Mark O. Hatfield School of Government

Mark O. Hatfield School of Government
Name	Mark O. Hatfield School of Government
Established	1987
Type	Public
Parent	Portland State University
City	Portland, Oregon
Country	United States
Dean	TBD

Contents

Mark O. Hatfield School of Government is a public policy and public affairs school located within Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, United States. The school offers professional and academic programs in public administration, public policy, and nonprofit management and participates in regional and national policy networks involving Oregon State Legislature, United States Congress, National Governors Association, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It engages with civic partners such as City of Portland (Oregon), Multnomah County, Port of Portland, and national organizations including American Political Science Association, International City/County Management Association, and Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.

History

The school was founded in 1987 during an era marked by policy debates involving figures like Mark O. Hatfield, Ronald Reagan, Michael Dukakis, George H. W. Bush, and institutions such as National Endowment for the Humanities and United States Department of Education. Early development drew on partnerships with local and federal actors including Oregon Health Authority, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Bonneville Power Administration. The curriculum and mission evolved through influences from scholars associated with Harvard Kennedy School, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Syracuse University Maxwell School, University of California, Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy, and practitioners from Office of Management and Budget and Congressional Budget Office.

Programs include a Master of Public Administration, Master of Public Policy, and dual degrees with professional schools such as Lewis & Clark Law School, University of Oregon School of Law, Oregon Health & Science University, and certificates in areas tied to agencies like Federal Transit Administration, National Institutes of Health, and Department of Homeland Security. Coursework covers policy analysis methods taught with techniques from RAND Corporation, Brookings Institution, and Pew Research Center, and practica that place students with partners including Portland Bureau of Transportation, TriMet, and Oregon Department of Human Services. The school also offers executive education modeled after programs at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, and Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy.

Faculty have backgrounds in institutions and agencies such as Brookings Institution, Mercatus Center, Hoover Institution, Center for Strategic and International Studies, U.S. Census Bureau, Environmental Protection Agency, and World Bank. Administrators and visiting scholars have included former officials from Oregon Governor's Office, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Peace Corps, and nonprofits like The Nature Conservancy and United Way Worldwide. The school recruits faculty with experience in pedagogical networks such as American Association of Universities, Council of Graduate Schools, and accreditation bodies like Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration.

Student organizations partner with campus and city groups including Associated Students of Portland State University, Portland State University Vanguard, Student Government, and community partners such as Neighborhood Association Coalition of Portland, Portland Business Alliance, and Oregon Environmental Council. Student-led initiatives work on campaigns and simulations modeled after Model United Nations, American Mock Trial Association, and National Model United Nations programs, and participate in competitions sponsored by Aspen Institute, National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Networking events connect students with alumni at institutions like City of San Francisco, Seattle City Council, State of California, and federal agencies such as Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

Admissions criteria reference standards used by programs at Harvard Kennedy School, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, and require professional experience comparable to applicants to Mercer University or George Washington University Trachtenberg School. Financial aid options include fellowships and assistantships funded by partners like U.S. Office of Personnel Management, National Institutes of Health, and foundations such as Rockefeller Foundation and Ford Foundation, as well as tuition reciprocity programs with Portland State University College of Urban and Public Affairs.

Alumni serve in roles across organizations including United States Congress, Oregon State Legislature, City of Portland (Oregon), Multnomah County, U.S. Agency for International Development, United Nations, World Bank, and nonprofits like PATH and Mercy Corps. Graduates have held leadership positions comparable to alumni networks of Harvard Kennedy School, Syracuse Maxwell School, and University of California, Berkeley, influencing policy in areas tied to Affordable Care Act, Clean Air Act, Interstate compact, and regional initiatives like Columbia River Treaty negotiations. The school’s alumni impact extends into civic innovation, public finance, and environmental policy across the Pacific Northwest, West Coast, and federal government.