Savannah State University has been approved to develop its first doctoral program, a Doctor of Public Administration. The university says it is the first public HBCU in University System of Georgia history approved to offer a doctoral degree. The program is planned for fall 2027 and still needs approval from the university’s regional accreditor.
Key Takeaways
- Savannah State announced on October 6, 2026, its intent to offer a Doctor of Public Administration, its first doctoral degree.
- The university says it is the first public HBCU in University System of Georgia history approved to offer a doctorate.
- The program is planned for fall 2027, pending approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
- Students are expected to finish in about two and a half years, ending with a capstone project on real problems facing Savannah and coastal Georgia.
- The first cohort is expected to include 15 students, among them Savannah city council members and the mayor.
- The doctorate builds on Savannah State’s Master of Public Administration program and its new John Lewis School of Public Policy and Social Sciences.
Savannah State University Reaches a Milestone More Than 135 Years in the Making
Savannah State University’s doctoral approval is a turning point for an institution that has shaped Black higher education in Georgia since 1890. Founded as the Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youths, Savannah State is the first public historically Black college or university in Georgia and the first institution of higher learning in the city of Savannah. It served as Georgia’s 1890 land-grant institution until 1947 and gained university status in 1996.
Savannah State President Dr. Jermaine Whirl called it “a transformational moment in the history of Savannah State University.” He said the university has created pathways to opportunity and prepared community leaders for more than 135 years, and that a first doctoral program builds on that history while opening a new chapter.
Approval Status: University System Backing, Accreditor Review Still Ahead
Savannah State University’s doctoral program has cleared the University System of Georgia, but it is not open to students yet. The university has announced its intent to offer the Doctor of Public Administration starting in fall 2027, pending approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the accreditor for degree-granting institutions in the South.
The approval matters for public HBCUs in Georgia. Savannah State, Fort Valley State University and Albany State University are the University System of Georgia’s three HBCUs. Until now, none of them offered a doctorate, so Black students and working professionals in the region who wanted a doctoral degree at a public institution had to look to other campuses.
A Doctorate Designed Around Coastal Georgia’s Real Problems
The Savannah State University program is built for people already working in public service. Students are expected to finish in about two and a half years, with coursework in public policy, policy evaluation and implementation, and organizational leadership. The program ends with a capstone project that takes on real problems facing Savannah and the coastal region.
Otilia Iancu, a professor of public administration at Savannah State, said “it is designed to help the entire coastal area.” University leaders said the program fills a gap by giving Savannah-area professionals a doctoral program close to home, so they don’t have to relocate or leave their jobs to earn the degree.
Local Leaders Expected in the First Cohort
The planned first Savannah State University cohort shows how closely the program is tied to the city it serves. The first class is expected to include 15 students, among them Savannah city council members and the mayor. Having sitting public officials study policy evaluation and leadership at a local HBCU, with capstone projects focused on regional problems, links the classroom directly to local government.
That link fits a broader movement at historically Black institutions to tie academic programs to career and community results. Efforts to help HBCUs connect classroom learning to lasting career outcomes have grown across the sector, and Savannah State’s applied doctorate is built on the same idea.
Building on the MPA and the John Lewis School of Public Policy
Savannah State University didn’t start from scratch. The doctorate grows out of its Master of Public Administration program, and it complements the newly established John Lewis School of Public Policy and Social Sciences. The school is named for the civil rights leader and congressman who was born in Alabama and represented Georgia in Congress for more than three decades.
The combination gives Savannah State a path from undergraduate study in public policy through a master’s degree to a doctorate. Students can now picture a full academic career in public service at a Georgia HBCU, which until this approval stopped at the master’s level.
What Comes Next for Savannah State University
The next step is the SACSCOC review. If the accreditor approves, the first Doctor of Public Administration students would begin in fall 2027. The announcement also comes as the campus prepares for Homecoming, which runs October 11 to 17, giving alumni a week to celebrate the news in person.
For Black students and professionals across coastal Georgia, the program offers an option closer to home. For Savannah State, it opens a new academic level that the university hopes to build on in the years ahead.
FAQs
What doctoral program is Savannah State University offering?
Savannah State plans to offer a Doctor of Public Administration, its first doctoral degree.
When will Savannah State’s doctoral program start?
The program is planned to begin in fall 2027, pending approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Is Savannah State the first Georgia public HBCU to offer a doctorate?
Savannah State says it is the first public HBCU in University System of Georgia history approved to offer a doctoral degree.
How long does the Savannah State Doctor of Public Administration take?
The program is expected to take about two and a half years and ends with a capstone project on problems facing Savannah and coastal Georgia.
Who is in the first Savannah State doctoral cohort?
The first cohort is expected to include 15 students, among them Savannah city council members and the mayor.
