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complete master’s degree options in as few as 12 months

award-winning faculty of national and international renown

global professional network 37,000 strong

Explore Master’s Degrees

Public Administration

Master of Public Administration


Prepare to lead positive change through a rigorous yet efficient array of skills-building courses.

  • On campus, in Syracuse, N.Y.
  • 40 credits plus optional internships
  • Complete full-time in 12 to 18 months

Executive Master of Public Administration—On Campus or Online


Fill gaps in your knowledge with a program tailored to your career goals—five to seven years of experience required. An online option for working professionals provides added flexibility.

  • Online or on campus in Syracuse, N.Y., options (separate programs)
  • 30 credits
  • Complete part- or full-time in as few as 12 to 15 months

International Relations

Master of Arts in International Relations


Satisfy your curiosity about the world, and develop skills and knowledge to change it for the better.

  • On campus, in Syracuse, N.Y.
  • 40 credits with a required global internship
  • Required career track selection to focus your studies
  • Complete full-time in 18 months

Master of Arts in Public Diplomacy and Global Communications


Prepare to drive change in a range of international contexts through effective public and interpersonal communications. One powerful degree, two schools: the Maxwell School and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

  • On campus, in Syracuse, N.Y., and Washington, D.C.
  • 43 credits with a required global internship
  • Complete full-time in 18 months

Executive Master's in International Relations


Improve your leadership and management skills and global affairs knowledge—seven years of experience required.

  • On campus, in Syracuse, N.Y.
  • 30 credits
  • Complete on a part- or full-time basis

Doctoral Program

PhD in Public Administration


Educate the next generation of public service leaders and conduct research that moves the field of public administration and policy analysis forward.

  • On campus, in Syracuse, N.Y.
  • 72 credits (36 credits beyond the M.A.)
  • Full-time residential program, typically completed in 4.5 years

Department Admission Events

We offer a range of in-person and virtual opportunities to learn more about the Maxwell School and degree programs offered by the Public Administration and International Affairs Department, answer questions about the application process, and help you work toward your goals.

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Schedule a One-on-One Meeting

to ask more in-depth questions not covered in the group information sessions. These individual meetings are informational in nature and are not admission interviews.

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Study in Washington, D.C.

Our D.C. headquarters at the Syracuse University Center in DuPont Circle, gives students access to leading minds in the world of policy and international affairs, competitive internships, employment opportunities and a deeply engaged network of D.C.-based alumni.

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Need a midcareer boost? Explore our Certificates of Advanced Study


We offer a variety of regional, topical and skills-based Certificates of Advanced Study (CAS) to help you focus and refine your expertise. Some CAS can be earned as part of a master's program while others can be earned independent of a degree. Learn to use data to formulate and analyze policy, deepen your knowledge of effective public management practices, develop techniques to promote collaboration and resolve conflicts, broaden your expertise in a specific region of the world, and more.

PAIA students gathered in conference room

Popp’s work on government research support funded by Sloan Foundation

April 23, 2020

David Popp

David Popp


David Popp, professor of public administration and international affairs and Caroline Rapking Faculty Scholar in Public Administration and Policy, has been awarded a $349,380 grant by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. His research project is titled “Does Government Funding Change What You Do? The Effects of Funding on the Direction and Impact of Academic Energy Research.” For it he is joined by Daniel Acuna, an assistant professor in Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies.

Popp’s research will examine how government funding influences the direction of clean energy research, focusing on whether increased government spending attracts more researchers to the field, or merely substitutes for other funding sources within the field. Using machine learning, his interdisciplinary team will combine textual and regression analyses to answer three questions: (1) Do scientists change the focus of their research in response to targeted government funding opportunities?(2) If so, what types of calls for funding best attract new researchers? (3) Do researchers new to a field contribute novel ideas? Do they produce more highly cited research?

Popp, who is also a senior research associate in the Center for Policy Research, specializes in environmental economics and the economics of technological change. His work, which has been funded by, among others, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, has been published in journals including American Economic Review, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, and Nature Energy

04/23/20

Public Administration and International Affairs Department
215 Eggers Hall