Overview

Overview

Twenty-first century law enforcement demands an ability to work in highly diverse environments under considerable pressures. The Masters in Police Psychology Program at the Adler School offers sworn members of the law enforcement community the opportunity to build on their education and police training to develop psychological knowledge and skills to utilize in their work as the police. Developed by police commander and clinical psychologist William Powers, the curriculum blends the theories and principles of sociology and psychology with the knowledge officers already have from their work experience.  Students build on this existing knowledge to develop enhanced psychological strategies for working in the areas of patrol, operations, and management. The program also acknowledges the impact a career in law enforcement can have on individuals personally and aims to provide students with support and tools for managing this impact. The primary goal of the program is to teach law enforcement personnel how to navigate the complex and often dangerous environments they face every day in their work and to minimize the impact of their work on their personal lives.

The program acknowledges the challenges law enforcement personnel can face in attending graduate school related to shifting, unpredictable work schedules. As a result, the program offers courses in the evenings and on weekends as well as online. By taking two courses per semester, students can graduate in 18 months. In addition, the program accepts contracts and vouchers for most tuition reimbursement programs, provides the assigned textbooks for each core course, and grants three credit hours (thus waiving the thesis requirement) for individuals who complete Staff and Command training at Northwestern University.

Admission Requirements

• Hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited US institution or a comparable degree from an international institution 
• A grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for undergraduate and graduate coursework
• Approved applicants will be invited to an interview as the final step in the application process

Degree Requirements

• Satisfactory completion of all required credit hours, including all required courses
• A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and no more than two grades or six credit hours of "C"
• Submission of graduation application and full payment of all outstanding tuition and fees
• Completion of Thesis with a grade of "CR"
• Faculty approval for graduation and recommendation to the Board of Trustees for the conferral of the Master of Arts in Police Psychology