A Message from our Director Dr. Stuart Henry
After 39 years the School of Public Administration and Urban Studies has undergone a name change. As we move toward celebrating our 40th anniversary in 2008 our faculty approved our new name as The School of Public Affairs. The School remains committed to understanding the broad range of urban policy issues embedded in one of the U.S.’s largest metropolitan regions whose complexities and location generate critical questions for national and international public affairs research and education.
Why change the name from the School of Public Administration and Urban Studies? There are several reasons. During its history the balance of programs has changed. Whereas public administration used to be the largest program, with the largest faculty, in recent years criminal justice has grown to become the single largest undergraduate program by student enrollment, with 647 majors in Fall 2006, compared with public administration’s 281. Criminal Justice has also expanded to include a more diverse range of courses that analyze the nature and causes of crime, as well as associated policies and practice, which has moved it beyond the confines of the administration of justice. In addition, whereas the MPA used to be the only master’s degree offered by the School, and remains the largest with 95 majors, a Master’s in City Planning has been added currently with around 50 majors, and a Master’s in Criminal Justice and Criminology offered in conjunction with Sociology, with an additional 20 majors. Other developments have involved adding both City Planning and Criminal Justice concentrations within the MPA degree.
In addition to these mainstream programs, the School has developed a number of interdisciplinary initiatives. One of these is the Bachelors in Urban Studies offered in conjunction with several other departments across the university. We are also is involved in an interdisciplinary Masters in Homeland Security in collaboration with the College of Sciences, and we also offer a Certificate in Transborder Public Administration and Governance through Extended Studies. The School is representing the University in a collaborative partnership with UCSD and USD as partners in an Ethic’s Center dealing with science, technology and the public interest and our role there will be related to issues relating to ethics and decision making, specifically public decision making. Overall, the range of programs and initiatives dealing with public issues has expanded beyond the confines indicated by the School’s historical name and there was seen to be a need for a name that reflects and captures this broader public scope and its new interdisciplinary directions. We are proud to add San Diego State University’s School of Public Affairs to the distinguished group of universities nationwide that also have Schools of Public Affairs, and hope that you will celebrate the change with us in the coming years.
A Snapshot of the School
The School of Public Affairs is a highly integrated academic unit in the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts. There are two undergraduate degree programs, including the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Criminal Justice and the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Public Administration. There is a formal emphasis available in City Planning within the undergraduate Public Administration degree. Three graduate degree programs are also offered by the School-Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of City Planning (MCP), and Master of Criminal Justice and Criminology (jointly offered with the Department of Sociology). Within the MPA, students are offered optional formal concentrations in City Planning and Criminal Justice Administration. Informal emphases and specializations are available through the School's advising process.
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