George Bush School of Government and Public Service

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The George Bush School of Government and Public Service is a graduate public policy school at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. It is named for former President George H.W. Bush. The Bush School is part of the George Bush Presidential Library complex. The graduate school offers four programs: two master's degree programs (Public Service Administration and International Affairs) and two certificate programs (Advanced International Affairs and Homeland Security). The Masters Program in International Affairs (MPIA) program offers a choice of concentration on either National Security Affairs or International Economics and Development. The MPIA program requires the graduate students to pass a foreign language exam in order to graduate. In addition, the school offers both certificate programs online. Texas A&M has begun planning and faculty collaboration that would expand the current Certificate in Homeland Security Program into a Master of Science in Homeland Security Program^[1], coordinated by the Integrative Center for Homeland Security, recognized as a national leader in the emerging field of homeland security strategy and policy.

The school is relatively small, accepting approximately 30 students each year per master's program, for a total of about 120 students. The school's endowment allows a generous scholarship for most students, including a grant of up to $1,300 to purchase a laptop before the first year.

The Bush School encourages public service through student led organizations. The Public Service Organization, or PSO, participates in many community service and charitable projects, including mentoring young students at area elementary schools, volunteering at the Brazos County Food Bank, and supplying schools in Afghanistan with school supplies. The Bush School Student Government Association is comprised of student representatives from each program, responsible for creating student policies and providing the faculty and administration with feedback on student needs. The school newspaper, The Public Servant, is a student-composed publication and consists of articles highlighting school progress as well as current events.

Dr. Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense and former Director of Central Intelligence, was the school's first dean before becoming president of the university. Dick Chilcoat, Lt. General US Army Retired, is the current dean. Prior to joining the Bush School, he served as Commandant of the United States Army War College, 1994-1997, and President of the National Defense University, 1997-2000.

The school enjoys plentiful privileges and opportunities that come from being associated with a living former president, George H. W. Bush. Among these are exceptional and prestigious professors, counsel from the former president, and frequent visits from past and present public service professionals. Past visitors include Mikhail Gorbachev, Dick Cheney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Donna Brazile, Carlos M. Gutierrez, Mike Krzyzewski, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Alexis Hermann, Antonin Scalia, Jim McIngvale, General Charles C. Krulak, Helmut Kohl, Ted Kennedy, Jiang Zemin, and Teri Hatcher.