complete master’s degree options in as few as 12 months
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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)
Ying Shi Named William T. Grant Scholar for Research on School Victimization
June 10, 2024
Ying Shi, assistant professor of public administration and international affairs, has been named a William T. Grant Scholar and received a $350,000 award to explore Asian American students’ exposure to victimization and hate crimes in school.
Shi will use the funding over the next five years to pursue a research project titled “School Victimization and Hate Crime Exposure Among Asian Students: An Evidence Base to Reduce Well-Being Inequality.” The project includes two studies that will use administrative data from multiple U.S. cities and states to gather evidence on the prevalence and consequences of exposure to school victimization and hate crimes for Asian students compared with their peers.
This topic is overlooked, Shi says, as research on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders tends to focus on their relative academic success, which can contribute to the “model minority” stereotype and perpetuate harm by homogenizing the group’s experiences. Findings from the project can help inform district- and school-based policies that may alleviate racial inequality in well-being, tailored for Asian students and other marginalized groups, she says.
Funding is provided through the William T. Grant Scholars Program, which funds early-career researchers on topics that relate to racial, ethnic or economic inequality among young people ages 5-25 in the United States. Each year, between four and six scholars are selected. Shi is the first scholar to be awarded from Syracuse University.
The award supports mentorship from experts in areas pertinent to scholars’ development. Shi will receive mentorship on the study of Asian Americans by Jennifer Lee at Columbia University and on the social determinants of health and machine learning by her Maxwell School colleague, Michiko Ueda-Ballmer, associate professor of public administration and international affairs.
Shi says Lee and Ueda-Ballmer have been “so supportive and such cheerleaders for this type of work.” She adds, “Having them say ‘this is important’ gives me a lot of energy and validation.”
Past research by Shi on education and racial disparities has been supported by the William T. Grant Foundation as well as other organizations. For instance, she was principal investigator on a William T. Grant Foundation-funded project from 2021-23 titled “Long-Term Consequences of the Voting Rights Act for Black-White Disparities in Children’s Later-Life Outcomes.”
Shi is a senior research associate in the Center for Policy Research. Her areas of expertise are racial inequality and education policy. She received a Ph.D. from Duke University in 2017.
By Michael Kelley
Published in the Spring 2024 issue of the Maxwell Perspective
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