ECU trains Wake County government leaders
East Carolina University has partnered with Wake County to train its government leaders.
The program allows Wake County employees and those of other Wake County municipalities the opportunity to enroll in ECU’s online Executive Master of Public Administration (MPA) program. Out of all MPA programs in the state, ECU was chosen exclusively for the arrangement.
Tianna Leger, a Wake County manager’s office employee, talks to ECU Chancellor Philip Rogers about his leadership journey during the celebration event. (Contributed photos)
On May 21, along with other state and local dignitaries and officials, ECU Chancellor Philip Rogers, Wake County Manager David Ellis, Dr. Allison Danell, dean of ECU’s Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Alethia Cook, professor and chair of ECU’s Department of Political Science, celebrated the agreement.
Cook said the partnership between ECU and Wake County is important for many people and serves the greater population of North Carolina.
“We are looking to develop next-generation leaders for all areas of North Carolina,” she said. “We are going to be training leaders who will have lengthy careers in public service in the state, which is incredibly consistent with ECU’s mission and strategic goals.”
Wake County, Apex, Knightdale, Rolesville and Wake Forest are covering all student tuition and fees for the two years it takes employees to complete the degree. Fees cover instruction, faculty travel to meet the students at orientation and graduation, guest lecturers and student attendance at a winter symposium and networking breakfast sponsored by the North Carolina City and County Managers Association.
The first cohort of the program, which includes 16 students, started classes in January and has completed its first semester. Students take two classes each semester, including summer sessions, and will complete 12 courses and 36 credit hours, earning their degrees in December 2027.
Graduates of ECU’s Executive MPA program work in local, county and state governments, as well as nonprofit organizations. Many students seek a degree for career advancement.
“We help our Executive MPA students to combine their professional experience with up-to-date knowledge of the theories, concepts, research practices and analytical techniques used in public agencies,” Cook said.
To learn more about the degree program, visit ECU’s MPA website.