The School of Public and International Affairs, also referred to as SPIA, is a political science

Political science

Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...

, international affairs

International relations

International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...

 and public policy school

Public policy school

Public policy schools teach students policy analysis, policy studies, public policy, political economy, urban planning, public administration, public affairs, and public management.Public policy schools offer a wide range of public policy degrees...

 within The University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens

Athens, Georgia

Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...

, Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

History

The School opened in 2001 when the department of political science

Political science

Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...

 separated from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences

Franklin College of Arts and Sciences

The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences is the founding college of the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, United States. The college was named in honor of Benjamin Franklin.-History:...

. Since then, the School has added two additional departments (international affairs

International relations

International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...

 and public administration and policy

Public administration

Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....

). The Master of Public Administration

Master of Public Administration

The Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...

 program is currently ranked fourth in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.

Departments and centers

The following departments are part of the School:

• Department of International Affairs
• Department of Political Science
• Department of Public Administration and Policy

The Center for International Trade and Security (CITS) and the Center for the Study of Global Issues (GLOBIS) are part of the School of Public and International Affairs.

Undergraduate degrees

The following undergraduate degrees are offered by the School:

• Bachelor of Arts
  Bachelor of Arts
  A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
  
   (A.B.
  Bachelor of Arts
  A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
  
  ) in Political Science
• Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) in International Affairs
• Joint Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) in Criminal Justice Studies (with Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
  Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
  The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences is the founding college of the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, United States. The college was named in honor of Benjamin Franklin.-History:...
  
  )

Graduate degrees

The following graduate

Graduate school

A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...

 degrees are offered by the School:

• Master of Arts
  Master of Arts (postgraduate)
  A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
  
   (M.A.) in Political Science
• Masters of Public Administration (M.P.A.)
• Masters of International Policy (M.I.P.)
• Ph.D.
  Ph.D.
  A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
  
  in Public Administration
• Ph.D. in Political Science