School of Public Affairs and Civic Engagement

Academic Department

Public Affairs and Civic Engagement at SFSU houses programs that are immersed in a problem-oriented learning environment that extends outside of the classroom and into the community, the public arena and the world.

Welcome to Public Affairs and Civic Engagement at SFSU

The School of Public Affairs and Civic Engagement (PACE) is a collaborative interdisciplinary unit of public affairs-oriented scholars.

Students in our programs are immersed in a problem-oriented learning environment that extends beyond the classroom and into the community, the public arena, and the world. Building on an ethos of social justice and sustainability, faculty prepare PACE graduates with the critical and analytical skills necessary to understand and address the issues and challenges of the twenty-first century and to critically engage with those in their communities.

The San Francisco City Hall lit up in SFSU colors: yellow and purple.

Our Programs

Head-and-shoulders portrait of a smiling person with curly dark hair and glasses, wearing a red collared shirt and dark blazer against a gray background.

From Our Community

The MPA program gave me the technical tools I needed to understand how government works—and the human support to keep going when life got hard. The faculty didn’t just teach; they met us where we were as working professionals.
Sbeydeh Viveros-Walton
MPA, ’13
Learn more about Sbeydeh

For More Information

For additional questions, please email PACE Director, Jennifer Shea.