The University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs is located in the historic Lower Downtown ("LoDo") district of Denver, Colorado. The School is ranked 34th among schools of public affairs in the United States and is fully accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA). The School enrolls approximately 700 students in graduate programs in public administration, public affairs and criminal justice, and undergraduate programs in criminal justice and public service.
The School of Public Affairs hosts a wide range of events each year featuring distinguished practitioners, community leaders and politicians. It is also home to a number of highly regarded leadership development programs, including the Colorado Certified Public Manager Program and the Network Leadership Training Academy.
Paul Teske, a University of Colorado Distinguished Professor, was appointed Dean of the School in July 2008. Prior to his appointment as Dean, Teske served as the Director of the Center for Education Policy Analysis and Director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the School of Public Affairs, in addition to his teaching and research activities as a professor. He earned his Ph.D. and M.P.A. degrees in Public Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. Teske received a B.A. in economics and political science, with highest honors in economics, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a James Johnston Scholar and Phi Beta Kappa.
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Academics
The School of Public Affairs offers a number of highly ranked programs, including environmental policy and management (ranked 10th), nonprofit management (15th), public management administration (24th), and city management and urban policy (25th). The online Master of Criminal Justice program was ranked in the top 13 nationwide in January 2017.
Courses in all of the School's degree and certificate programs are designed to provide students with both theoretical frameworks and practical knowledge, and are taught by full-time faculty as well as distinguished practitioners.
Degree Programs
Public Affairs and Administration
- Ph.D. in Public Affairs
- Master of Public Administration
- Bachelor of Arts in Public Service
- Dual Master of Public Administration / Master of Criminal Justice
- Dual Master of Public Administration / Juris Doctor (Boulder)
- Dual Master of Public Administration / Master's in Economics
- Dual Master of Public Administration / Master of Public Health
- Dual Master of Public Administration / Master of Urban and Regional Planning
- Dual Bachelor / Master of Public Administration
Criminal Justice
- Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
- Master of Criminal Justice
- Dual Bachelor / Master of Criminal Justice
- Dual Master of Criminal Justice / Master of Public Administration
Concentration Areas
Both the Master of Public Administration and Master of Criminal Justice programs offer students the opportunity to select a concentration area within the degree. Approximately one-third of the Master's students select and complete a specific concentration; others choose electives from a variety of concentration areas to best meet their professional goals.
- Crime Analyst
- Emergency Management and Homeland Security
- Environmental Policy, Management and Law
- Interpersonal Violence and Health Care
- Local Government
- Nonprofit Organizations
- Program on Gender-Based Violence
Graduate Certificates
The School of Public Affairs offers a variety of graduate certificates to help individuals advance in their career. Anyone who has completed a bachelor's degree from an accredited university is eligible to enroll in one of the School's graduate certificate programs.
- Crime Analyst
- Emergency Management and Homeland Security
- Environmental Policy, Management and Law
- Interpersonal Violence and Health Care
- Local Government
- Nonprofit Organizations
- Program on Gender-Based Violence
Other Certificate Programs
- Colorado Certified Public Manager Program: The School offers a nationally accredited certification program for public managers that consists of 12 modules conducted via weekend seminars and an online format.
- Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Certificate: The School is a partner in the Center for Sustainable Infrastructure Systems and offers a multi-disciplinary, four-course certificate in Sustainable Urban Infrastructure.
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Research and Outreach
School of Public Affairs faculty are highly productive researchers and recognized leaders in their areas of specialization. They conduct research that informs policy making and management in the public and nonprofit sectors, and are actively engaged in the critical issues and debates in their fields.
Faculty Roster and Research Interests
Research Centers
The School of Public Affairs houses five research centers with affiliated professional development opportunities, each of which contribute to issues that are important to the people of Colorado. Researchers affiliated with these centers bring diverse, substantive expertise to bear on critical issues in Colorado and across the nation.
