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PRINCETON
UNIVERSITY
Woodrow
Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
History of the School
The Woodrow Wilson School was founded at Princeton
University in 1930 as the School of Public and International Affairs. In its
early days, it was a small interdisciplinary program for undergraduates; the
graduate professional program was added in 1948. That same year the School was
renamed to honor Woodrow Wilson, the twenty-eighth president of the United
States, who was a member of Princeton’s Class of 1879, governor of the State
of New Jersey, and the thirteenth president of Princeton University. The phrase
“Princeton in the Nation’s Service” was the theme of two speeches Wilson
gave at the University. In the 1990s, the motto was expanded by then-president
Harold T. Shapiro to read “Princeton in the Nation’s Service, and in the
Service of All Nations.” It is a concept that Princeton and the Woodrow Wilson
School regard as its mission.
Today, the School serves interests in both domestic public
policy and international affairs, and emphasizes experiential, policy-oriented
research and learning in its graduate program.
Woodrow Wilson School graduates pursue challenging careers as
policymakers, administrators, and managers in government at all levels and in
non-governmental organizations, multilateral organizations, foundations, policy
and research institutes, and other organizations—both in the United States and
abroad.
The Princeton Difference
The School is committed to enrolling a
diverse student body and has worked to encourage people of color, international
students, and women to pursue their graduate degrees at Princeton. In recent
years, the average enrollment of students of color has ranged from 25% to 42% of
the class. International students have usually comprised a quarter of the M.P.A.
class and nearly half of all M.P.P. and Ph.D. students. Women represent the
majority of the student body, averaging approximately 60%. Enrolling students
represent a wide array of public and private universities, and have majored in
many different academic disciplines. In a typical year, there are 140 candidates
in the M.P.A. program, 20 in the M.P.P. program, and 20 in the Ph.D. program.
The total number of graduate students in residence is approximately 180.
In summary, Woodrow Wilson School students benefit from:
- a
small program within a major research university;
- a
diverse student body and alumni network;
- close
working relationships between world-renowned faculty and students;
- an
innovative curriculum;
- attention
to career-building skills in all areas of public affairs.
Academic Programs
The Woodrow Wilson School offers three degree-granting
programs—the Master’s in Public Affairs (M.P.A.), the Master’s in Public
Policy (M.P.P.), and the Ph.D. in Public Affairs. Princeton
undergraduates can major in the School, and the School also offers a PPIA Junior
Summer Institute for undergraduate students who have completed their junior year
of college.
Master in Public
Affairs (M.P.A.) program trains generalists to deal with public policy
problems in manageable components. Students are taught sophisticated analytic
techniques, making them adept at administration and incisive in analysis. Their
preparation also allows them to recognize the wide range of cultural values
inherent in public affairs problems. The School teaches individuals to create,
implement, analyze, and interpret public policy in the domestic and
international arenas. Some students
want to combine the study of public policy with the study of a related
discipline. To accommodate these students, the Woodrow Wilson School offers
joint-degree programs in urban and regional planning and with law.
Master in Public
Policy (M.P.P.) program is
designed to meet the needs of rising leaders in the public service professions,
including government agencies and nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and
internationally. Applicants to the M.P.P. program must have had at least seven
years of relevant professional work experience. They must demonstrate
leadership, creativity, the capacity for professional development, a commitment
to public service, and the intellectual ability to thrive in a demanding
academic environment.
Ph.D. in Public
Affairs program produces sophisticated analysts able to apply research
skills to careers in public affairs and to further the state of knowledge about
a broad range of policy problems. Recipients of the degree have a variety of
potential career paths, including positions in academia, public and private
agencies, and research organizations.
PPIA Junior Summer Institute at
Princeton
The Woodrow Wilson School offers a
summer program in policy analysis for students interested in pursuing careers in
public and international affairs. The goal of the summer institute is to help
students who have completed their junior year of college to prepare for graduate
study and careers in public policy and international affairs. Participants gain
a comprehensive understanding of the Woodrow Wilson School and the opportunities
for professional careers in public policy and international affairs. Visit our website at:
http://www.wws.princeton.edu/jsi.
Financial Aid
The Woodrow Wilson School is fortunate to have one of the
best, if not the best, endowment of any graduate program in public and
international affairs because of a generous gift from Charles and Marie
Robertson. Their purpose was to
enable graduates of the School to pursue professional careers of public service.
The School seeks to meet the full need of its graduate students by
offering generous tuition fellowships and stipends for living expenses so that
students do not incur loan indebtedness for their graduate study. Over
90% of our students receive need based and merit based financial aid, which is
awarded in scholarship grants rather than loans.
Who to Contact
For more information, please contact:
Woodrow Wilson School
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ 08544-1013
Phone: (609) 258-4836
E-mail: mpp17@princeton.edu
Visit our website at: http://www.wws.princeton.edu/degree/grad.html
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