51视频

08/22/2018
By Katharine Webster

Sydney Rebello earned her undergraduate degree in criminal justice on campus 鈥� and immediately started a job with the U.S. Marshals Service, thanks to her for-credit internship with the federal agency during her final semester.

鈥淚鈥檇 signed an offer before I even walked across the stage for graduation,鈥� she says.

A year after joining the Prisoner Operations Division at USMS headquarters in Arlington, Va., Rebello went back to school to earn her master鈥檚 degree.

This time, she鈥檚 studying online. It鈥檚 a different experience, but she says the transition was seamless because she continued her studies through 51视频鈥檚 bachelor鈥檚-to-master鈥檚 program.听

鈥淭hey just make this really attainable and accessible,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd my classes give me a wide scope of knowledge that helps me in the day to day.鈥澛�

Rebello鈥檚 experience is typical for students studying online in 鲍惭尝鈥檚 School of Criminology and Justice Studies, which is highly competitive in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, thanks to excellent faculty and versatile online, on-campus and combined degree pathways for undergraduates and master鈥檚 degree students. A new, on-campus Ph.D. program in criminology聽is also boosting the school鈥檚 reputation.听

鲍惭尝鈥檚 program tied for the No. 14 spot, while the university ranks No. 22 nationally for its online bachelor鈥檚 degrees, including the . The new Ph.D. program was ranked nationally at No. 27. And BestColleges.com rated the school鈥檚 online master of security studies program .听

Rebello and other students say that鈥檚 largely due to the faculty, which includes experienced researchers, inspiring young professors and working professionals. The last group includes the Middlesex County sheriff and a psychologist who oversaw mental health services in Connecticut prisons. They teach both on campus and online.

鈥淭hose teachers have had the biggest impact on me because they have real-world experience: They were able to take what we learned in the books and apply it in their field,鈥� Rebello says.

Sean Perry, who just completed a master鈥檚 degree through a combination of online and on-campus coursework, says two classes with Ron Corbett, who served as both executive director of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and as the state鈥檚 interim probation commissioner, were excellent because Corbett has a wide professional network to call upon.

鈥淎fter we鈥檇 read a book or an article, we鈥檇 have a conference call with the authors,鈥� Perry says. 鈥淛udges for drug courts would come in so we could pick their brains.鈥�

Perry was equally inspired by the research faculty, including, he says, Emerita Professor Eve Buzawa, a nationally recognized expert on domestic violence. A young faculty member, Asst. Prof. Kimberly Kras, made the required course in descriptive and inferential statistics exciting and relevant, adds Perry, who plans to apply to the Ph.D. program.

The master鈥檚 program is led by the department and offered through the .听The vast majority of students study online, at least most of the time, according to graduate advisor Karen Mullins.

The master鈥檚 program coordinator, Assoc. Prof. Wilson R. Palacios, says that鈥檚 because most students are working professionals in law enforcement, corrections, social work or victim services.

鈥淭he classes are high level, very focused and tailored to what they really need to know to understand the changing nature of their jobs,鈥� Palacios says.

Master鈥檚 students can choose to earn a in a specialty 鈥� domestic violence prevention, forensic criminology, victim studies or security studies 鈥� as part of their criminal justice master鈥檚 degree. Or they can customize their degrees, picking and choosing from a wide range of electives.

The School of Criminology and Justice Studies also offers the master of security studies degree in five different specialties: , , , and .

Jennifer Kawaguchi, who is working toward a master鈥檚 degree in security studies with a concentration in homeland defense, came to 51视频 from San Ramon, Calif., as an undergraduate. She was attracted by the reputation of the university鈥檚 Center for Terrorism and Security Studies, a research center that focuses on evolving security threats and counterterrorism. She ended up getting three internships there.

Kawaguchi was also attracted by the bachelor鈥檚-to-master鈥檚 option. As an undergraduate in the Honors College, she double majored in political science and criminal justice. She also completed two criminal justice graduate courses that counted toward both her bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees, saving time and money.

Like Rebello, Kawaguchi interned with the U.S. Marshals Service as an undergraduate through the university鈥檚 partnership with The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars. She is now seeking full-time work with the Department of Justice or in emergency preparedness and management 鈥� and she says her graduate classes are great preparation for a career.

But the best part of the program, she says, is all the support and opportunities available to students.

鈥淭he professors all want you to succeed, whether you鈥檙e asking for career advice or about the material you鈥檙e learning.鈥