Portland State University Launches Online Criminology and Criminal Justice Degree

PORTLAND, OR (November, 2005) – Portland State University’s Hatfield School of Government and the Division of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Compass Knowledge Group, Inc. ("CKNO" or "Compass"), a premier provider of e-learning solutions, are pleased to announce the launch of Portland State’s first national distance education program: The Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice. This online degree program is designed to meet the needs of aspiring or working criminal justice professionals around the world.

"By offering this degree online with maximum flexibility, practitioners can incorporate working towards a superior education, expanded career options and a better professional and personal life into their existing routines. You experience the same first-rate professors and curriculum online as you would in one of our classrooms,"says Kris Henning, Program Director, Criminology and Criminal Justice. "We ensure a high level of education and interaction. Students will be pushed to excel and be challenged like any student on our Portland campus."

The bachelor’s completion program is open to individuals who hold an associate’s degree or 90 quarter credits (60 semester credits) of transferable college work. Students in the Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice program can complete coursework in just two and one-half years. Compass provides the distance learning expertise with support services that have already made a positive difference in other institutions around the country to support Portland State’s strategic program goals.

The program is designed for students who are interested in studying the causes, prevention, and control of criminal activity. The Criminology and Criminal Justice division’s curriculum provides students with a broad base of knowledge about crime, criminals, victims, and the criminal justice system. Moreover, the curriculum is designed to foster student skills in critical reasoning, problem solving, and written and oral communication.

According to Henning, criminology and criminal justice professionals have the fundamental skills to be very successful in this program. ’The strong knowledge base professionals have already acquired provides the experience, self-sufficiency and discipline needed to be successful in this online program, ’says Henning. ’Our curriculum complements their experience and gives them the convenience they need to continue their education.’

About Portland State University

Portland State University, Oregon's only urban university, is the largest and most diverse in the state system. Portland State University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, based on approved performance standards. The university offers more than 100 undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degrees as well as graduate certificates and continuing education programs. Portland State University serves more students and confers more master's degrees annually than any other Oregon university.