Princeton University - Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs History of the School
Today, the School serves interests in both domestic public policy and international affairs, and emphasizes experiential, policy-oriented research and learning in its graduate program. Woodrow Wilson School graduates pursue challenging careers as policymakers, administrators, and managers in government at all levels and in non-governmental organizations, multilateral organizations, foundations, policy and research institutes, and other organizations-both in the United States and abroad. The Princeton Difference The School is committed to enrolling a diverse student body and has worked to encourage people of color, international students, and women to pursue their graduate studies at Princeton. In the recent years, women have comprised approximately 57 percent of each class, students of color 40 percent, and international students 22 percent. In a typical year, there are 130 candidates in the M.P.A. program, 20 in the M.P.P. program, and 20 in the Ph.D. program. The total number of graduate students in residence is 170. In summary, Woodrow Wilson School students benefit from:
Academic Programs The Woodrow Wilson School offers three degree-granting programs-the Master's in Public Affairs (M.P.A.), the Master's in Public Policy (M.P.P.), and the Ph.D. in Public Affairs. Princeton undergraduates can major in the School, and the School also offers a Junior Summer Institute for undergraduate students of color from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Master in Public Affairs (M.P.A.) program trains generalists to deal with public policy problems in manageable components. Students are taught sophisticated analytic techniques, making them adept at administration and incisive in analysis. Their preparation also allows them to recognize the wide range of cultural values inherent in public affairs problems. The School teaches individuals to create, implement, analyze, and interpret public policy in the domestic and international arenas. Some students want to combine the study of public policy with the study of a related discipline. To accommodate these students, the Woodrow Wilson School offers joint-degree programs in urban and regional planning and with law. Master in Public Policy (M.P.P.) program is designed to meet the needs of rising leaders in the public service professions, including government agencies and nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and internationally. Applicants to the M.P.P. program must have had at least seven years of relevant professional work experience. They must demonstrate leadership, creativity, the capacity for professional development, a commitment to public service, and the intellectual ability to thrive in a demanding academic environment. Ph.D. in Public Affairs program produces sophisticated analysts able to apply research skills to careers in public affairs and to further the state of knowledge about a broad range of policy problems. Recipients of the degree have a variety of potential career paths, including positions in academia, public and private agencies, and research organizations. Junior Summer Institute The Woodrow Wilson School offers a summer program in policy analysis for students of color from historically underrepresented backgrounds interested in pursuing careers in public and international affairs. The goal of the summer institute is to help students who have completed their junior year of college to prepare for graduate study at Princeton. Participants gain a comprehensive understanding of the Woodrow Wilson School and the opportunities for professional careers in public policy and international affairs. Website: http://www.wws.princeton.edu/jsi Financial Aid The Woodrow Wilson School is fortunate to have one of the best, if not the best, endowment of any graduate program in public and international affairs because of a generous gift from Charles and Marie Robertson. Their purpose was to enable graduates of the School to pursue professional careers of public service. The School seeks to meet the full need of its graduate students by offering generous tuition fellowships and stipends for living expenses so that students do not incur loan indebtedness for their graduate study. Over the past six years, 92% of all graduate students have received financial aid and 75% of our alumni pursue careers in the public and non-profit sectors. Who to Contact For more information, please contact:
Woodrow Wilson School Visit our website at: http://www.wws.princeton.edu/degree/grad.html |
The Woodrow Wilson School was founded at Princeton University in 1930 as the School of Public and International Affairs. In its early days, it was a small interdisciplinary program for undergraduates; the graduate professional program was added in 1948. That same year the School was renamed to honor Woodrow Wilson, the twenty-eighth president of the United States, who was a member of Princeton's Class of 1879, governor of the State of New Jersey, and the thirteenth president of Princeton University. The phrase "Princeton in the Nation's Service" was the theme of two speeches Wilson gave at the University. In the 1990s, the motto was expanded by then-president Harold T. Shapiro to read "Princeton in the Nation's Service, and in the Service of All Nations." It is a concept that Princeton and the Woodrow Wilson School regard as its mission.