SPPA Society
The SPPA Society is a student organization that serves the interests of all students in the School of Public Policy and Administration by promoting academic growth, social enrichment and professional development. Through events, information sessions, student advocacy and representation across campus, the SPPA Society is committed to helping SPPA students have an exciting and high quality graduate experience. The SPPA Society has a steering committee consisting of a president and three vice-presidents, as well as a broader executive team consisting of program representatives, two liaisons to the Graduate Student Association, and a Professional Development Representative – all of whom are elected by the SPPA student body.
Each year, the SPPA Society organizes a banquet near the end of the winter term. For more information on the banquet and other SPPA Society events, please visit the Student Society website.
National Annual Public Administration Case Competition
The National Annual Public Administration Case Competition is a joint project of the Canadian Association of Programs in Public Administration (CAPPA) and the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC). Canadian universities that have programs in public administration may compete. It is designed to highlight the excellence of Canadian public administration programs and students, and to provide a valuable learning experience for students.
Participants are organized into teams and presented with a “real world” public administration case, with accompanying background material. They work together to develop the best solution over a day. Teams then deliver presentations for judges. Two rounds may be required, and universities with more than one team may have their own internal competitions to determine who will represent the university.
Carleton University won the First Annual Public Management Case Competition hosted by the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Regina in 2011. Carleton came in 4th in 2012 hosted by Queen’s University’s School of Public Policy. The School of Public Policy and Administration hosted the competition at Carleton University in 2019. In 2020, the Carleton students won the competition held at Laval University in Quebec City.
This is an opportunity to compete for the School, to share your talents in a competitive environment, to network with other schools and to participate in a truly national event.
National Evaluation Case Competition
Each year more than 20 teams from across the country participate in the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) National Evaluation Student Case Competition. The Consortium of Universities for Evaluation Education (CUEE) and the Canadian Evaluation Society Education Fund (CESEF), of which the School of Public Policy and Administration is a member, jointly organize this annual event. The competition is carried out in two rounds: a preliminary round, and a final round which is held at the CES annual conference.
Professional Skills Workshops
The workshops bridge the professional aspect of the Master’s program with the academic. They are structured to provide students with practical skills that are highly applicable in public sector jobs. For example, a number of workshops will focus on communications skills and will instruct students how to write briefing notes for executives and ministers, prepare memoranda for cabinet and effectively deliver presentations. They are taught by experienced public servants and consultants, most of whom are alumni of the SPPA.
To obtain the Professional Skills certificate, students must participate in five different workshops during the course of their degree. This means that you do not have to complete all five sessions in one year of study, and if you miss an important workshop, you will have the opportunity to take it the following year.
It is highly recommended that students take advantage of the workshops. It will demonstrate to potential employers that you have specific skills training and have taken initiative to prepare yourself for the demands of public sector employment.
CPoPP
Carleton Perspectives on Public Policy (CPoPP) is the School of Public Policy and Administration’s (SPPA) student-run, peer-reviewed, academic journal. The goals of CPoPP are to expand the student publications within SPPA, create a platform for dialogue about policy issues and provide students with the opportunity to engage in the peer-review and production process. CPoPP showcases exceptional research done by SPPA students in public management and policy analysis.