Local Government
As interim head of the Center for Local Government, Dr. Toddy Ely works with city managers, the Colorado Municipal League, the Denver Regional Council of Governments, the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and others on local government issues like fiscal indicators, resilient response to emergencies and transit-oriented development. Training is offered through the Center's Certified Public Manager program.
Education Policy and Governance
Led by Dean Paul Teske, the Center for Education Policy Analysis aims to advance public education by serving as the go-to resource for education decision-makers. CEPA works with state, local and nonprofit partners interested in analysis of school finance, governance, innovation and reform, and policy implementation. The Center also manages the Education Policy Fellowship Program.
Network Science
Dr. Danielle Varda directs the Center on Network Science, which works to improve network systems by serving as a resource for network managers and leaders. The center builds the knowledge, skills and tools available for practitioners to use data to promote change, understand their networks and improve their collaborations. Training is offered through the Network Leadership Training Academy.
Criminology, Justice and Victimization
Dr. Angela Gover and Dr. Lonnie Schaible co-direct the Criminology, Justice and Victimization Research Center, which connects practitioners to empirical research on domestic violence, gun violence, policing strategies and human trafficking.
Workshop on Policy Process Research
Dr. Chris Weible and Dr. Tanya Heikkila run this workshop, which focuses on how difficult policy issues, especially in the area of environmental policy, are discussed and resolved. Recent work has focused on organic agriculture regulation, aquaculture, fracking and water policy in Colorado.
Center on Domestic Violence
Founded in 2000, the CDV is an academic, research and service center whose work focuses on ending domestic violence by fostering institutional and social change through leadership development, education, research and community collaboration. The Center is led by Barbara Paradiso.
Wirth Chair in Sustainable Development
The University of Colorado established the Wirth Chair in Environmental and Community Development Policy in 1993. It honors the environmental and sustainable development achievements of former Senator and Undersecretary of State Timothy E. Wirth. The Wirth program works to fulfill its mission through a variety of ongoing programs and activities, including monthly Sustainability Series events, the annual Wirth Chair Sustainability Awards, and extended learning trips to international sustainability sites. The current Wirth Chair is Mark Safty.
Leadership and Governance Training
Certified Public Manager Program
Designed to offer individuals in the public and nonprofit sectors an opportunity to develop and improve their management and leadership skills. CPM meets the needs of the state's professional community through instruction offered by seasoned practitioners and university faculty affiliates.
Colorado Education Policy Fellowship Program
This 10-month professional development program is designed for individuals whose work record reflects strong leadership abilities and a concern for issues important to children and education. Participants hold full-time positions in diverse organizations at the local, state and national levels.
Network Leadership Training Academy
Public sector leaders learn, share ideas and develop skills for the "network way of working." Many are struggling to find tools and a place to build skills for this new way of connecting across boundaries. This training includes conversations about network leadership, activities to share and demonstrate skills and ideas, and tools to translate back to practice.
Denver Community Leadership Forum
For over three decades, the DCLF has helped shape the skills community leaders need to turn challenge into opportunity and conflict into collaboration. The program aims to build strong linkages and working relationships among leaders from different sectors and provide an understanding of new leadership needs and capacities.
Rocky Mountain Leadership Program
In this intensive residential seminar participants examine their role in the public sector, explore the changing environment in which they operate and develop leadership skills to facilitate effective public action. Attendees include elected officials and upper-level managers from the federal, state and local levels of government, and nonprofits.
Notable People
Alumni
The School of Public Affairs has 4,000-plus alums around the globe. Many of them hold prominent leadership positions, including the 5 who made the 2015 "40 Under 40" list in the Denver Business Journal.
