Bachelors of Arts in Criminology:
The major in Criminology enables students to acquire a theoretical and methodological framework for generating and assessing knowledge about crime and social control. The program draws upon disciplines from law to neuroscience to develop a liberal arts approach to the subject of crime. Every major is required to develop a research proposal as part of senior capstone experience.
Masters of Science Degree:
This unique interdisciplinary program combines solid academic learning at one of the nations top research universities with pratical knowledge that can inhance careers in research and in criminal justice-related policy and practice settings. One of the few terminal Masters degree programs offered at Penn, this unique Master of Science in Criminology program runs on a one year academic schedule (August - May).
The program aims to shape criminial justice "change agents", preparing students to spend their career applying criminological research in public and non-profit domestic and international organizations. As a result of working under a standing faulty member on a semester-long crime analysis project, using their analytical and research skill, students will be able to address a specific crime problem. This degree is designed for those research oriented students who are preparing themselves for graduate or professional education at leading research universities.
Doctor of Philosophy:
Penn's highly interdisciplinary Ph.D. in criminology combines the traditional concerns of criminologists with concepts, theories, and empirical research from a wide variety of academic disciplines. The program seeks to produce scholars of unusual breadth who can work creativly in academic or policy settings.
Working closely with faculty, students are encouraged to design their own curriculum and begin research very early in their graduate education. That curriculum will include serveral core courses that will be taken in the first, second, and third year. Typical time for degree is approximately four years.