Responding to a potentially larger pool of students in Montgomery County, the Washington, D.C., suburbs and across Maryland, The University of Baltimore's highly regarded Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) will become a permanent part of UBalt's academic offerings at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville, Md. The change, which includes offering a fully online option for degree completion as well as locating all in-person classes at the convenient USG campus, highlights UBalt and USG's strong commitment to preparing leaders for public service careers and to providing accessible degree pathways for working professionals.
The official unveiling of the program's new home will take place on Thursday, Feb. 12, starting at 4:30 p.m. in the Building II Ballroom, 9630 Gudelsky Dr., on the USG campus. This gathering will bring together leaders from across government, nonprofits, higher education and the broader public service community to reflect on public leadership at this pivotal moment in U.S. history, and to connect the DPA program's innovative model of public scholarship to regional impact.
The evening will feature a moderated conversation, titled “Why Public Service is Needed Now," with senior leaders in public administration, including Howard County Executive Calvin Ball; James-Christian Blockwood, president and CEO of the National Academy of Public Administration; Charlene Dukes, president emeritus of Prince George's Community College and founder and principal of The Dukes Group, LLC; and Roger Hartley, president-elect of the American Society for Public Administration and a professor in UBalt's College of Public Affairs. The conversation will be moderated by Stacy Rodgers, executive-in-residence in the College of Public Affairs and president of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators. Additional remarks will be provided by Anne Khademian, USG executive director; College of Public Affairs Interim Dean Ivan Sascha Sheehan; and Mariglynn Edlins, program director for the DPA.
"I am incredibly proud of the remarkable growth our Doctor of Public Administration program has achieved over the past year," said Dr. Sheehan. "What makes this program truly distinctive is our commitment to elevating public scholarship, and the grounding of our curriculum in the real-world challenges facing practitioners rather than purely theoretical inquiry. Our new location at the Universities at Shady Grove positions us at the heart of Montgomery County's vibrant public sector ecosystem, while our newly approved online format extends our reach to dedicated public servants across the state of Maryland and beyond. This is a rigorous yet accessible doctoral experience that equips public servants to drive meaningful change in their organizations and communities. It's an education for those who are committed to advancing the public good."
Of USG's role in partnering with UBalt, Dr. Khademian said: "The challenges of our times are significant, and the Doctor of Public Administration is the advanced degree for our times. With USG's campus and civic-minded students as a foundation, we will expand public service leadership development through our distinctive model of four industry hubs—creating opportunities for DPA candidates to gain the skills required of the next generation of public service leaders."
The DPA program will remain a UBalt program and will be led by a College of Public Affairs faculty member under the supervision of the college. Graduates of the program will receive a UBalt doctoral degree. With both an in-person and online modality, the DPA will be taught from the USG campus to both in-person students and online Zoom students synchronously in a dual-modality format.
Learn more about The University of Baltimore's Doctor of Public Administration program and the College of Public Affairs.
About The Universities at Shady Grove
Established in 2000, The Universities at Shady Grove drives student success from the classroom to career, serving upper-level undergraduates and graduate students seeking to complete their degree from one of nine public universities in Maryland. USG connects students to outstanding career opportunities while providing regional employers with a highly educated, skilled workforce. How does USG work? Students apply directly to the university of their choice. While applying, they select USG as their campus. Upon graduation, their degree is awarded by their university. While completing their degree on USG's campus, students benefit from small class sizes taught by university faculty members, increased scholarship opportunities, support services, and student life opportunities—all leading to a personalized, cost-effective, and time-saving path to a degree.