WVU-Marshall combine efforts to offer new public administration degree in Charleston

August 20th, 2002


West Virginia University and Marshall University have joined forces to offer a new masters degree in public administration in the Charleston area beginning Aug. 26.


“The two-year degree program is designed for college graduates looking to pursue administrative roles in fields like county and city government, health care, criminal justice and social services,”said David Williams, WVU Division of Public Administration chairman.


Dr. Williams is helping coordinate the program, along with Cheryl Brown, MarshallUniversity public administration director.


“We are really excited about this new cooperative effort,”Williams said.”The whole state will benefit from this joint effort. This will help the professional practices, the managers and the public sector, so its going to benefit the entire business community, especially in the Charleston area.”


Classes begin next week at the MarshallUniversityGraduateCollege in South Charleston and will be taught by professors from both universities.


“This isnt the first collaboration between the schools, but it is a giant first step toward the state improving its range of graduate programs,”said J. Michael Mullen, chancellor of the Higher Education Policy Commission.


“I think it is an example of what we are trying to encourage among all the universities and state colleges,”Mullen added.


The policy commission provided $40,000 of its legislative funding last year to cover start-up costs for the program.


Graduate students will pay WVU tuition rates, will have access to both university libraries and be enrolled in both schools, depending on their choice of electives.


For the past 20 years, Marshall and WVU have partnered on another program of study that offers a doctoral degree in educational leadership. Both schools also work with Shepherd, Fairmont, Concord and West VirginiaState colleges to offer masters degrees in education and biology.


WVU has offered a nationally accredited public administration degree for many years, but Marshalls program ended when the GraduateCollege was reorganized in the late90s.