The School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) at the University of Georgia (UGA) ranks among the top-tier Public Affairs Graduate Schools according to U.S. News and World Report. SPIA has consistently ranked among the top-ten public affairs programs for over two decades. In addition to the overall rankings, SPIA ranks 3rd in the specialization field of Public Management and Leadership, 3rd in Public Finance and Budgeting, and 5th in Local Government Management.
SPIA continues to foster partnerships with UGA Public Service and Outreach units such as the Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG), which helped establish the MPA program in 1966. These relationships have provided SPIA students with unique opportunities to engage with local government leaders both inside and outside of the classroom
“We are proud of our longstanding collaboration between the Institute of Government and the School of Public & International Affairs, including its highly ranked Masters of Public Administration Program,” said Institute Director Rob Gordon. “Our partnership enables governments across Georgia to benefit from the work of the best and brightest MPA students while providing those students with real-world experience in research, training, and technical assistance on the critical issues our local and state government partners face every day.”
SPIA’s strong reputation in the area of Local Government Management has been reinforced by the recent appointment of MPA Director and Associate Professor Eric S. Zeemering to co-edit State and Local Government Review (SLRG), the premier journal of scholarship on state and local governance. Originally founded by CVIOG, SLRG is the official journal of the Section on Intergovernmental Administration and Management of the American Society for Public Administration.
SPIA’s faculty remain committed to producing timely research that advances public policy knowledge and allows for effective decision-making for leaders at all levels of government. Last year, Dr. J. Edward Kellough was appointed by the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) to an expert panel exploring the future of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This month, NAPA published its study, “Elevating Human Capital: Reframing the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Leadership Imperative”, which recommends strengthening OPM’s role in strategic human capital management.
“SPIA faculty and students in public administration and policy, and alumni of our programs are valued partners and problem-solvers across the state, nation, and around the world,” SPIA Dean Matt Auer observes. “The latest rankings attest to the impactful training students receive in our MPA and doctoral program in public administration and policy, the quality of our scholarship, and the contributions our graduates make.”
Other institutional rankings place SPIA among the top programs in public administration. In 2020, Shanghai’s Academic Ranking of World Universities ranked UGA 7th globally.
U.S. News & World Report provides annual rankings for graduate school programs.
