Among public policy graduate schools, the University of Maryland School of Public Policy is young, innovative and confident, daring to challenge the established expectations for a school of its kind. Founded in 1981 as a small school with big ideas, we have become a major player in a short period of time, experiencing incredible success and momentum in building our program and earning our reputation. By reaching beyond our intellectual community, we have created a new standard for what schools of public affairs can accomplish.
What sets us apart from our peers? We expect our students to move, to work and to think across the public, private and nonprofit sectors during their careers and we prepare them accordingly. Our educational approach emphasizes the development of the knowledge, skills and enthusiasm needed to formulate and improve public policies and their management through the use of multidisciplinary tools, scholarly findings, and the insights of the best practitioners.
To realize our vision of excellence, MSPA has built
1) a community of renowned scholars and scholar-practitioners who represent the many disciplinary perspectives that must be brought to bear in the formulation and implementation of public policies,
2) a unique academic program that is at the heart of our commitment to meeting the needs of public policy practitioners throughout their careers,
3) a talented and diverse student body, and
4) high quality research centers and publications.
APSIA Membership: Full APSIA Member School
School of Public Policy
University of Maryland
2101 Van Munching Hall
Maryland School of Public Policy
College Park, MD 20742-1811
School of Public Policy
Admissions Office
University of Maryland
2101 Van Munching Hall
College Park, MD 20742-1811
School of Public Policy
Associate Director, Careers & Alumni
University of Maryland
2101 Van Munching Hall
College Park, MD 20742-1811
After mastering a rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum that emphasizes economic and quantitative approaches to policy analysis, political theory and institutions, public sector finance, and ethics, students then choose an academic program and an area of specialization. The School has four program areas:
Each of these program areas offers multiple specializations designed to enhance the educational experience and employment opportunities of our graduates.
Building on the School's core curriculum, the International Security and Economic Policy (ISEP) program provides students with the means both to analyze the challenges and opportunities in the new international economic and security environment and to develop the options and strategies available to the United States.
ISEP offers four specializations:
The specialization also focuses on the processes by which policies are formulated, debated and implemented within the American body politic. Building upon this ISEP core, students can further specialize in a number of different areas, including international economic policy, international security policy, and international development. ISEP prepares students for a variety of career opportunities involving international issues in the public and private sectors.
The School's Washington location enables students to observe first-hand the making of U.S. international security and economic policy. Resident faculty are internationally recognized experts in their fields and have occupied senior positions in the Department of State, Department of Defense, Department of Commerce, office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, Congress, and the International Monetary Fund.
After selecting a policy program, students choose a specialization that guides their course selection. Samples of specializations, include:
Students may pursue joint degree programs with:
Use this tool to solicit more information from multiple ASPIA Institutes at once.