The Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) at the George Washington University is a school of political management and applied politics, strategic communications and civic engagement. Its graduates hold myriad professional titles including campaign managers, pollsters, speechwriters, communications professionals, legislative aides and directors, candidates, lobbyists, and new media experts.
It is the only school of applied politics in Washington, D.C. The faculty trains students of all political persuasions in how to win campaigns, advance legislative goals and impact public opinion ethically.
GSPM's master's degree program in Strategic Public Relations was named PRWeek's PR Education Program of the Year in 2015, cited for the "phenomenal guidance" professors provide and a "hugely innovative, world-class curriculum."
GSPM is led by Lara Brown, a political scientist, author, and presidential appointee serving under President Bill Clinton in the Department of Education.
History
GSPM was founded in 1987 as an independent graduate school chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, with the understanding that proper politics requires training.
The school's first class convened on the Manhattan campus of Baruch College. In 1991, the school opened a degree program on the urban campus of the George Washington University, in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, just a few blocks from the White House, Capitol Hill, both major political parties and many of the top consulting, lobbying and public relations firms in the country.
The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences formally acquired GSPM in 1995, and in 2006, the school moved into the College of Professional Studies (CPS), where it is currently located. Designed for working professionals, classes meet in the evenings.
The school's Washington, D.C. connections mean students learn in the classroom but also in campaign offices, legislative suites, lobbying shops, PR agencies, and news bureaus.
Centers
The Global Center for Political Management
The Global Center for Political Management is the school's research department. It focuses on public opinion survey data through the Society of Presidential Pollsters, as well as the George Washington University Battleground Poll. The school researches the use of social media through its Public Echoes Of Rhetoric In America (PEORIA) Project, which uses data from Twitter to explore how campaign messages are developed and spread through social media.
Alumni
GSPM has more than 2,000 alumni all around the world, representing more than 40 nations and working in government, politics, public relations and public affairs.