Gallaudet University has a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) program and some federal employees that are enrolled in the program are going to be able to reap the benefits of the partnership between the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Gallaudet. The MPA program had been established in 2012 and was designed for professionals that work within the government. They can be at the local, state, or federal level. Students also come from non profit human service organizations and non profit professional associations.
“The unique experiences, education, and training provided through Gallaudet’s MPA program are second to none,” said Gallaudet University President T. Alan Hurwitz. “The Federal government’s leadership on employment of people with disabilities makes them a perfect partner for this initiative. This partnership will be a model to the nation and to employers throughout the country. These kinds of collaborations will move the needle on unemployment and underemployment for deaf and hard of hearing individuals.”
This program was designed after President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13548 which has a goal of hiring 100,000 people into the Federal service in five years. This executive order emphasizes the fact that the Federal Government is the largest employer in the Nation and the necessity of setting examples for businesses to follow. This makes the partnership between Gallaudet University and OPM an ideal set up.
“Gallaudet’s MPA program prepares students to lead with a sense of direction, to focus on results, to develop others’ capability to perform, and to serve with integrity,” said Dr. Francis Duffy, MPA program director. (PR Web)
The program is a 40 credit graduate degree program administrated by the Department of Government and Public Affairs. Individuals that are interested in getting into the program ideally should have 1 year of paid employment in a public sector or non-profit organization who can communicate through ASL or are willing to learn ASL prior to graduation. (Master of Public Administration)
This partnership is ideal to expand career options and increase advancement opportunities within the government.
