| 1986 |
Inaugural spring conference. No specific theme. Conference was focused on the curriculum in public policy graduate schools. |
| 1988 |
No specific theme. Conference was devoted to envisioning the future of APPAM. |
| 1990 |
"Public Policy and Management Curriculum: Academic Content and Practical Knowledge" |
| 1991 |
No specific theme. Major session on "Global Economic Interdependence: Implications for Public Policy Research and Education." |
| 1992 |
"Journalists and Policy Analysts: How to Develop a Policy Analytic Framework for Journalists" |
| 1993 |
"Increasing Diversity in the Public Policy Process" (funded by a grant from the Ford Foundation; part of the restructuring of the Public Policy and International Affairs Program) |
| 1994 |
No specific theme. Sessions examined diversity issues in case writing and curriculum development in policy education, and enhancing communication between academic researchers and policy practitioners. |
| 1995 |
"Innovations in Practice and Teaching" |
| 1996 |
"The Changing Policy Landscape: The Challenges to Curriculum and the Practice of Policy Analysis" |
| 1997 |
"Civic Engagement and Undergraduate Public Policy Education" |
| 1998 |
"Census 2000: Implications for Policy and Practice" |
| 1999 |
"After Affirmative Action: Practical Strategies for Assuring Equal Opportunity" |
| 2000 |
"APPAM in the 21st Century: Where Are We? Where Are We Going?" |
| 2001 |
"Public Policy Education in the New Economy: Outreach, Careers, Technology and Globalization" |
| 2002 |
No conference held. APPAM's Policy Council held a full-day retreat to consider the Association's mission.
APPAM's Institutional Representatives held a special meeting on ranking systems for master's programs in public policy and management. |
| 2003 |
No conference held. APPAM's Institutional Representatives met to discuss their role in the Association and announced the intention to resume holding the Spring Conference beginning in 2004. |
| 2004 |
No specific theme. Three sessions examined "soft skills" in the MPP curriculum, the design and management of client-oriented project courses, and the structure of the PhD in public policy curriculum. |
| 2005 |
"Globalizing Public Policy Education and Research" |
| 2006 |
"Charting the Next Twenty Years of Public Policy and Management Education" (Special, multi-day conference held in Park City, Utah, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the 1986 conference.) |
| 2007 |
No specific theme. One track was a multi-association summit on faculty diversity in the social sciences, and the second track was a planning session for conducting research on how pedagogy influences learning outcomes in public policy and management education. |
| 2008 |
"Constructing the APPAM Future: Competition and Cooperation on Campus" |
| 2009 |
"Weathering the Storm and Preparing to Make the Most of Its Aftermath: Management and Marketing Initiatives Amidst a Time of Challenge and Change" |
| 2010 |
"Transparency, Openness and Accountability in Public Policy and Management" |
| 2011 |
Vision for APPAM: Strategic Planning |
| 2012 |
No specific theme; conference was focused on APPAM governance issues. |
| 2013 |
"Diversity, Equity, & Public Policy" |
| 2014 |
"Teaching Policy Analysis and Management in Today's Classroom" |
| 2015 |
"How Policymakers Use APPAM Member Research" |
| 2016 |
"Promoting Justice Through Research and Practice" |
| 2019 |
"Are We Preparing Our Students for Success? Employment Outlooks for Policy Graduate Students" |