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UMB, UMCP to Launch Joint Public Safety Master’s Program

By Maryland Today Staff

The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law in Baltimore and the University of Maryland College of Behavioral and Social Sciences in College Park are starting an online master’s degree program to prepare public safety officials for careers in a field that is rapidly changing with technology advances, the rise of social media and increased public scrutiny.

Set to launch in Fall 2020, the Master’s of Professional Studies in Public Safety Leadership and Administration is a response to a growing need for advanced training in leadership, policy, and law for police, public safety officials and other public servants. Courses will be taught by professors from both institutions in sociology, criminology and law.

The program is funded by the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State (MPower), which leverages the sizable strengths and complementary missions of both campuses.

“Law enforcement faces challenges in the 21st century that we couldn’t have anticipated just a few decades ago,” said Rashawn Ray, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, College Park. “We designed this program alongside law enforcement professionals and criminal justice practitioners who are dealing with new phenomena and working with members of their communities every day to keep people safe.”

While working toward the master’s degree, students will earn two graduate certificates: one in Criminal Justice Administration and one in Leadership in Diverse Organizations. Both certificates and the master’s degree can be completed in 15 months. All courses are online to give students flexibility, as many who enroll are likely to be working professionals.

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