School of Public Administration

Webinar series Apply online Our programs
Online Speaker Series invitation

Exploring Ideas and Practices: join us for our weekly online seminar series. For schedule and connection information, view our events page.

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Climate Plan

SPA supports Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities Regional Climate Plan.

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in person closure
School faculty and staff

The School of Public Administration welcomes all of our new and returning students who are developing skills that will positively impact government, communities, and organizations in BC, Canada, and all around the world. By embodying the values of integrity, engaged and courageous scholarship, sustainability, and inclusivity, we are grateful for your contribution to building a better world.

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Ashley Charleson

How do you think your studies at SPA will impact your future? Thank-you to ICDG student, Ashley Charleson, for sharing her answer.

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The School of Public Administration at the University of Victoria is situated on the traditional territory of the Coast Salish People. Our commitment as a School to build respectful relationships with the various Nations and diverse people, and to better respect our environment, creates an amazing momentum for contributing to social betterment. 

Our vision

The School of Public Administration develops leading edge thinkers and professionals who will have a positive impact on the different orders of government, nonprofit organizations and communities in British Columbia, in Canada, and around the world. Through our research, teaching, and engagement, we contribute to the building of a better world.

Our mission

Teaching: The School is dedicated to the training of public sector and community leaders. The School builds on its values, research, and interdisciplinary expertise to offer high quality education to its students. Our students are able to navigate complex settings, and capable of assessing whether and how programs and policies add value to society, in a way that respects the broader public interest and ethics of their profession. We prepare our students to work in a challenging and rapidly evolving environment with diverse stakeholders. We train inquisitive students to speak truth to power with integrity. We offer transformative learning, knowledge and experience.

Contribution to knowledge: The School contributes to cutting-edge knowledge and is a resource to communities and to all orders of government. Our faculty members, with different disciplinary backgrounds, are engaged in applied research relevant for analyzing and solving challenges of policy, management, government, and community. We are committed to a mutually supportive research culture and knowledge mobilization that includes collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders, including students, and practitioners.

Engagement: As engaged scholars, we have a responsibility in building and offering creative and even disruptive knowledge to better serve society.

Our values

Integrity: We value people, democracy, fairness, openness, honesty, accessibility, participation, accountability and transparency.

Engaged and courageous scholarship: We support transformative and disruptive thinking, innovation, creativity, social justice, interdisciplinarity and collaboration.

Sustainability: We value the building of healthy and sustainable communities and societies where each and every person has access to an environment that will support and sustain health and biodiversity.

Inclusivity: We value human rights, equity, indigeneity, respect, and diversity.