Bush School of Government and Public Service
Administrative Officers
Dean – Hon. John B. Sherman '92
Executive Associate Dean – Maria C. Escobar-Lemmon, PhD
Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs – Leroy G. Dorsey, PhD
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education – Michelle M. Taylor-Robinson, PhD
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs – Robert R. Shandley, PhD
Assistant Dean for Graduate Career and Student Services – Matthew Upton, PhD
Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration – Joe Dillard
Assistant Dean for Development, Alumni Relations, and Strategic Initiatives – Joy Monroe
About the Bush School of Government and Public Service
The Bush School of Government and Public Service offers degree programs at all levels of study: Bachelor's degrees and Master's degrees in International Affairs, Political Science, and Public Service and Administration, a Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science, and diverse certificate programs.
Master degrees are offered in five areas: Master of Public Service and Administration (MPSA), Master of International Affairs (MIA), Master of International Policy (MIP), Master of National Security and Intelligence (MNSI), and Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Political Science. These degree programs prepare students for careers in public service spanning the public and nonprofit sectors, in the United States and in the international arena. The MPSA, MIA, and MSc degrees are offered at the College Station campus, the MIP degree is offered both in College Station and at the Bush School’s Washington, D.C. teaching site, and the MNSI is offered at the Washington D.C. teaching site. Admission into the MIP degree program requires six years of international experience, broadly understood. For students with five or more years of professional experience, we also offer the Executive Master of Public Service and Administration (EMPSA), which is an online degree program with two required one-week sessions in residence.
Students in the International Affairs and Political Science undergraduate programs, as well as students from Economics, Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, can also apply for the Bachelor’s and Master’s combination program. Students begin their studies in the relevant undergraduate major and then apply to the MPSA or MIA program in the Fall semester of their junior year.
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Political Science is offered through the Department of Political Science. The PhD program emphasizes theoretical and methodological rigor and is designed to train applied social scientists for careers in research. All PhD students complete a common core of formal theory, statistical modeling, and general substantive requirements, in addition to developing expertise in a major and two minor fields selected from: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, Public Administration/Public Policy, Advanced Research Methodology, and Race, Ethnic, and Gender Politics. In all of these fields of study the program emphasizes the role of incentives, institutions, and strategies in the aggregation of preferences and ultimately the allocation of resources.
The Bush School also offers certificate programs on diverse topics. For those seeking to strengthen their skills in international affairs or homeland security, the graduate certificate in Advanced International Affairs, or the graduate certificate in Homeland Security are offered. For those who seek to enhance their understanding of nonprofit organizations and management practices appropriate to the nonprofit sector we have the graduate certificate in Nonprofit Management and the graduate certificate in Public Management. For students interested in public policy analysis, we have the certificate in Public Policy Analysis. The certificate in Geospatial Intelligence is for those seeking the combination of a technical skill set, knowledge of intelligence processes and critical thinking ability required of practitioners. The graduate certificate in National Security Affairs is an executive-level program tailored to the needs of the Department of Energy National Security Laboratories and Facilities. Certificates vary in residence requirements and some certificates have remote learning or combined format options.