WHAT IS OUR GOAL?
Penn's Master of Science (MS) in criminology aims to create criminal justice "change agents," preparing students to spend their career applying criminological research in public and non-profit domestic and international organizations. The MS is also designed for research-oriented students who are preparing themselves for graduate or professional education at leading research universities.
WHY AT PENN?
Penn’s MS in criminology program combines theoretical and applied learning at one of the nation’s top research universities to foster careers in research and in criminal justice-related policy and practice settings. Students gain knowledge of the criminal justice system through meeting weekly with guest visitors in the criminology in practice seminar. Students work under a faculty member on a semester-long crime analysis project, using their analytical and research skills, to address a specific crime problem. Students present their final masters’ projects during a poster session at Penn’s Criminology Day and an oral defense in front of faculty and students.
WHAT IS THE APPROACH?
Our criminology program has an interdisciplinary focus, drawing on exceptional faculty from across Penn’s departments and schools including those with appointments in business, law, medicine, nursing, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, and statistics. We also offer joint degrees—for example, with Penn’s Law School and with the Fels Institute of Government.
WHAT ELSE IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS PROGRAM?
The MS program consists of a small cohort each year, and students receive substantial personal attention and guidance from faculty in the Department of Criminology. During the course of the program, members of the cohort constantly interact in classes, in study areas, and at department sponsored social events. Every April the department hosts a Criminology Day and invites alumni back to visit and network with current MS students.
The MS program offers substantial professional development through weekly meetings with professionals in the field, field work and research assistant opportunities in the Crime and Justice Policy Lab, and the completion of semester-long crime analysis project. In completing the crime analysis project students learn to apply their research and analysis skills in R programming language to address a specific crime problem.
WHAT DO OUR GRADUATES DO AFTER GRADUATION?
MS graduates emerge from this program equipped with the knowledge and skills that are highly sought after by employers in government, non-profit organizations, and the private sector. Every year a number of MS graduates pursue additional graduate education at the leading law schools and Ph.D. programs.