Military veterans who want to pursue careers in public office can earn a master's degree in a program developed by veterans with campaign-trail experience.
The master's in public leadership program is offered at the University of San Francisco in partnership with Veterans Campaign, a nonprofit organization that trains veteran leaders. The program was developed from the personal experiences of veterans who have campaigned for public office.
“I'm so excited to be part of a program that will help veterans translate their values and skills into successful political public service,” said Patrick Murphy, the country's first Iraq veteran elected to Congress, who also served as acting Army secretary.
Murphy is an adjunct professor with the program.
"I've seen firsthand the selflessness, dedication and leadership that veterans bring to the table,” Murphy said. “It's exactly what our country craves and what's too often missing from Washington."
As part of the program's development, veteran candidates were interviewed about what they wish they had known before launching campaigns. The responses helped officials design a curriculum tailored to student veterans, focused on outcomes that will be beneficial.
The program will teach students to succeed not only as elected officials, but also in a variety of professional settings outside and in their individual areas of civic service, according to the university's website.
The program will run on a three-semester schedule, which includes two eight-week online sessions during the fall and spring. It also includes a 12-week online session during the summer.
Students will attend five in-person workshops at the beginning of the online session. If attending full-time, students can complete the degree in one year. Those attending part-time can finish in two years.
Last month, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., said he wanted to see young veterans getting more involved in their communities - including running in local, state or federal elections. Moulton, a 39-year-old graduate of Harvard University, served seven years in the Marine Corps, including leading one of the first Marine platoons into Iraq in 2003.
Veterans should get involved in politics, he said, during an annual MOAA council presidents' dinner in April.
“You should have a stake in the future of our country,” he said.
Moulton, along with Rep. Steve Russell, R-Okla., co-founded the bipartisan Warrior Caucus in Congress. The caucus includes 25 combat veterans serving in the House of Representatives from 18 states. The group supports legislation on a range of topics from Veterans Affairs care to the authorization of military force in Syria.
The number of veterans serving in Congress has significantly dropped off in recent years. At its peak in 1969, 327 members of Congress had served in the military, according to the Brookings Institute. That figure has steadily declined - reaching its lowest point of just 74 veterans in the 114th Congress in 2015.
In the most recent class, veterans in the 115th Congress have ticked up to 81 members.
Amanda Dolasinski is MOAA's staff writer. She can be reached at amandad@moaa.org. Follow her on Twitter at @AmandaMOAA.