Indiana University of Pennsylvania's online Master of Arts in Criminology program has been ranked in the top 10 of online graduate criminal justice programs by U.S. News & World Report for the third year in a row.
IUP's selection as number eight in the rankings is based on factors that include admissions selectivity, faculty credentials, selectivity, student engagement, and academic and career support services offered to students.
In its evaluation, editors recognized that all of the IUP online graduate-level classes in this program are recorded and archived, “so that students can access lecture material at their convenience.” Editors also noted that the program draws a large number of working professionals to the program.
“To be recognized as one of the top 10 programs in the country for a third consecutive year is a distinct honor,” Robert Mutchnick, chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, said. “The program has continued to grow in terms of numbers and quality under the direction of [faculty member] Jennifer Gossett, and the U.S. News and World Report ranking is a testament to Gossett's leadership.”
Editors recognized the program's high new-student retention rate of 98 percent, its three-year graduation rate of 95 percent, and the fact that the faculty and curricula for online and on-campus students is the same. The ranking also recognized that all of the instructional faculty teaching in the online program have a PhD or other terminal degree and are full-time faculty. Ten full-time faculty members teach in the online program.
A new delivery system for the online program began in fall 2015, allowing students in the program to complete requirements for the master's degree in one year. Program participants take courses in a cohort of 25 students.
Graduates of the program work in a variety of areas, including at the federal, state, and local levels of law enforcement and corrections. Other graduates work for federal and county probation and parole offices and in juvenile justice.
IUP is consistently ranked as one of the nation's top doctoral universities by U.S. News & World Report. It has been included in the Princeton Review's Best Colleges guidebook for 15 years and has been included in Washington Monthly magazine's national rankings of schools based on their contributions to society.