Masters in Criminology, Law and Society Offered Through School of Social Ecology

Irvine, Calif., June 6, 2002 -- The University of California has approved an online master's degree to be offered by UC Irvine. The master of advanced study (M.A.S.) in criminology, law and society will be offered through the School of Social Ecology beginning in winter 2003. Applications are currently available.

The degree is designed to prepare professionals for leadership positions in the criminal justice and legal communities. Candidates for the program are expected to come from police departments, correctional facilities, secret service and others involved in criminal justice and legal systems. Traditionally, professionals in these fields have fluctuating work schedules, making it difficult to attend conventional face-to-face graduate programs. Online learning is one of the few options available to this audience for advanced education.

The UCI Distance Learning Center is providing the technology backbone of the program, according to Gary Matkin, dean of continuing education. "As we embrace online education, we must always safeguard the quality of the students' experience and education. The key to that quality is excellent faculty, just as in all aspects of education, and instructional design," he said. "We are providing a learning experience in which students can interact with each other, with their professors and with the course materials in a very dynamic way."

The faculty for the degree program is primarily from UCI's criminology, law and society department of 21 faculty members and part-time instructors including two Superior Court judges. The department is nationally noted for its quality and innovation and is ranked first in the nation for publication productivity of graduate students. The new master's degree curriculum emphasizes theoretical concepts, which are used in combination with practical applications, and will draw from the experiences of the student body as an organic part of the instruction. Courses include crime and social deviance; public policy, crime and criminal justice; leadership; police, courts and corrections; hate crimes; white-collar and corporate crime; and miscarriages of justice, among others.

"We're pleased to offer this new online program and proud that we're the first in the UC system to move into web-based learning," said C. Ronald Huff, dean of the School of Social Ecology and professor of criminology, law and society. "This degree is a complement to our graduate programs and reflects the School of Social Ecology's tradition of interdisciplinary innovation."

Henry Pontell is one of the faculty members most involved in making this new degree a reality. "We've already received enthusiastic response from the criminal justice and legal communities throughout the state who recognize the value of this new access to post-baccalaureate education," he said. "Ours is the only criminology, law and society program in the country and has a broad-based interdisciplinary foundation for the study of social policy and legal issues as well as criminology and criminal justice."

The degree program is a two-year course of study, requiring two courses per quarter. Admission requirements include a bachelor's degree from an accredited university and a 3.0 grade point average. Applicants must also complete the Graduate Record Examination General Test and submit three letters of recommendation. In addition to these criteria, the admissions committee will consider such factors as the applicant's professional achievements and leadership potential and a statement from the applicant describing his/her goals in seeking the degree.

The university is currently accepting applications for the degree and will begin application and admissions reviews July 1. The application deadline is Oct. 1. The program begins with a weeklong orientation course on campus, with full coursework beginning in January 2003.

For additional information about the online master of advanced study degree in criminology, law and society, click here.


Media Contact:

Shea Caron

(949) 824-2308

scaron@uci.edu

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE: A TOP-10 PUBLIC UNIVERSITY