Currently: 54°F
During a time when professors are figuring out ways to be more accessible to their students through online media, Millersville University’s (MU) degree in sociology with a concentration in criminology is ahead of the curve. The program, which has been a critical part of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS) course offerings for decades, has created an online degree completion program.
These plans were started prior to the coronavirus pandemic. The goal is to help more students get ahead in their careers, and expand their knowledge to better understand the important times we’re living in.
“For our graduates, understanding the larger social forces at play in their profession of choice and the world around them is critically important,” explains Dr. Frederika Schmitt, associate professor of criminology and sociology at Millersville. “As we are experiencing a global pandemic, protests and riots in response to continued police abuse of authority and systemic racism, our degree in sociology with a concentration in criminology helps students think critically about these issues and ask the probing questions that get at the root causes of each of these social problems.”
“For example, evidence suggests that police officers with a college degree are less likely to have excessive use of force complaints filed against them,” she continues. “This is due in part to an educational program, such as ours, that requires courses in ethics, and integrates diversity in every course. These align with our Millersville University EPPIIC values of exploration, public mission, professionalism, inclusion, integrity and compassion.”
Criminology is the sociological study of crime, criminals and the criminal justice system. Students in this program learn about all aspects of the criminal justice system, including the police, the courts, prisons, and community-based responses to crime. Millersville offers specialized courses focusing on juvenile delinquency, gender and the law, victims and violence and the criminalization of immigrants. Students examine in-depth these timely and relevant dopics.
This degree completion program prepares graduates for a diverse range of occupations including the law, human services including counselors and case managers, addiction services and other professional roles in government agencies and non-profits.
“Students will gain highly marketable core competencies that we know employers are seeking, including critical thinking and problem solving skills, statistical analysis, research and information gathering abilities, written and oral presentation expertise, and policy analysis and application experience,” says Schmitt.
This program is currently accepting students for the fall 2020 semester.
For more information on the Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a concentration in Criminology degree completion program, visit www.millersville.edu/programs/online-criminology-option.php.
