Maxwell Program in
Citizenship and Civic Engagement

Citizenship and Civic Engagement (CCE), an undergraduate B.A. major offered by the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, is a nationally unique interdisciplinary learning experience that enables students to contribute to the public good while preparing for careers in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

By the time they graduate, CCE students are well on their way to becoming civically engaged professionals who have the knowledge and skills to work on issues they find important. They have participated in:

• small seminar-style courses that examine the value of citizenship, ethics, and justice to contemporary life,
• community-based learning experiences,
• conducted independent social science research with Maxwell faculty, and 
• co-created a project with a community partner of their choice.

CCE students thus gain insight into social forces at work and learn how and where change happens, through collaboration, research, and action.  

How it Works

During their first year at Syracuse University, CCE students begin customizing their CCE curriculum to fit their interests, while interacting with the best faculty and courses that the Maxwell School offers.

Between then and senior year, they develop a deep understanding of public affairs, including policy research, public administration, international relations, civic leadership, community collaboration, and conflict management. They apply theories, methodologies, and skill sets based in the social sciences (anthropology, economics, history, geography, political science, and sociology) to real-world problems.

All of this happens because CCE students pair the CCE major with another Syracuse University major of their choice, using the “companion major” as an additional way to view and contribute to the public good.

On graduation day, CCE students have earned two majors and charted their own unique paths toward meaningful careers.

Learn more about our CCE major.

The CCE Community

The CCE program builds 30-student “class cohorts” every year as a way to ensure a strong community experience. After students apply and gain admission to CCE, they form strong academic and social bonds with the other 90 students in the program.  Every semester, the CCE community—students, faculty, and staff—comes together for meals, field trips, on- and off-campus workshops, Junior research poster sessions, Senior Action Plan presentations, as well as lectures and workshops offered by CCE and the Maxwell School.

Through our Peer Mentor Program, CCE matches first-year students with trained junior-year mentors who share their insights, tips, and guidance on life at Syracuse University.   Professional academic advisors—the CCE Program Coordinator and the CCE Faculty Chair—also meet regularly with students as they translate their interests into real-world action. These mentor-mentee and adviser-advisee relationships continue to grow through the program and beyond, adding to the invaluable Maxwell alumni network after graduation.

Career Fields

CCE students’ paths after graduation are as unique as their courses of study during the program. For some of the more-than 60 students who have graduated since our inaugural Class of 2016, the skills and knowledge gained in CCE have carried into their pursuit of law degrees, master’s degrees in Public Administration, Public Policy, Urban Planning, and even PhDs in the social sciences. Other CCE graduates hold jobs in nonprofit organizations, government agencies, political campaigns, and in the private sector with a variety of focus areas.