Curriculum & Plan of Study: MPS - Public Safety Leadership and Administration (MPLA)
Mentoring and advising are an essential part of the program. Students meet with faculty and the academic program director to ensure that educational goals and career learning and development goals are met. To learn more, prospective students should contact the program director, Dr. Les Andrist via email: landrist@umd.edu.
Overview
- The MPS-Public Safety Leadership and Administration is a 30-credit, 10-course graduate program that provides advanced leadership training in organizational leadership, cultural competency, and data interpretation.
- Curriculum combines lessons in organizational leadership, cultural competency, law enforcement, criminal justice, and data interpretation to prepare law enforcement and public safety professionals for leadership roles.
- Students learn to evaluate their organizations, provide innovative recommendations, rationally evaluate data and statistics, and manage interpersonal conflicts.
- Program designed for personnel working in the area of public safety, including professions in law enforcement, first response, social services, or administrative agencies coordinating with the judicial system.
- Program can be completed in eighteen months of continuous full-time enrollment. Part-time enrollment is welcome. See Designation of Full-time/Part-time Status.
- Program uses the semester academic calendar with classes held in fall and spring semester (16 weeks each) and Summer Session (two 6-week sessions).
Courses
- Below is a listing of all program courses. For a detailed course description that includes pre-requisites or co-requisites, see The Graduate School Catalog, Course Listing as follows:
| Semester | Course Number | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | CCJS631 | Ethics in Criminal Justice |
| Fall | CCJS632 | Making Sense of Criminal Justice Methods and Statistics |
| Fall | SOCY646 | Public Image Management and Policy Solutions |
| Fall | SOCY657 | Constitutional Law and Public Safety |
| Spring | CCJS633 | Translating Research Into Practice |
| Spring | CCJS658 | Civil Legal Issues in Policing |
| Spring | SOCY641 | Leadership in Diverse Organizations |
| Spring | SOCY643 | Power and Status in Organizations |
| Summer | CCJS*** | Elective Course |
| Summer | SOCY670 | Applied Research Methods |
Registration Overview
- See the sample plan of study, below. Students should use this as a guide to develop a plan with the academic program director.
- Actual course offerings are determined by the program and may vary semester to semester. Students should note if a course has a pre-requisite or co-requisite.
- Specific class meeting information (days and time) is posted on UMD’s interactive web service services, Testudo. Once on that site, select “Schedule of Classes,” then the term/year. Courses are listed by academic unit.
- The program uses specific section codes for registration, which are listed on the sample plan of study.
Sample Plan of Study
| Semester | Course Number | Section Code | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | CCJS631 | PLL* | 3 |
| Fall | CCJS632 | PLL* | 3 |
| Fall | SOCY646 | PLL* | 3 |
| Fall | SOCY657 | PLL* | 3 |
| Spring | CCJS633 | PLL* | 3 |
| Spring | CCJS658 | PLL* | 3 |
| Spring | SOCY641 | PLL* | 3 |
| Spring | SOCY643 | PLL* | 3 |
| Summer | CCJS*** | PLL* | 3 |
| Summer | SOCY670 | PLL* | 3 |
Online Learning
- The program features 100% online instruction with engaging and interactive learning.
- Instruction provided by University of Maryland faculty and professionals in the field.
- Using advanced audio and video technology, UMD’s online learning environment delivers dynamic and interactive content.
- Featuring convenience and flexibility, online instruction permits asynchronous or synchronous participation.
- Lectures are video archived. Students who are unable to attend in real time can review the session through asynchronous participation.
Upon successful completion, graduates will have mastered the following competencies:
- Demonstrate understanding of key statistical methods by interpreting tables and graphs.
- Demonstrate ability to distinguish between high and low quality evaluations.
- Apply leadership strategies to accommodate organization diversity.
- Examine human interaction and human behavior to better work with organizational members to solve complex problems.
- Identify and understand key constitutional law concepts as they relate to the practice of policing and public safety.
- Analyze public safety issues that arise under the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendments.