What Departments and Centers Are Part of SPIA at the University of Georgia?
SPIA at the University of Georgia is organized around three academic departments and four named centers. The departments are Public Administration & Policy, Political Science, and International Affairs. The centers are the Center for the Study of Global Issues (GLOBIS), the SPIA Survey Research Center, and the Benson-Bertsch Center for International Trade & Security (CITS). Together they support SPIA's undergraduate and graduate teaching in international affairs, political science, and public administration and policy.
The Three Departments
SPIA's departments are the core academic units where degrees and faculty are housed.
| Department | Focus area | SPIA's framing |
|---|---|---|
| Public Administration & Policy | Public management, policy analysis, and governance | "Leadership Begins Here" |
| Political Science | Politics, government, and political behavior | "Opportunity Begins Here" |
| International Affairs | Global politics, diplomacy, and international relations | "Engagement Begins Here" |
These three fields map directly onto the school's stated purpose: preparing students for careers in public life and training future teachers and scholars in international affairs, political science, and public administration and policy.
The Centers and Their Roles
The centers extend the departments' work into research, survey methods, and specialized policy areas.
- Center for the Study of Global Issues (GLOBIS) — global and international issues; framed as "Global Impact Begins Here."
- SPIA Survey Research Center — survey research and data collection; framed as "Knowledge Begins Here."
- Benson-Bertsch Center for International Trade & Security (CITS) — international trade and security policy; framed as "A Better Future Begins Here."
Note that the source page lists these under a "Departments & Centers" heading and describes each with a short tagline rather than a detailed program list. If you need specifics such as affiliated faculty, current projects, or course offerings tied to a particular center, check that center's own page within spia.uga.edu.
How the Units Fit Together
SPIA describes its approach as combining experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community engagement. In practice, that means a student's home department determines the degree, while centers provide research opportunities, events, and specialized focus areas that cut across departments. For example, a student in International Affairs might work with GLOBIS on global issues or with CITS on trade and security topics.
The school also notes that its students are awarded prestigious scholarships and fellowships in the field, and that it offers undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, certificates, selective programs, and study away programs.
Where to Go Next
If you are choosing a path, start with the department that matches your intended degree — Public Administration & Policy, Political Science, or International Affairs — then look at which center aligns with your research or career interest. The "Explore Our Degrees" and "Start your Journey" sections of spia.uga.edu are the entry points for program-level details.