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
Executive Master’s in International Relations in D.C.
Leverage the combined experience, knowledge and networks of two top-ranked institutions—the Maxwell School and the Center for Strategic and International Studies—and earn your degree while you work in D.C. Seven years of experience required.
- On campus, in Washington, D.C.
- 30 credits
- Complete part-time in as few as 18 to 20 months
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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.
See All Department Admission EventsSchedule 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.
Request a MeetingStudy in Washington, D.C.
Our D.C. headquarters at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, top-ranked by the Global Go To Think Tank Index, 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.
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](/images/default-source/callouts-1-1/cas-students-library560.jpg?Status=Master&sfvrsn=7a7cc755_3)
Alumna Pia Rogers to Offer Keynote at MPA Convocation
June 20, 2024
Latest cohort of graduates receive degrees as Maxwell celebrates its centennial.
A long, distinguished career has taken Army Colonel Pia W. Rogers ’01 J.D./M.P.A. to assignments around the globe and led to her current position at the Pentagon.
![Pia Rogers](/images/default-source/people-listings/pia-civilian-cropped-feed.tmb-people235.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=3af2e22e_1)
On June 28, she we will return to where her professional journey began, Syracuse University, to give the keynote address at the 2024 Maxwell School master of public administration convocation ceremony, as the school celebrates its 100th anniversary.
Rogers plans to talk about her path in the 22 years since earning a Maxwell M.P.A., as well as her commitment to public service and her advice for graduates. “Today my energy is derived from those around me—subordinates, peers and superiors—and how we, collectively, improve our foxhole,” she says.
After being commissioned at Syracuse University through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program and earning her undergraduate degree in journalism from Newhouse in 1998, Rogers went on to complete the J.D./M.P.A. dual-degree program in 2001.
She joined the Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps in 2002 and has been an active-duty soldier for 22 years. During that time, she has been stationed at numerous locations across the globe, including Taegu, South Korea; Kabul, Afghanistan; and Bolslawiac, Poland. In the U.S., she has worked in Maryland, Virginia, Kansas, North Carolina, Colorado and now, at the Pentagon, where she serves as the chief of legislation, investigations, and nominations for the Office of the Chief Legislative Liaison, U.S. Army.
Maxwell’s M.P.A. program was the first program of its kind in the nation and was one of the original educational offerings of the Maxwell School when it opened in Slocum Hall on Oct. 3, 1924, thanks to the vision and support of George Holmes Maxwell. The yearlong program runs from July to June and has consistently been ranked No. 1 by peers surveyed for U.S. News & World Report. It blends theory and practice to prepare service-oriented leaders for careers in a wide-range of fields in the public and private sectors.
The convocation ceremony begins at 10 a.m. in Hendricks Chapel with welcoming remarks by Patrick Edwards ’24 M.P.A. and a graduating student address by Omer Keles ’24 M.P.A.
At the conclusion of the keynote and student addresses, the Brady K. Howell Maxwell Alumni Award will be presented to Judith Douglas ’77 B.A. (AmSt)/’81 M.P.A. Douglas is the industry chair of the Collaboration Council for the American Council for Technology - Industry Advisory Council Executive Committee.
Douglas’s public service leadership spans federal, state and local levels of government, as well as nonprofit organizations, academia and private Industry. She is being honored for her innovative and collaborative contributions across industries and her ongoing involvement as an alumna.
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