Thomas Jones, professor of Practice of Criminology, at Mount Saint Mary College, teaches a Criminology class.
Mount Saint Mary College is preparing the next generation of criminal justice professionals to meet the challenges of an evolving legal system with its new Mental Health and Crime concentration within the Criminology major.
Students pursuing this concentration are required to complete PSY 1010 General Psychology as a prerequisite. This requirement grounds their criminological studies in a formal understanding of human behavior and mental processes.
The Mental Health and Crime concentration provides specialized expertise, rooted in the Mount’s broader commitment to a human-centric Criminology curriculum. Rather than focusing solely on statutes and violations, the program adopts a holistic perspective.
The Mount’s Criminology program moves beyond the standard study of law and crime to offer a more comprehensive perspective. This approach ensures that students understand the complex consequences of crime as they relate to the offender, the victim, and the broader community. This philosophy encourages students to move beyond the “what” of criminal activity to investigate the “why.”
The Criminology major at the Mount is designed for immediate engagement, with students beginning core coursework in their freshman year. The 45-credit curriculum emphasizes that learning should extend beyond the classroom. Recent student initiatives have included a collaboration with local police departments to create sensory boxes, designed to de-escalate stressful encounters for individuals on the Autism spectrum.
Students are also encouraged to pursue internships with local agencies such as the New York State Police, Orange County Victim Services, and Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (TASC). These experiences, combined with a senior capstone project, ensure that graduates are prepared for diverse careers in forensic psychology, probation, parole, and victim advocacy, or for further pursuit of law school.