About the School

The School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) at Rutgers University–Newark prepares students for careers in public service and administration, as well as academic research and teaching. Its educational mission is driven by the promotion of competency-based knowledge, the celebration of diversity, and the advancement of the highest principle of ethics in public service. The school features innovative and comprehensive programs leading to an undergraduate bachelor of arts degree in public and nonprofit administration, a master's degree in public administration, an Executive M.P.A., a Ph.D., and various professional and graduate certificates.

Over 1,000 students, 25 percent of whom are are international students representing more than 30 countries, are enrolled in SPAA's various educational programs. SPAA's graduates have successfully secured chief executive positions in the public and nonprofit sectors, as well as tenured positions at dozens of colleges and universities around the world.

SPAA's faculty, which numbers over 25, has gained international recognition in such fields as public and nonprofit management and administration, public performance and reporting, budgeting and finance, economic development, health care policy and administration, and urban affairs. The school's faculty has gained recognition as presidents of the American Society of Public Administrators (ASPA), Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), and the Public Management Research Association (PMRA), and has authored more than 40 books, served as members of National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), and won numerous awards for outstanding work in their field of study.

SPAA's success is attested to by thousands of graduates now serving in positions of leadership in the public and nonprofit sectors, the expanding numbers of inquirers and participants in our programs, and by the respect of our peers, who elevate the school to top rankings in U.S News & World Report's evaluation of public policy and public administration schools nationwide. In its most recent report, Rutgers-Newark SPAA is ranked 7th nationally in Information and Technology Management; 13th nationally in Public Management/Administration; 18th nationally in Public Finance and Budgeting; 11th nationally in City Management and Urban Policy; 17th nationally in Nonprofit Management; 34th nationally in Public Affairs; and 28th nationally in Public Policy Analysis.   We are proud of these rankings because in large measure they signal that we are respected by our peers.