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CU Denver will begin spring term in remote status from Jan. 18 – 28.
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School of Public Affairs
Preparing leaders for government and nonprofits
Lead. Solve. Change.
Public affairs topics are at the center of almost every national debate.
From education policy to affordable housing, criminal justice reform to energy independence, these issues affect our neighborhoods, our cities and our society as a whole. To move forward and find solutions, the country needs leaders and collaborators with in-depth knowledge and a long-term vision.
Determined to make a difference in your community?
As Colorado’s top school for public affairs, public administration and criminal justice, CU Denver School of Public Affairs is a great place to start.
U.S. News & World Report 2022 Best Graduate Schools rankings
#1 Best Public Affairs Program in Colorado (#28 in the nation)
#1 in Environmental Policy and Management in Colorado (#9 in the nation)
#1 in Nonprofit Management in Colorado (#14 in the nation)
#1 in Public Finance and Budgeting in Colorado (#14 in the nation)
#1 in Public Management and Leadership in Colorado (#22 in the nation)
#1 in Urban Policy in Colorado (#30 in the nation)
#1 in Public Policy Analysis in Colorado (#32 in the nation)
#3 Best Online Graduate Criminal Justice Programs in Colorado (#24 in the nation)
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Featured events
Attend our events
We host more than 100 events each year featuring distinguished practitioners, community leaders and politicians. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all of our events will be held virtually, unless otherwise indicated.
SPA Master of Public Administration Program Options Webinar
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12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
SPA Master of Public Administration Program Options Webinar
During this one-hour webinar, you will learn about graduate program options, course offerings, admission requirements, and program directors. You will have the opportunity to submit questions throughout the presentation.
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Social Equity Series: Discussion on the book, How To Be An Antiracist
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12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Cost/fee: Free Social Equity Series: Discussion on the book, How To Be An Antiracist
The Social Equity series kicks off with a panel discussion of Ibram X. Kendi’s 2019, How To Be An Antiracist that will foreground the series for the Spring semester. This first event will establish as Kendi mentions, “The consistent function of racist ideas and any kind of bigotry more broadly: to manipulate us into seeing people as the problem, instead of the policies that ensnare them.” In a panel consisting of School of Public Affairs faculty, we will have a discussion on what it means to be anti-racist and how anti-racism is necessary for policy discussions. Following the panel, participants will be invited to participate in breakout rooms for further discussion.
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February First Friday with the School of Public Affairs: Regular People Running For Political Office
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12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Cost/fee: Free Regular People Running For Political Office
We are all aware that more recent discussions about American democracy have revealed extremely polarized views, and far more attention is being paid to candidates that are running for elected seats in offices.
While this is especially true for career politicians that run for federal and high-level state offices, like Governor, it is also true for less prominent but nonetheless critical state and local offices, like school board member, city council member, higher education Regent, etc.
In this panel, we will explore what motivates regular citizens to put their hat in the ring for elections—especially with many of these positions requiring so much time and no pay. Joining us are three School of Public Affairs faculty members, with no prior political experience, who ran for local positions over the last year. In addition, they will be joined by other panelists familiar with this electoral environment.
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Featured news
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CU Denver School of Public Affairs to launch Master of Public Policy in Fall 2022
Nov 10, 2021 byIn its November meeting, the CU Board of Regents approved a new Master of Public Policy (MPP) program to be offered by the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs beginning with the fall 2022 semester.Full story -
Guy named Distinguished Professor, recipient of inaugural award for excellence in public administration education, and co-editor of new journal
Nov 8, 2021 byThe University of Colorado Board of Regents named Professor Mary Guy as one of 11 new members to its roster of Distinguished Professors, a title signifying the highest honor awarded to faculty across the CU system’s four campuses. Additionally, she was honored with the 2021 Award for Excellence in Public Administration Education, a joint award by two journals, and named co-editor of a new journal on social equity and public administration.Full story -
Q&A with criminal justice student Lydia Buttrick
Nov 5, 2021 byIn this School of Public Affairs interview, student Lydia Buttrick discusses her motivation to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice with a minor in Human Development & Family Relations at CU Denver and her internship experience with a criminal defense law firm in Denver and how it lead to a full-time job.Full story -
New class of CU Distinguished Professors: leaders in research, education, serviceOpens in a new window
Nov 4, 2021Congratulations to Professor Mary Guy of the School of Public Affairs for being named a CU Distinguished Professor for her leadership in research, education, and service.Opens in a new window Full story -
City, Statewide Ballot Propositions ExplainedOpens in a new window
Oct 28, 2021For anyone who might feel hesitant to vote in a year that doesn’t feature a presidential election or other prominent races, we offer the advice of Paul Teske, PhD, dean of CU Denver’s School of Public Affairs.Opens in a new window Full story -
What Is Numeracy?Opens in a new window
Oct 27, 2021In an effort to explain numeracy, we consulted with two faculty experts at CU Denver—Lucy Dwight, PhD, in the School of Public Affairs and Stephanie Santorico, PhD, in the Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences. Simply put, “It’s the basic ability to critically assess information that relies on numerical data,” said Dwight, who teaches quantitative methods.Opens in a new window Full story -
Announcing the Winners of the 2021 CU Denver Pandemic Research and Creative Activities AwardsOpens in a new window
Oct 27, 2021The University of Colorado Denver is proud to announce the winners of the CU Denver 2021 Pandemic Research and Creative Activities Award. Winners from the School of Public Affairs include Dr. Deserai Crow, Professors Angela Gover and Chris Weible, and PhD candidates and lecturers Stephanie Bultema and Jongeun You.Opens in a new window Full story -
Q&A with public administration student Tressa Carter
Oct 1, 2021 byIn this School of Public Affairs interview, student Tressa Carter discusses her motivation to pursue the Pathways Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration-Master of Public Administration program, her experiences as a non-traditional student, and advice for future students.Full story -
Q&A with criminal justice student Sawyer Victor
Sep 14, 2021 byIn this School of Public Affairs interview, student Sawyer Victor discusses his motivation to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice as a fully online, out-of-state transfer student, his career interests, and more.Full story
School of Public Affairs
CU Denver
Lawrence Street Center
1380 Lawrence Street
500
Denver, CO 80204
303-315-2228
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