Historically Black St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh, North Carolina, was originally founded in 1867 by the Episcopal Church as the St. Augustine Normal School and Collegiate Institute. The name of the school was changed to St. Augustine’s School in 1893, then to St. Augustine Junior College in 1919. The college became a four-year educational institution in 1927 and was renamed St. Augustine’s College. It became St. Augustine’s University on August 1, 2012.
Despite being designated as a university in 2012, St. Augustine’s has not offered any graduate programs until now. The university recently announced that it will now offer a fully-online master of public administration degree program. The MPA program is designed to prepare career professionals to serve in leadership roles such as public administrators, public managers, and policy analysts with critical decision-making skills.
The program will operate in six, eight-week sessions throughout the academic year and is designed to accept students regardless of their undergraduate degree background. Once students are accepted, the program provides five foundational courses that provide an understanding of the nature of public administration. After completing these courses, students move on to take remaining courses in the major areas of study. There is a total of 36 credit hours required to complete the program.
“Launching the MPA program is a new dimension that we have reached to support the workforce needs of the region,” said Maria A. Lumpkin, interim president of Saint Augustine’s University. “Saint Augustine’s educates change makers to build flourishing futures. Transformative leaders in the public and social sectors need education that helps to move organizations beyond the status quo. The academically rigorous program is accessible in price and format to be equitable for students and working professionals from every background.”
How and why did the college now university acquire its name?