.
The ASU School of Public Affairs also houses the Morrison Institute for Public Policy, which provides outstanding policy research and analysis for audiences all across the state and region, the Bob Ramsey Executive Education Program, which offers outstanding executive development opportunities for practitioners in the field, and the Center for Urban Innovation which sets out to improve the quality of urban life in neighborhoods, cities, and urban regions by promoting innovation in governance, policy, and management. In addition, the school has formed a partnership with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and the Innovation Groups (IG) to form an Alliance for Innovation in Local Government which brings professionals, local governments, academics, and private sector partners together to discover and apply the best ideas, practices and solutions to the challenges confronting local government and communities.
By providing students at all academic levels the opportunity to work with talented faculty and practitioners committed to nurturing the intellectual and professional development of their students, the School of Public Affairs is actively engaged in producing superior public leaders. I invite you to explore further the School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University so that you may learn more about the excellent opportunities we have to offer.
Robert Denhardt
Director, School of Public Affairs
ASU Regents' Professor
Lattie and Elva Coor Presidential Chair
Lincoln Professor of Leadership & Ethics
