2021-53

Motion Introduced by:  Curriculum and Academic Programs Committee,

Date of First Reading:    March 29, 2021

Date of Second Reading: April 26, 2021

Title of Motion: Request from the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions – School of Criminology and Criminal Justice – for the establishment of a graduate certificate – Crime Analysis

Action Requested: This curricular proposal has received all college, school, unit and university administrative approvals, and is being presented to the Senate for review and voting decision.

Rationale: The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice seeks to offer an online graduate certificate in Crime Analysis. The proposed certificate will be developed in response to: (1) student demand for a specialized certificate in Crime Analysis, and (2) increased demand among law enforcement agencies, particularly as they become more professionalized. There is a growing demand for crime analysts in Latin America and the Caribbean in particular, and these nations are seeking platforms for educating and training future and current crime analysts. The online graduate certificate will provide students with the skills and credentials necessary to prepare them to enter fields specializing in crime analysis. Students will receive extended education in topics pertaining to crime analysis such as crime mapping, statistical tools in crime analysis, social networking, and data management.

The online certificate program will be of interest to students in disciplines such as criminology and criminal justice, public administration, private security, and other related fields. In addition, the market for potential students includes criminal justice practitioners who wish to pursue a specialization in crime analysis, or those who hold a previous graduate degree and wish to supplement or update their skills and knowledge base.