The Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs (formerly the Humphrey Institute) is a graduate public affairs school located at the University of Minnesota, ranking among the top 15 professional schools of public affairs at public universities in the country.[1] It is named after Hubert H. Humphrey, former Vice President of the United States and Presidential candidates. Its program concentration in nonprofit management ranks fifth in the nation. The School is widely recognized for its role in examining public issues and shaping public policy at the local, state, national, and international levels, and for providing leadership and management expertise to public and nonprofit organizations.
Degrees offered at the Humphrey School include: Master of Public Policy (MPP), Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP), Master of Science in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (MS-STEP), Master of Development Practice (MDP) and Mid-career Master of Public Affairs (MPA).
The Humphrey School is organized into six policy areas: Global Policy, Politics and Governance, Public and Nonprofit Leadership, Regional Planning and Policy, Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy, and Social Policy.
On January 18, 2011, the Humphrey Institute was officially renamed the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Outgoing dean J. Brain Atwood sought the name change to reduce confusion among prospective students and constituents outside of Minnesota.
“This confusion is particularly acute in Washington, D.C., where ‘institutes’ are more likely to be ‘think tanks’ than degree-granting institutions, like ours,” Atwood says. “Also, as we recruit a growing number of international students—especially for our new Master of Development Practice degree program—we need to have a clear academic identity in the minds of prospective students.”
“School” is the term used by virtually all of the 280 schools of public affairs across the nation that belong to the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). None of the top-ranked institutions use the term “Institute.”
HHH School of Public Affairs, official website