UPDATED: Sept. 17, 2015 at 1:34 p.m.

Syracuse University’s nearly 100-year-old Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs is a national leader in public administration.

U.S. News and World Report ranked Maxwell’s public administration and international affairs program No. 1 in public affairs programs nationwide in 2012, a ranking it has held since 1995. The program prepares students for leadership roles in government, nonprofits and other fields, according to the U.S. News and World Report website.

Program leaders said the recent rankings will help bring greater recognition to the Maxwell school and its graduate degree program.

“We’ve been a recognized leader in our field almost since the beginning,” said David Van Slyke, professor and chair of the public administration and international affairs program at SU. “Even so, we do not rest on our laurels and are always striving to provide innovative and cutting-edge scholarship and education on behalf of our students.”

The program was the first of its kind when it was conceived almost 90 years ago, according to a 2008 press release by the Maxwell School. Through the years, the public affairs field has become a pathway to careers in the public, nonprofit and private sectors that “help make the world a better place,” Van Slyke said.

Maxwell’s 40-credit program has nine core courses, including public administration and democracy, economics for public decisions, executive leadership and policy politics, among others. In addition to the standard 40-credit program, the school offers a two-year joint program with international relations.

“Public service means using one’s abilities and opportunities to contribute to the broad public good across levels of government and with nonprofit and for-profit organizations,” the program’s mission statement states. “The (Master of Public Administration) program is grounded in a comprehensive view of public service education that appreciates the need for three areas of mastery.”

The school boasts many alumni who have excelled in their respective fields, including NCAA President Mark Emmert, former Deputy Secretary of Defense John White, U.S. Representative Steve Rothman and many college presidents, according to the Maxwell website.

Though Maxwell is about to embark on a transitional period as Dean James Steinberg announced Sept. 1 that he would be stepping down following the 2015-16 academic year, the school maintains a competitive edge in both its programs and recent graduates.

“They are sought-after by employers across all sectors of government, the nonprofit and related private sectors,” Van Slyke said regarding the program’s graduates. “With the education they obtain at Maxwell they are well poised to hit the ground running and move into positions of influence and leadership all over the U.S. and the world.”

Correction: In a previous version of this story, information about the Maxwell school’s ranking was misstated. Maxwell was ranked No. 1 in 2012, a ranking it has held since 1995. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

Published on September 16, 2015 at 9:34 pm

Contact Kenneth: kmintz@syr.edu