Below is an abbreviated list of some of the School's prominent alums, their degree program and current position:
- Susan Aldridge, PhD, Sr. Vice President for Online Learning, Drexel University; President, Drexel University Online
- Katy Anthes, PhD, Interim Commissioner, Colorado Department of Education
- Jim Burack, MCJ, Director, Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division
- Rachel Chaparro, MPA, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (Consultant) Economic Liaison, CALIBRE Systems
- Deserai Crow, MPA, Associate Professor, School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver
- Mark Davis, PhD, Assistant Professor, West Chester University
- Erik Estrada, MPA, Senior Corporate Counsel, Level 3 Communications
- James Garcia, MPA, Executive Director, Clinica Tepeyac
- Alec Garnett, AMPA, Representative, Colorado House District 2
- Donessa Gaspar, MCJ, Security Specialist, Bureau of Reclamation
- Michael Hancock, MPA, Mayor, City of Denver
- Allegra "Happy" Haynes, MPA, Denver Deputy Mayor and Executive Director, Department of Parks and Recreation
- Chris Herndon, ExecMPA, Denver City Council, District 8
- Elsa I. Holguín, MPA, Senior Program Officer - Child & Family Development, Rose Community Foundation
- Stephen M. Jordan, Ph.D., President, Metropolitan State University of Denver
- Mike King, MPA, Director of Planning, Denver Water
- Genia Larson Herndon, DCLF, Asst. Vice Chancellor for University Advancement and Student Engagement, CU Denver
- Jack McGrath, PhD, Undersheriff, Weld County Sheriff's Department
- Olivia Mendoza, MPA, Director - Minority Business Office, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade
- Amy Mueller Edinger, MPA, COO, Denver Office of Economic Development
- Kevin Patterson, MPA, Chief Executive Officer, Connect for Health Colorado
- Collette Peterson, MCJ, Director of Corrections, State of Oregon
- Melinda Pollack, MPA, Vice President - Transit Oriented Development, Enterprise Community Partners
- Spiros Protopsaltis, PhD, Deputy Asst. Secty. for Higher Education and Student Financial Aid, U.S. Dept. of Education
- Dianne Ray, MPA, Colorado State Auditor
- Dana Reynolds, MCJ, Deputy Director, Colo. Div. of Homeland Security and Emergency Mgmt.
- Saba Saddiki, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University-Purdue University
- Aaron Sanchez, MCJ, Vice and Narcotics Bureau, Denver Police Department
- Melissa Savage, MPA, Senior Director, National Association of State Energy Officers
- Gloria Schoch, MPA, Vice President, Government Affairs, MillerCoors
- Laurie Shroyer, PhD, Assistant Dean for Research, Stony Brook Medical School
- Justin Smith, MCJ, Sheriff, Larimer County, Colorado
- Rulon Stacey, PhD, Managing Director, Navigant
- Greg Testa, MCJ, Chief of Police, City of Boulder
- Liz Tomsich, PhD, Assistant Professor, Texas A&M International
- Laura Valcore, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Houston-Downtown
- Jamie Van Leeuwen, PhD, Senior Advisor to Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper
- Patricia Woodin, MCJ, Investigations Division Chief, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
Awards and Honors
- Callie Rennison, Professor: 2016 Bonnie S. Fisher Victimology Career Award (Nov. 2016)
- Guyrene Ben, MPA Student: 2015 CU President's Student Diversity award for her work with American Indian STEM students (May 2015)
- Tanya Heikkila, Associate Professor: 2015 CU Denver Graduate School Dean's Mentoring Award (April 2015)
- Mary Guy, Professor: 2015 CU Denver campus Award for Excellence in Leadership and Service (April 2015)
- Lucy Dwight, Senior Instructor: elected Secretary of the Faculty Assembly for the University of Colorado Denver (April 2015)
Leo C. Riethmayer Outstanding Colorado Public Administrator Award
Named for the School's founder, the Riethmayer Award annually recognizes a distinguished Colorado public servant. Past recipients include:
Former Faculty
- Leo Riethmayer, Professor, Founder of the School of Public Affairs
- John Buechner, Professor and President Emeritus of the University of Colorado
- Marshall Kaplan, Professor, Dean Emerita (1981-1995)
- Peter deLeon, Distinguished Professor
- Linda deLeon, Associate Professor and Associate Dean
- Kathleen Beatty, Professor, Dean Emerita (1996-2008)
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