Legislative Affairs
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The Professional Degree for Legislatures
Our Legislative Affairs program will give you a clear understanding of how Congress operates, how procedure shapes outcomes, and how entities like constituents, the executive branch, and lobbyists impact the work of the legislature.
Our courses, held online and just steps from the Capitol, teach you the latest strategies and tactics. For more than 40 years, the Legislative Affairs master’s program has helped launch and enhance careers in legislatures in the United States and around the world.
Our graduates are chiefs of staff in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, members of the German Bundestag, and state legislators across the country.
Program Objectives
Upon completion of the Master’s degree in Legislative Affairs, students will:
- Gain both a theoretical and practical understanding of the U.S. Congress, including its historical development, key players and organizations, legislative processes and ethical considerations.
- Write and communicate effectively within the legislative environment, including policy and research memos, issue briefs and in-person presentations and briefings.
- Understand critical congressional functions and procedures, common obstacles to legislative advancement and proven strategies to influence political outcomes.
- Make use of open source and publicly available governmental resources and data to inform research, advocacy and policy efforts.
- Learn how to work effectively with others, the value of collaborative work and effective outreach strategies for a variety of policy-related audiences.
Hands-On Education
Our prestigious program is the only master’s degree exclusively devoted to the study of applied politics in the legislative arena, offering you the perspective of both political scholars and working professionals.
Our distinguished faculty includes instructors who spend their days working on the Hill and their evenings teaching. In recent years, two current members of the U.S. House of Representatives have taught courses as GSPM professors.
The mix of academic rigor and applied skills provides an education that will set you up for successful careers in any legislative arena.
"My career has spanned over 40 years. I have worked in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the United States Senate. What makes GSPM unique, both when I was a student and now, is the fact that most classes are taught by adjuncts with real world experience."
Julius Hobson
GSPM Adjunct Professor
Legislative Affairs, Class of 1980
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