Coker to Add Master of Applied Criminology

HARSTVILLE, SC – Beginning in August, Coker College plans to add its third postgraduate degree: a Master of Science in Applied Criminology. The new program is pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC).

“Breaking away from traditional approaches of understanding criminal justice, Coker College’s MSAC program develops criminological expertise to inform crime control practices and policy,” said Todd Couch, assistant professor of sociology and criminology at Coker. “Specifically, Coker’s MSAC program equips its students with critical criminological insight into diversity issues within the criminal justice system. With this information, graduates of the MSAC program will be better prepared to address criminal justice concerns in an increasingly diverse society.”

The 15-month program comprises 10 six-week terms, and students can enter the program at multiple intervals throughout the year. Courses will cover topics including correctional philosophies, crime control tactics, and grant writing. Students will also examine how the criminal justice system relates to gender, race and social class, with ethics and diversity training integrated throughout the program. Courses will be offered entirely online through technology that incorporates interactive assignments and Coker’s signature discussion-based learning.

“Education helps you perform better and make better decisions as a supervisor and as a leader,” said Chief James Hudson, Chief Deputy of the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office and former Hartsville Police Chief. “We’re not working in the same system that we were in 15 or 20 years ago—most agencies want you to have an associate’s degree or better before you can even make sergeant. This program will further the participants’ careers because they’ll have a better understanding of how the entire system works beyond the day-to-day.”

Tuition for the full 33-hour program totals $16,860, or $562 per credit hour. Admissions requirements include a bachelor’s degree and a portfolio with a resume, a personal statement, and three letters of recommendation.

“When I first arrived at Coker, I became aware that Dr. Siegfried had a vision for a graduate degree in criminology,” said Coker Provost Tracy Parkinson. “Over the past year, he and his colleagues have worked to bring that to fruition in a form that will engage students and admirably serve the field.”

The new program will be Coker’s third postgraduate degree and its second degree to be offered primarily via online instruction. In May of 2012, Coker added a Master of Science in Athletic Administration program and upgraded its institutional classification from Level II, a baccalaureate college, to Level III, an institution that offers a master’s degree as its highest degree. A second program, a Master of Education in Literacy, was added in June 2014.

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Coker College readies undergraduates for personal and professional success through a distinctive four-year program that emphasizes a practical application of the liberal arts as well as hands-on and discussion-based learning within and beyond the classroom. Coker is ranked among the “Best Colleges” in the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as The Princeton Review. Located in Hartsville, S.C., Coker is within two hours of the cultural, financial and recreational resources of Charlotte, Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach.

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