Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs

Infobox_University
name = Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs
established = 1967 (1999)
type = Public
faculty = 22
director = Carolyn Heinrich
students = 110
city = Madison
state = Wisconsin
country = United States
campus = University of Wisconsin-Madison
website = [http://www.lafollette.wisc.edu/ www.lafollette.wisc.edu] The Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs, commonly known as the "La Follette School", is the graduate public policy school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It offers students a choice of master's degrees in public affairs or international public affairs, as well as a number of joint degrees with other departments. The La Follette School is based in the Observatory Hill Office Building, the second-oldest structure on campus.

History

The school was founded in 1967 as the Center for the Study of Public Policy and Administration by Clara Penniman, the first woman to chair the UW political science department. In 1983 it was separated from the department by an act of the Wisconsin Legislature, which established an Institute of Public Affairs named for Wisconsin governor and U.S. senator Robert M. La Follette, Sr. The Institute was upgraded to a School in 1999.

Program of study

There are currently two graduate degrees offered by the La Follette School:
*Master of Public Affairs (MPA)
*Master of International Public Affairs (MIPA)The MPA is a standard public policy degree, based around a core curriculum of policy analysis and development, public management, microeconomics, and statistics. The MIPA, a relatively new degree, has a greater focus on macroeconomics and international trade. Both are designed as two-year professional programs, with a capstone research project for real-world clients during the final semester. Students select one or more focus fields, such as public finance, social and poverty policy, or international development.

Additionally, students can enroll in joint degree programs with other university departments:
*Law and Public Policy, with the Law School (JD and MPA)
*Urban Planning and Public Affairs, with the Department of Urban and Regional Planning (MS in urban and regional planning and MPA)
*Public Health and Public Policy, with the School of Medicine and Public Health (Master of Public Health and MPA)
*Energy Analysis and Public Policy, with the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies (MPA with a certificate in energy analysis and policy
*Neuroscience and Public Policy, with the Neuroscience Training Program (Ph.D. in neuroscience and MPA)There is also an accelerated program where undergraduate students can complete their first year of graduate study during their senior year.

External links

[http://www.lafollette.wisc.edu/ La Follette School of Public Affairs]