Virginia Tech School of Public and International Affairs

The School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), one of four schools in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies (CAUS), is comprised of three dynamic academic programs: Center for Public Administration and Policy (CPAP), Government and International Affairs (GIA), and Urban Affairs and Planning (UAP). Each program consists of a robust cohort of faculty and researchers, led by a program chair who oversees the degree offerings across our three Virginia locations, Blacksburg, Alexandria, and Richmond. Many SPIA courses take advantage of distance learning technologies in order to make classes available in multiple locations. Many of the graduate degree programs, especially in the National Capital Region, are designed to accommodate the busy schedule of the working professional.

It is the obligation of SPIA, in keeping with the public land-grant mission, to model the practice of good governance that we expect of government more generally, to offer insight and support for the most pressing policy questions of our time, and to be a voice for public service and the importance of research and knowledge in the policy-making process.