The School of Public Policy and Administration at Carleton University (SPPA) is the public policy school of Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1953, it is Canada's oldest graduate school in the field of policy studies and public management. Since its establishment, it has produced several prominent leaders within the Canadian public and non-profit sectors, and has led research activities in this area.
The SPPA's administrative offices are located in Richcraft Hall on the Carleton University campus, with 25 faculty members and 236 students. It offers one doctoral program, three Master's programs, and five graduate diplomas.
The School boasts a strong national reputation, and is rated as the top public policy school in Canada by Corporate Knights, citing its academic rigour and research related to sustainable development. It is accredited by the Canadian Association of Programs in Public Administration (CAPPA).
History
Creating an institute for public administration was one of the key visions of the Ottawa Association for the Advancement of Learning, the community group responsible for establishing Carleton University in 1942. By 1945, the Bachelor of Public Administration was introduced, becoming one of the first degree programs offered by Carleton, producing first cohort of graduates in 1946. The Bachelor of Public Administration was offered until the 1951–52 academic year, before being reorganized as a major offered through a Bachelor of Arts degree the following year.
Through a $200,000 contribution from the Atkinson Charitable Foundation of Toronto, the School of Public Administration was established in 1953, with the goal of further developing and enhancing research into the field of public administration, but also preparing students for careers in government. At the time, the school offered an Honours B.A. in Public Administration, a Certificate of Public Service Studies, a graduate diploma in Public Administration, and a Master of Arts in Public Administration.
In the 1960, the School began to intake students from Colombo Plan countries, many of whom held mid- and senior-level positions in the civil services of their home countries, providing them with specialized coursework delivered over a few weeks on public management taught by Carleton professors and senior Canadian civil servants. This program continued until the sometime in the early 1970s.
Beginning in the early 1980s, the School of Public Administration reintroduced its Bachelor of Public Administration, which would be offered until the 1998–1999 school year, which it turn was replaced by the Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management in the new Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs.
In 1992, the School began offering a Ph.D. in Public Policy, distinguished for being the first of its kind in Canada. In 2001 the school was renamed the School of Public Policy and Administration (SPPA).
Academics
Doctoral-level
Ph.D. in Public Policy
The Ph.D. program in Public Policy is a research-intensive doctorate program that provides students with the concepts and methods to undertake public policy research. Established in 1992, the Ph.D. in Public Policy is the oldest doctorate program in public policy, and admits six to nine students annually. Students are required to complete four core courses, three electives, a comprehensive exam, a research seminar, and a thesis, which can be done within five years of full-time study.
Master's-level
Master of Public Policy and Administration
The Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) is a two-year graduate program focusing on public policy and public administration, preparing students for policy leadership roles in the professional and academic settings. Students can complete the program through a coursework, research essay, or thesis pathway. First offered in 1953, the program is one of the oldest and most renowned of its kind in Canada. The program consists of ten core courses spanning numerous subjects related to public management, including policy analysis, economics, political science, organizational theory, and ethics, plus four elective courses at the graduate level.
The program allows incoming students to receive an Advanced Completion Credit for up to 4 courses for the two quantitative and qualitative methods courses, and select economics and public policy courses where students can demonstrate at least a B+ grade in third or fourth-year undergraduate courses that cover the same subject matter.