Though it may be two or three more years before undergraduates have the ability to major in criminology, interested student can still earn their master's in the field by the time they graduate.
While the master's program allows students to earn a criminology degree, Criminology graduate student Laura Herring feels that an undergraduate major would be an effective way to attract student earlier in their college careers.
Herring, who earned her bachelor's degree in psychology at Penn, was surprised the major has not been established at Penn already. She became interested in the field after taking a criminology course during her senior year.
Approximately 4 percent of the undergraduate population takes the introductory course each year, according to Jerry Lee Center of Criminology Director Lawrence Sherman, who is teaching the class this semester.
"That's a pretty high level of interest for any one course," Sherman said, adding that each year students inquire about any other criminology courses that can be taken.
Although some undergraduate students have expressed interest in taking additional criminology courses, others, like College freshman Lyuba Gitman, do not see future opportunities in the department and are taking the class to fulfill a requirement.
However, interested and qualified juniors can submatriculate into the master's program and take graduate courses at the Lee Center. The program, which began this past fall, will graduate its first class -- made up of 14 students -- in May.
Unlike many other programs offering master's degrees in criminology that prepare students for Ph.D. candidacy, Penn's program pushes students toward more practical applications of their knowledge.
A central aim of the program is to create "change agents" -- students who will apply their strong academic background and analytical skills to criminal justice and policy practice, Master's Program Director Laurie Robinson said.
"It's important to really establish bridges between the academic and research side, on the one hand, and the policy and practice on the other," said Robinson, who has a background outside academia. Robinson served as an assistant to former Attorney General Janet Reno.
The University's Criminology Department was founded in June 2003 and is the first of its kind among Ivy League schools.
Undergraduate participants can earn two degrees in four years -- a master's in criminology and a bachelor's degree.
Students are encouraged to make contacts and get their name circulated within the field, Herring said.
College junior Lindsay Ahlman believes that undergraduates can also benefit from the variety of people involved in the program, such as experienced judges and law school graduates who are also enrolled.
It is a "good place to create ideas and have resources to execute the ideas," said Ahlman, who intends to enroll in the program in the fall.
