University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs

• Doctor of Philosophy 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
• Pathway Bachelor of Arts in Public Service / Master of Public Administration

• Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
• Master of Criminal Justice
• Pathway Bachelor of Arts / Master of Criminal Justice
• Dual Master of Criminal Justice / Master of Public Administration

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
• Disasters, Hazards and Emergency Management
• Emergency Management and Homeland Security
• Environmental Policy and Management
• Gender-Based Violence
• Local Government
• Nonprofit Organizations

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
• Disasters, Hazards and Emergency Management
• Emergency Management and Homeland Security
• Environmental Policy and Management
• Gender-Based Violence
• Local Government
• Nonprofit Organizations

• 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.[6]
• 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.[7]

The School of Public Affairs has 22 tenure-track faculty members[8] and a number of instructors and lecturers.

The School of Public Affairs houses 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.

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.

As director 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.

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.[9]

Drs. Danielle Varda and Robyn Mobbs co-direct 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.

The Criminology and Criminal Justice Research Initiative serves as a resource for public, private and nonprofit criminal justice entities that respond to crime and victimization issues in Colorado. The initiative works with law enforcement agencies, the courts, corrections, victim advocacy groups and others to provide cutting-edge research and analysis on pressing criminal justice issues. The initiative is co-led by Drs. Lonnie Schaible and Angela Gover.

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.[10]

Drs. Chris Weible and 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.

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.[11]

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.[12]

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.[13]

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.[14]

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.[15]

This week-long interactive seminar in Denver, Colorado, is designed for current and aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs working in public and private sector organizations engaged in education systems transformation and redesign. The curriculum provides an in-depth introduction to education systems leadership, politics and policy, and offers participants an opportunity to explore the challenges and opportunities that come with redesigning how education is organized, governed and delivered. The institute is led by Scholar in Residence Parker Baxter.

The School of Public Affairs has more than 7,000 alumni around the globe. Many of them hold prominent leadership positions,[16] including the 5 who made the 2015 "40 Under 40" list in the Denver Business Journal.[17]

• John Ronquillo, Assistant Professor: 2018 CU Innovator Award from CU Online (May 2018)
• Angela Gover, Professor: 2017 Founder's Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (Feb. 2017)[18]
• Mark Pogrebin, Professor: 2016 David R. Maines Narrative Research Award (Nov. 2016)[19]
• Callie Rennison, Professor: 2016 Bonnie S. Fisher Victimology Career Award (Nov. 2016)[20]
• Guyrene Ben, MPA Student: 2015 CU President's Student Diversity award for her work with American Indian STEM students (May 2015)[21]
• Tanya Heikkila, 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)[22]
• Lucy Dwight, Senior Instructor: elected Secretary of the Faculty Assembly for the University of Colorado Denver (April 2015)[23]

Named for the School's founder, the Riethmayer Award annually recognizes a distinguished Colorado public servant. Past recipients include:

• Leo Riethmayer, Professor, Founder of the School of Public Affairs[24]
• John Buechner, Professor and President Emeritus of the University of Colorado[25]
• Marshall Kaplan, Professor, Dean Emerita (1981-1995)[26]
• Peter deLeon, Distinguished Professor[27]
• Linda deLeon, Associate Professor and Associate Dean[28]
• Kathleen Beatty, Professor, Dean Emerita (1996-2008)[29]