Primary emphasis is on academic placements at research universities. The program's small size is designed to allow students to work closely with SPAP faculty. Students take courses throughout the university making their work highly interdisciplinary. Tucson offers a broad range of cultural activities and attractions. Its exquisite weather and surrounding mountains make it a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts interested in sports and nature.
Most students are professionals established in a career.
Many faculty are professionals practicing what they teach. Primarily university appointments in public policy or directors of governmental agencies. Normally, the program is limited to MPPs from the school. Located in one of the major centers of scholarship in the world, which surveys repeatedly place as the best graduate institution in this country in terms of quality of its faculty and faculty publications. Varies with student.