Distance Learning | News

U St. Thomas Takes Masters in Public Safety Online

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 01/22/13

A private university in Minnesota is about to launch a version of its decades-old public safety master's program fully online. The University of St. Thomas, with campuses in St. Paul and Minneapolis, will start online classes in March that could lead to a master of arts in public safety and law enforcement leadership. This program is intended for professionals in the field who already possess a bachelor's degree and want to improve their leadership skills and increase their opportunities for career advancement.

The online platform used for the program will be provided by University Alliance, a division of Bisk Education that also delivers courses for a number of other institutions, including Villanova University, the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business, and the University of San Francisco. The technology can deliver streaming video lectures or CD-based materials, access to discussion boards and chat rooms, and email. Course resources are available on an Internet-ready device, including smart phones and tablets.

"Whether they seek to advance within their current department or agency, or move into a new role with another agency, students will develop the skills necessary to advance the common good--and to lead others in doing the same," said Deb DeMeester, director of the public safety programs at St. Thomas.