MA/MS in Criminology

This graduate degree trains students to guide and modernize the justice system, and it also lays groundwork for those who plan to pursue a doctorate. The curriculum covers criminological theory, research design, the study of policy and professional ethics. Small cohorts and personal faculty guidance support students, who conclude with either a comprehensive exam or a thesis. Candidates choose between two routes. The thesis route includes a pair of thesis courses and an oral defense and fits those aiming for research or doctoral work. The non-thesis route substitutes four elective courses. Either way, the degree totals 30 credits. The program fits students who want a rigorous, research-minded graduate experience. Saint Vincent College is a Catholic, Benedictine liberal arts institution located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and it offers this program to its students.