map3

Join NASPAA

NASPAA's Membership Application is completed in Survey Monkey. Below is information outlining the short process, including what data you will need to have ready before completing your online application.
Full Membership Application  Associate Membership Application

A reference PDF of the Full Membership Application can be downloaded here.

Membership Comparison Table

*Annual dues for FULL/INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERS (Subject to Change):

  • 0-50 Students: $893
  • 51-100 Students: $1,872
  • 101-175 Students: $2,623
  • 176-250 Students: $3,625
  • 251-400 Students: $4,124
  • 401-550 Students: $4,625
  • 551-850 Students: $5126
  • 851-1150 Students: $5,627
  • 1151-1750 Students: $6,288
  • More than 1750. Please specify the number. NASPAA Membership will contact you to discuss pricing.

The annual membership cycle ends each year on June 30th and the next year begins on July 1st. 

Institutions may apply for membership at any time. Initial membership dues for newly accepted institutions are prorated based on how many months remain in the fiscal year.

Criteria for Membership

Programs that have a substantial commitment to the purpose of the Association, and which have established curricula leading to professional graduate or undergraduate degrees in public policy, affairs, administration, nonprofit or similar disciplines can be considered for membership.  The organizational structure and location of the degree-granting unit (within a college, a stand-alone school, a department, an institute, etc.) does not matter.  NASPAA accepts members globally. 

Membership does not automatically grant accreditation to degree programs, or imply that NASPAA has made any judgment about the quality of a member's academic program.

Application Review and Approval Process

Membership applications are reviewed every 2-3 months by NASPAA's Executive Council. Once your application has been submitted, it will be queued to be reviewed at the next opportunity. Once reviewed, NASPAA's membership department will contact you with the Executive Council's decision. If approved, you will receive a prorated membership invoice, a welcome packet, and a list of benefits and upcoming events that you can take advantage of with your new NASPAA membership status. The benefits that you are eligible for depend on the type of membership you are approved for. If you have questions about this process or if you would like to inquire about the status of an existing application, please contact membership@naspaa.org.

More about Membership

Code of Good Practice

A program holding membership in NASPAA:

  • Pursues excellence and quality in its provision of public affairs education. 

  • Continuously operationalizes the commitment to public service among students, faculty, alumni, and other constituencies, and holds the profession of public service in the highest esteem.

  • Recognizes its responsibility to the community of public affairs institutions by participating in developmental activities to help other NASPAA schools and by providing enrollment and faculty data. 

  • Posts a link on the program’s website to the NASPAA web site discussion of quality in public affairs education: https://www.naspaa.org/membership/join-naspaa/naspaa-code-good-practice

  • Pursues diversity in student body, faculty, and curriculum.

  • Integrates ethics into the curriculum and all aspects of program operation, and expects students and faculty to exhibit the highest ethical standards in their teaching, research, and service.

  • Focuses on the preparation of students for professional careers in public service, emphasizing both the values and ethics of public service, and the development of professional skills and knowledge.

  • Recognizes the importance of contributions of students, faculty, alumni, and employers to improving the relevance and quality of the program. 

  • Uses student learning outcomes and other outcome measures to help improve program effectiveness.

  • Is committed to the holistic development of the individual student as a professional—including admission advisement; support of student learning, research, and service; summative learning experiences, and career placement and advisement. 

  • Offers a multi-disciplinary curriculum that includes coverage of management, organization, policy, human resources, political institutions, economics, quantitative methods, and IT management.

  • Honestly represents the meaning of NASPAA membership without implying accreditation.

 

Value of Membership

The Ten Best Reasons to Join NASPAA:

  1. Your students can participate in– and win!— our Global Student Simulation Competition, at many sites around the world.

  2. Get international advice on building a globally engaged, globally visible program at our annual conference, and through our electronic networks. Connect with the top public service institutions and faculty around the world.

  3. Improve your program-- through learning about best practices from the JPAE journal, Admissions Meeting, and Career Professionals Conference to participation in strategic program management seminars and accreditation workshops.

  4. Recruit your next faculty member or program leader through networking at NASPAA events and our electronic job board. Or, even discover your next position!

  5. Support better teaching and learning in your classrooms: tap into online simulation and case resources.

  6. Attract more students, possessing better understanding of your unique program, through the world’s best comprehensive student search site for our field.

  7. Raise up your students through our student honor society, the simulation competition, and PhD Pathway resources.

  8. Promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16!— join us to build transparency, accountability, and participation into your curriculum.  

  9. Develop more innovative and relevant curriculum -- Data science, NGOs, Social entrepreneurship, Globalization. Be at the cutting edge.

  10. Stand up for public service… and public service education!

Criteria for Membership

Programs that have a substantial commitment to the purpose of the Association, and which have established curricula leading to professional graduate or undergraduate degrees in public policy, affairs, administration, nonprofit or similar disciplines can be considered for membership.  The organizational structure and location of the degree-granting unit (within a college, a stand-alone school, a department, an institute, etc.) do not matter.  NASPAA accepts members globally. 

Membership does not automatically grant accreditation to degree programs or imply that NASPAA has made any judgment about the quality of a member's academic program.

Contact Us

Email membership@naspaa.org if you have any questions.