Savannah State University (SSU) announced Tuesday it intends to offer a Doctorate program.
The Doctor of Public Administration program would be the first doctorate program for SSU, along with the first doctorate program for a public HBCU in Georgia.
The University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents gave the program the official green light Tuesday. Now, the college needs to be approved to offer doctoral-level education by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). That decision is expected in February of 2027.
SSU leaders said the program is expected to take about two and a half years for students to complete.
Students will study public policy, policy evaluation and implementation, along with organizational leadership.
The program ends with a capstone project tackling real-world problems facing Savannah and the coastal region.
“It is designed to help the entire coastal area,” said Otilia Iancu, a professor of public administration at SSU. “The problems that we face here, it addresses a gap in education at this level.”
School leaders said the program fills a gap, giving professionals in the Savannah area access to a doctoral program closer to home.
Teresa Shakespeare, the dean of the College of Sciences and Humanities, said it could also help develop the region’s next generation of public-service leaders.
“Those individuals are going to go on and solve huge problems for the community,” she said, “Someone who may be within your household or next door or across the state.”
The first cohort is expected to include 15 students, including Savannah city council members and the mayor.
For school leaders, Tuesday’s approval is about more than adding another degree. They said it’s about what comes next for Savannah State.
“It feels amazing to hear the news from the board of regents,” said Iancu. “It just answers the hopes of many students over the years. I’ve been here for 15 years, and now the university is stronger and better to have a doctor of public administration degree.”
Other Savannah leaders commented on this historic vote.
“This is a transformational moment in the history of Savannah State University,” said Dr. Jermaine Whirl, president of Savannah State University. “For more than 135 years, Savannah State has created pathways to opportunity and prepared leaders to serve their communities. Advancing toward our first doctoral program builds upon that legacy while opening an entirely new chapter for this institution. We are proud to make history while expanding the opportunities available to our students and the communities we serve.”
If approved by the SACSCOC, the first class is expected to begin in Fall of 2027.
