History

The Master of Public Administration degree program, first offered in 1963, was developed to meet the need for professional education in public administration in the nation's capital. Initially, this program was fostered by a generous gift in 1927 when the Hall of Government was built and dedicated to the study of government and to public service education. In 1950, public administration courses were offered in the School of Government, the Department of Business, and the Department of Political Science located in the College of Arts and Sciences. In 1953, the degree of Master of Arts in Public Administration was offered for the first time in the Political Science Department. Three years later (1956), all graduate public administration courses were consolidated into a new Department of Business and Public Administration located in the School of Government.

In 1963, the School of Government and Business Administration (SGBA) was authorized to establish the Department of Public Administration..

In 1975-6, the Department of Public Administration consolidated two separate degree programs into a single, two-tiered, 36-hour MPA program following the early guidelines of the National Association of Schools of Public Administration and Public Affairs (NASPAA). Further modifications were made to make the MPA program a 40-credit hour degree.

In 2003, the Department of Public Administration was merged with the MPP and Ph.D. programs that were located in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences to form the School of Public Policy and Public Administration as a unit within the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS). Along with GWIPP the School of Public Policy and Public Administration (SPPPA) was one of seven academic units designated as signature programs selective excellence within the University. Building on a strong base of graduate education and research in public policy and administration, SPPPA quickly established itself as one of the nation's leading graduate programs in public administration and public policy.

In 2007, the Board of Trustees of the George Washington University named the School of Public Policy and Public Administration the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration in recognition of the many contributions made by President-emeritus Stephen Joel Trachtenberg during his 19 year tenure as president of the university. An endowment of over $15 million, to be used for the further academic enhancement of the school, accompanies the name change.