Undergraduate, professional, and graduate degrees in public affairs prepare students for careers in the public and nonprofit sectors, as well as consulting and private industry. Typically, a public affairs school will offer multiple interdisciplinary degrees designed to help students better understand their roles as public servants, a term which includes employees of government and not-for-profit organizations, elected officials, and members of boards and communities. A degree from a public affairs school should leave its graduates with the knowledge, analytical skills, and perspectives needed to respond effectively and fairly to major local, national, and global contemporary social problems.

Each public affairs school hosts its own mix of departments and degree programs, including:

• Public Administration and Policy
• Political Science / Government
• Political Communication
• Criminology
• International Affairs
• Environmental Policy
• Terrorism and Homeland Security
• Legal Studies
• Sociology
• Economics

If you are interested in running public organizations or designing public policy, consider a school with a public administration and/or policy degree. Some institutions will offer more specialized options, such as environmental policy, criminology, and terrorism and homeland security. Budding writers with an interest in politics may consider a political communications degree, which trains you to manage publicity for political campaigns, political offices, or advocacy efforts. Those interested in global problem-solving can choose a degree in international affairs. Some institutions house departments of economics and sociology within their public affairs schools, while others host them elsewhere, such as in colleges of arts and sciences. 

U.S. News and World Report ranks public affairs programs, both overall and by specialization.

The School of Public Affairs (SPA) at American University offers six undergraduate degrees, eight masters degrees, and three doctoral degrees, as well as multiple undergraduate and graduate certificate programs. For more information, request more information below.