American University

American University is a private research university in Washington, D.C., chartered by Congress in 1893 with Methodist support. Its main campus sits at Ward Circle in Northwest Washington, near Embassy Row. It developed as a graduate-heavy university oriented toward the federal government, international affairs, and law rather than as a large undergraduate college alone.

Schools include the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of International Service, the School of Public Affairs, the Kogod School of Business, the School of Communication, the School of Education, and the Washington College of Law. International relations, public affairs, law, and journalism are the fields most associated with the university. SIS is among the larger schools of international service in the United States, and SPA and the law school place students in agencies, courts, and NGOs.

Enrollment is about 14,000, with graduate students a large share, especially in SIS, SPA, Kogod, and Law. Students come from all 50 states, and more than 140 countries are typically represented. Alumni include journalist Alisyn Camerota, journalist David Gregory, and a long list of congressional aides and foreign-service officers.

Graduate degrees include the MA, MPP, MBA, LLM, JD, and a smaller set of PhD programs. Most master's programs combine coursework with internships in Washington; doctorates are limited and research-based. The calendar is the semester, with many evening classes. Funding is a mix of assistantships, school scholarships, and employer-sponsored study. Students live on or near Tenleytown and work throughout the District.

In the Grad School Navigator directory, American University lists 106 graduate programs across 27 subjects: 77 master's programs and 10 doctoral programs, with the widest choice in public policy & administration, communication, media & journalism and business & management.