Welcome to the Wilder School!

The L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, within the College of Humanities and Sciences is an interdisciplinary school, bringing together faculty from multiple disciplines and applied fields with a shared interest in public service and affairs.  The School is named after L. Douglas Wilder, Mayor of Richmond and former Governor of Virginia, in recognition of his commitment to the highest standards of government practice, political inclusion, and independence of thought.  These values are at the core of the School’s mission.

The Wilder School has attracted faculty members who are committed to providing high quality, innovative undergraduate degree programs and nationally competitive graduate and professional degrees. We are proud to offer degrees in Political Science, Criminal Justice, Public Administration, Urban Planning, Urban and Regional Planning, Sociology, Public Policy and Administration and one of the first Homeland and Security and Emergency Planning programs in the nation.   We offer undergraduate, masters, and doctoral programs.

This juxtaposition of related fields allows faculty to participate in innovation research and community development partnerships and allows students to craft degree programs tailored to their personal interests.  

Our location blocks from the state capitol and a two hour car ride from the nation’s capitol allows us to offer internships and other learning opportunities in political campaigns, government agencies, international organizations, and private sector organizations that are too numerous to mention here.   As a result the Wilder School boasts a strong internship program available to all our students.

Faculty members in the Wilder School are committed to high quality research and public service that can bridge the gap between theory and practice.  We provide consulting on matters of considerable importance to policy-makers at the local, state, national and international level.  We study how to help disadvantaged communities enhance their own capacities; how state governments can position themselves to succeed in a globally competitive environment; how the international community can work more successfully to protect human rights around the globe; how our near communities can be made more sustainable.

All of us in the Wilder School are excited to be members of this vibrant community.  I encourage you to learn further about our School on this site and to contact us for further information.  I think you too will find this an exciting, intellectually stimulating, and rewarding place to be.

Sincerely,

Dr. Deborah Brock

Interim Director

L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs