In an effort to meet workforce development needs in southern Aroostook County, the University of Maine at Presque Isle will begin delivering its Associate’s degree in Criminal Justice in a way that allows students to complete the program entirely from UMPI’s Houlton Higher Education Center.
“While we’ve offered many, many courses at our Houlton Higher Education Center over the years, we are so pleased to be offering up a sequence of courses so students—especially those who are place-bound and not able to travel to our main campus in Presque Isle—can complete all of their coursework for their Criminal Justice Associate’s degree right in Houlton,” UMPI President Ray Rice said. “UMPI is committed to increasing college access and affordability in our region and state and we look forward to delivering this new offering as part of those efforts.”
To kick things off, the course CRJ 100: Introduction to Criminal Justice will be offered at the Houlton Center in Spring 2020. The course is expected to run in Houlton again in Fall 2020. Once students have completed that introductory course, there will be a series of both required and elective courses available to them starting in Fall 2020 so they have the ability to earn their Criminal Justice Associate of Arts degree (AA) from UMPI by Spring 2022.
Courses will be delivered on-site by UMPI faculty as well as adjunct instructors who are working in law enforcement-related fields. Courses also will be delivered through video conferencing, Zoom video technology, and online. Instructors can be flexible in working with those who serve in law enforcement roles in the community and have shift schedules.
“I am very excited to have our Criminal Justice program offer more opportunities to students in the Greater Houlton area,” Dr. Lisa Leduc, UMPI Professor of Criminal Justice, said. “The Associate Degree is an excellent opening to launch students into various careers, professional advancement opportunities, or a Bachelor’s degree.”
Additionally, those interested in this Criminal Justice Associate’s degree program may be able to take advantage of a potential scholarship opportunity. Maine residents that have not completed more than 30 credits of college work and who have been out of college for at least three years may apply for an Osher Scholarship. Provided by the Osher Foundation to the University of Maine System, Osher Scholarships cover the costs of tuition, books, and fees. The team at the Houlton Center can provide more information about the scholarship and the new Criminal Justice offering in Houlton.
“Delivering this Criminal Justice Associate’s degree completely in Houlton is filling an important need in our community that has a large opportunity for employment in law enforcement and social justice fields,” Tracy Rockwell, Director of the Houlton Higher Education Center, said. “This is also about long term workforce development—individuals can get their Criminal Justice AA from UMPI here in Houlton and then build their career path from there. So if they want to go on and get a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, we can work with them to transition to more course work on the UMPI campus.”
For more information about UMPI’s Criminal Justice AA offering in Houlton, contact Jean Henderson at UMPI’s Houlton Higher Education Center at jean.henderson@maine.edu or 207-521-3100, or connect with UMPI’s Admissions Office at umpi-admissions@maine.edu or 207-768-9532.
