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History and Future

The School of Public Policy has grown from a small institute established in 1990 within George Mason University into one of the largest and best public policy schools in the country. Since becoming a School in July 2000, SPP has been the fastest growing unit within the university, with an increased enrollment of more than 70 percent even as admission standards have become more stringent.

The School is also an indispensable resource for policymakers at all levels of private and public organizations, attracting tens of millions of dollars in grants to support research in our laboratories and centers.

Highly motivated students and faculty from traditional academic disciplines such as political science, economics, sociology, geography, history, mathematics, and the sciences to professional fields including public administration, education, law, journalism, engineering, and medicine are drawn to the School. The faculty is among the best in the field, widely published and respected for their expertise in subjects such as national governance, regional development, international commerce, science and technology, and culture and values.

"The collective experience of our faculty has earned us the respect and confidence of lawmakers, business executives, and leaders of important non-profit organizations,'' says Jim Finkelstein, the School's Vice Dean.

The faculty attract financial support from major corporate partners in the form of grants, contracts, and direct contributions. And the School is committed to finding new ways to redirect these resources back into the community by applying the theories and research developed in the classroom to real-world problems to help contribute to a better world.

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