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Masters in Criminology

  • Graduate

The Master of Science in Criminology program offers a challenging curriculum that will prepare candidates to become leaders and innovators in the system dedicated to the just enforcement of the criminal laws of the Commonwealth and the United States. The program, ranked in the top ten best Criminology Master's Degree Programs by College Factual, also prepares graduate students for continuing education towards terminal degree programs.

Graduate Programs

What Can I Do With a Master's in Criminology?

The Master of Science in Criminology program Saint Vincent College has been in existence for over five years and our graduates are finding tremendous success upon completion of the program, including federal and state law enforcement, law school, PhD programs, and more.

The masters in criminology program accomplishes this through:

  • A critical degree for career advancement or progress to a PhD.
  • A challenging curriculum that will create a “think tank” atmosphere to address the critical problems of the criminal justice system.
  • Small classes taught by a vibrant faculty that values individual interaction with each student.
  • The ability to complete the degree within one calendar year.
  • Affordable tuition.
  • Course schedules to accommodate the working professional.

The Master of Science in Criminology program Saint Vincent College prides itself on measuring success based on the successful placement of our graduates into positions in which they may become significant contributors in the criminal justice area on a wide variety of levels. Each student will have their own version of success and career goals; it is the M.S. in Criminology program’s hope to provide the tools the students can use to find their vocation, passions, and ultimate profession.

Curriculum Requirements

  • Requirements for Master of Science Degree in Criminology

    Pre-requisite:

    GCLS504 – Ethical Decisions & Dilemmas in Criminal Justice (3 credits)*

    Core:

    GCLS600 – Research Methods (3 credits) Fall Semester
    GCLS610 – Policy Analysis (3 credits) Fall Semester
    GCLS620 – Advances Criminological Theory (3 credits) Fall Semester
    GCLS630 – Legal Issues (3 credits) Spring Semester
    GCLS640 – Statistics (3 credits) Spring Semester
    GCLS660 – Professional Seminar (3 credits) Spring Semester
    GCLS700 – Comprehensive Exam (3 credits)
    GCLS00X – CLS Exit Interview (3 credits)

    Electives (must complete 12 elective credits):
    Some options include –

    GCLS602 – Race and Justice (3 credits)
    GCLS615 – International Criminal Systems (3 credits)
    GCLS425 – Survey of Cybercrime (3 credits)
    GCLS642 – Special Topics (Death Penalty || Crisis Intervention Teams || Human Trafficking) (3 credits)
    GCLS605 – Criminology of Hate (3 credits)
    GCLS670 – Prediction & Prevention of Criminal Conduct (3 credits)
    Urban Street Gang Prosecution
    Colloquium

    *Graduates of Saint Vincent College with a degree in Criminology, Law and Society will be afforded six advanced placement credits towards this 30-credit curriculum based upon their successful completion of courses which are currently taught at the graduate level by the Department:

    • Ethical Decisions
    • Criminological Theories
    • Criminology Capstone
    Candidates who have not received a CLS Bachelor’s Degree from Saint Vincent College may still qualify for the six advanced placements credits. To do so, the student must successfully complete the Ethical Decisions course offered by Saint Vincent and either the Criminological Theories course or the Criminology Capstone course offered by the College.

Job Placements and Careers

  • Job Placements and Internships

    There are many career options in criminology, law and society including:

    The Pennsylvania State Police

    Westmoreland County Juvenile and Adult Probation

    Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS)

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation

    The Drug Enforcement Administration

    The United States Secret Service

    The Pittsburgh Police Department

    Westmoreland County Justice Works

    Adelphoi Village

    Allegheny County Anchored Re-Entry Consortium

    Federal Prison System

    Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau

    Pennsylvania Department of Corrections

    Police Departments in Virginia, Florida, Ohio, and more

    Private Law Firms

    Private Investigation

  • Career Options

    There are many career options in criminology, law and society including:

    Private and public interest lawyers

    Intelligence Analysts

    Juvenile/Adult Probation Officer

    Police Officers

    Federal Agents

    National Threat Operations Systems Analyst

    Drug and Alcohol Counselors

    Juvenile Counselors

    Child Abuse Investigators

    Private Investigator

    Correction Officer

    Therapeutic Staff Support

Accreditation and Affiliations

The McKenna School of Business has seven undergraduate programs and one graduate program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). They are: Accounting, Business Education Information Technology, Business Economics, Finance, International Business, Economics, Management, Marketing and the Master of Science in Management: Operational Excellence graduate program. Three programs in Business Data Analytics (launched Fall 2020), Sports Management (launched Fall 2021) and Business Administration (launched Fall 2021) are in candidacy for accreditation.

ACBSP-Accreditation1

With a requirement for faculty professional development (e.g., publications and research) and courses primarily taught by faculty holding doctorates, the ACBSP is the leading business accreditation program devoted to teaching excellence and service to students. Attributable to our ACBSP accreditation, students receive in depth knowledge in 12 business core competency areas: Accounting, Management, Business Ethics, Marketing, Information Systems, Business Finance, the Legal Environment of Business, Statistics, Business Policies, Economics, Quantitative Skills and Global Dimensions in Business. 

The McKenna School is also a member of the Middle Atlantic Association of Colleges of Business Administration. The Politics and Criminal Justice programs are not accredited through the ACBSP; however, all programs in the McKenna School have regional accreditation through the Middle States Association. The ACBSP is one of the two premier accrediting agencies for business schools worldwide.

Program Highlights

Focus of the Program

While the Program will focus the graduates on the key issues facing the criminal justice system today and in the future, and will seek to operate much as a think tank for issues that are deeply problematic in this area, the sound principles of the Catholic, Benedictine and liberal arts tradition of Saint Vincent will be paramount in the Master’s program.  Only by employing this tradition in its best manifestation will we truly be able to allow our graduates to make a profound difference in their communities.

The primary instructors for the core classes include Dr. Kayla Jachimowski and Dr. Eric Kocian, both of whom are known through the state and the country for their individual research interests and professional experiences. Dr. Eric Kocian’s work on addiction and recovery has been presented to officials and representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Attorney’s Office and more.  Both Dr. Jachimowski and Dr. Kocian continue to serve as pioneers in the field and utilize graduate students in expanding their research.

All professors in the Department incorporate cutting-edge research, technology and court rulings to best prepare students for future careers and leadership roles in this field upon completion of their degree requirements. 

The value of the Program is reflected in the success of Chris Jodis and Courtney Rickard, two members of the inaugural cohort.  Jodis has received multiple offers from prestigious Ph.D. programs throughout the country, many of whom have promised research funding to build upon the work done at Saint Vincent College.  Courtney Rickard has fielded offers from some of the most distinguished law schools in the nation, including the University of Michigan.

  • How To Apply

    • Submit the online Master's in Criminology application
      Online Application

    In addition to the information you supply in the application, we also request the following:

    • Personal Statement Essay
    • Official transcripts from all colleges attended (SVC Students do not need to request transcripts.)
    • Three (3) Letters of Recommendation

Faculty

Bruce Antkowiak, Esquire
Professor of Law
bruce.antkowiak@stvincent.edu
 
Dr. Kayla Jachimowski
Assistant Professor, Criminology, Law, and Society
kayla.jachimowski@stvincent.edu
 
Dr. Eric Kocian
Associate Professor, Criminology, Law and Society
eric.kocian@stvincent.edu
 
Paige Parsley, M.S.
Assistant Professor, Criminology, Law, and Society
paige.parsley@stvincent.edu

Graduate Programs
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