Criminology and Criminal Justice Program at Portland State Exceeds Expectations

In just one year, Portland State University's online Criminology and Criminal Justice degree program has experienced tremendous growth.
The program, which began delivering online classes in the spring of 2006, is expecting more than 173 students and 519 enrollments in the spring 2007 term beginning in April. Projections for the first year were estimated at 100 students and 300 enrollments.
"We are very pleased with the growth of the program. This level of interest after just one year bodes well to the future success of the online Criminology and Criminal Justice initiative at Portland State," said Dr. Annette Jolin chair of the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at PSU. "It has been a learning experience to translate the on-campus material to an online format, but our talented faculty and staff should be commended for an excellent job."
Students in PSU's online Criminology and Criminal Justice program enjoy a flexible and convenient learning experience that allows them to continue with their careers and personal obligations while working toward their degree. The program is completely online with no campus visits necessary. This allows students from Portland to Afghanistan to participate in the program.
"Demand for this degree has really exceeded our expectations especially considering the amount of competition in the market for criminology and criminal justice degrees," said Gloria Pickar president and chief academic officer for Compass Knowledge Group. Compass markets the degree online and recruits students for PSU. "We usually aim for around 100 students as a good benchmark for the first year. The fact that we have nearly doubled that number speaks to the quality of the degree offered by Portland State," explained Pickar.
PSU's Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice prepares graduates to take on new responsibilities in their current jobs, such as criminal analysis tasks, and enhances their potential for career advancement and compensation. For career-path law enforcement professionals, the degree provides a stepping stone for higher-level law enforcement duties in federal agencies or an undergraduate prerequisite to pursue a master's or law degree.
To achieve such a high level of growth in a short time, PSU enlisted the help of Compass Knowledge Group, LLC. Compass provides end-to-end distance learning services to PSU's online programs allowing the university to concentrate on delivering the degree courses.
For more information about Portland State University's Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice distance education program, contact a PSU Enrollment Advisor at 866-225-7127 or visit the program's Web site at www.online.ccj.pdx.edu.