About

In 2009, two highly ranked programs – political science and public administration and policy – were combined to create the School of Government and Public Policy.

SGPP is one of the largest schools at the University of Arizona and is uniquely situated to serve as a model for public affairs education. We engage in high-caliber research, teaching, community outreach, and civic leadership, preparing our graduates for leadership positions in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors.

Innovative Multi-Disciplinary Programs

We are a multi-disciplinary school with a broad portfolio of innovative programs and degrees at the undergraduate and graduate levels. We offer undergraduate degrees in criminal justice studies, law, political science, and public administration and policy. At the graduate level, we offer professional Master of Public Administration and Master of Public Policy programs, as well as a fully online Master of Arts in International Security Studies degree. We are also home to a residential Ph.D. program, which trains students across the fields of political science, political psychology, public policy, public administration, and public management.

Civic Leadership

The School of Government and Public Policy leads with strong civic values. Civic leadership and civil discourse are at the heart of our undergraduate programs. Our goal is to train citizens for effective participation in public affairs in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors in ways that enrich our democratic political system, market economy, and civil society. We believe that it is critical to have a school and graduates comfortable working in an increasingly diverse society. Many of our graduates have found fulfilling jobs as city managers, heads of state government agencies, and leaders of nonprofit organizations. They also serve on community boards, run for elected office, and volunteer in their communities. Above all else, we are proud to say that our graduates are passionate about public service.

Student Centered

College is an expensive proposition and we believe that our undergraduate students should receive excellent teaching, effective advising, exciting opportunities for community engagement, and exposure to creative scholarship from our internationally known faculty. We have award-winning, dedicated administrative staff and advisors who work to place hundreds of students in internships and on study abroad programs each year. Many of these students’ experiences are generously supported with grants through scholarships and endowments, including the Melody S. Robidoux Foundation’s support for student travel, and the Rombach Institute’s scholarships for students in criminal justice studies. We are also home to the award-winning Model United Nations Club and many recipients of University-wide student awards.

Cutting-Edge Research

This is a school where the faculty engages in cutting-edge scholarship. Our faculty consists of leaders across the subfields of our disciplines, as well as in critical areas like conflict and security, democracy and dictatorship, environmental sustainability, law and policy, political and policy networks, and political psychology.