Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs

Master of Global Policy Studies
Master of Public Affairs
Doctor of Philosophy (in Public Policy)

For More Information

Campus address: Sid Richardson Hall (SRH) 3.107, phone (512) 471-4292, fax (512) 471-8455; campus mail code: E2700

Mailing address: The University of Texas at Austin, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, P O Box Y, Austin TX 78713

E-mail: lbjadmit@uts.cc.utexas.edu

URL: http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/

Facilities for Graduate Work

The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs is housed in Sid Richardson Hall, adjacent to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum.

The school’s computation center maintains a computer laboratory and provides access to the Internet and to the University’s computer infrastructure. The laboratory is reserved for public affairs students and is available twenty-four hours a day.

Areas of Study

Graduate study in public affairs is interdisciplinary, research oriented, and built around public policy problems.

Master of Global Policy Studies

This degree program is designed to provide students with the tools and knowledge necessary to be leaders in an increasingly interdependent world. The program offers a multidisciplinary approach to studying the complex economic, political, technological, and social issues of the twenty-first century. Students pursuing the Master of Global Policy Studies select a specialization in security, law, and diplomacy; international trade and finance; development; global governance and international law; international energy, environment, and technology; or regional international policy. Students may also propose their own specialization, which is subject to approval.

Master of Public Affairs

This degree program aims to provide students with the skills and understanding required for effective professional leadership in developing and implementing public policies. While there is no specific requirement to do so, Master of Public Affairs students may elect to organize their studies around certain areas of specialization. Depending on his or her qualifications, a student can pursue the Master of Public Affairs degree through the regular program, a dual degree program, the midcareer option, or the executive program in public leadership.

Doctor of Philosophy

The doctoral degree program in public policy is a research-oriented program designed to give the student substantial knowledge of one or more disciplines, an understanding of the policy process, and technical mastery of advanced research skills. It is intended to develop research scholars and university teachers who can make substantive contributions to our understanding of complex public policy problems and who can conduct research in multidisciplinary settings.

Graduate Studies Committee

The following faculty members served on the Graduate Studies Committee in the spring semester 2015.

Jacqueline L Angel Robert D Auerbach Leigh B Boske Joshua W Busby Robert M Chesney Edwin Dorn David J Eaton Joshua David Eisenman Kenneth Flamm James K Galbraith Charles E Gholz Michael H Granof Carolyn Heinrich Robert L Hutchings William Inboden Bobby R Inman Christopher T King Alan J Kuperman Erin Lentz Jane Lincove

Sheila Marie Olmstead Todd A Olmstead Cynthia Osborne Francie Ostrower Varun Rai Samuel Starr Richardson Victoria E Rodriguez William G Spelman David W Springer Paul J Stekler Chandler W Stolp Jeremi Suri Philip U Treisman Paul Von Hippel Peter Ward David C Warner Catherine Elizabeth Weaver Robert H Wilson Patrick P Wong

Admission Requirements

Admission decisions are made by the Admissions Committee. The committee considers an applicant’s academic and employment records, his or her scores on the Graduate Record Examinations General Test, three letters of recommendation from professors or employers, and three essay questions addressing the applicant’s background and interest in public policy. A résumé and transcripts for all college coursework are also required. 

While there are no prescribed course prerequisites, students entering the Master of Public Affairs program are expected to have completed coursework in three areas: mathematics and statistics, economics, and American government. Many students find it useful to take a review course in college algebra, calculus, and statistics the summer before entering the program. Students entering the Master of Global Policy Studies program are also expected to have completed undergraduate coursework in statistics. In addition, many students find the following courses to be useful: two semesters of principles of economics, at least one semester of undergraduate international relations or world history, and one semester of calculus. Applicants to the doctoral degree program are expected to have a graduate degree from a policy–related academic or professional program.

Additional information on degree requirements and the application process is available from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs Web site.