History of the LBJ School
Since 1970, the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs has built a proud tradition of public service and cutting-edge research on the most important public policy challenges of our time.
The School’s mission is to develop leaders and ideas that will help our state, the nation and the international community address critical public policy challenges in an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world. Drawing upon a world-renowned, multidisciplinary faculty, a diverse and talented group of Master’s and PhD students and the resources of The University of Texas at Austin, one of the world’s leading research universities, the LBJ School is well placed to help shape public policy for the 21st century.
After more than 38 years of education and service, the LBJ School has awarded more than 3,017 Master of Public Affairs (MPAff) degrees and, since 1996, 37 doctorates. To equip professionals with the tools and knowledge necessary to be leaders in a contemporary global environment, the Master of Global Policy Studies (MGPS) was added to the School’s degree offerings in the fall of 2008.
Our alumni have made their marks in elective office and key policy and management positions, in government and in the private and nonprofit sectors, as well. They are leaders in our community, our state, our nation, and the international community.
The LBJ School offers a broad array of academic and research programs, including our policy and research centers, that have built our global reputation in health and social policy; international affairs and trade; technology policy; energy and environment; and public and nonprofit management. This success is directly attributable to forging strong relationships and partnerships with public policymakers, businesses, international agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and governments at all levels. The most recent U.S. News national rankings of graduate public affairs programs rank the LBJ School number nine in both the information and technology management and social policy areas, and number ten in public policy analysis.
Austin is the center of Texas state government, and the home of a strong network of high technology firms and nonprofit entities. Home to more than 800 semiconductor, energy, computer and software companies, Austin is a youthful, highly educated city with a thriving entrepreneurial economy as well as a civic-minded culture. Nicknamed “Silicon Hills” (or “Silicon Gulch”), the Austin area hosts operations of many high tech companies, including, the SEMATECH research consortium, Dell Computer, IBM, Freescale Semiconductor, Apple, H-P, AMD, Applied Materials, Cirrus Logic, Cisco, e-Bay/PayPal, Intel, National Instruments, Samsung, Silicon Laboratories, Sun Microsystems, and United Devices. Austin is also home to Fortune 500 companies Temple-Inland and Whole Foods Market, and financial services companies such as Dimensional Fund Advisors.
Austin offers a dynamic environment in which to build collaborative relationships with the private and nonprofit sectors. It is the 16th largest city in the United States and in recent years, the third-fastest-growing city. Sporting a highly educated population, it often is ranked at the very top of lists of “Best Places to Live” and “Greenest Cities.” The State of Texas contains three of the nation’s ten largest cities (Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas) and six of the largest twenty-one (add Austin, Ft. Worth, and El Paso). Among American cities in which the headquarters of Fortune 500 companies are located, Houston ranks second, just behind New York City. Dallas ranks fourth and San Antonio is tied for fifteenth.
