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Online MC Master’s in Administration of Justice Gets Solid USA Ranking


Harry Porter

Mississippi College’s online master’s in the administration of justice ranks among the nation’s finest.

In April, Affordable Colleges Online rated MC’s program 12th best in the USA after measuring data from hundreds of universities. The University of Louisville ranked No. 1, followed by East Carolina and Washington State University. MC topped schools including 21 Florida State University and No. 25 Central Florida.

The San Francisco-based website sized up schools based on their graduation rates, costs, guidance to students, academic strengths and student/faculty ratio.

MC’s administration of justice program covers everything from criminal justice to homeland security to loss prevention/security management studies.

Program Director Harry Porter is delighted to see MC gain the latest national recognition. It’s a “direct result of the high academic standards that our faculty members require of the graduate students,” he said. “We are fortunate to have such outstanding and experienced online professors.”

The solid national ranking for the program at America’s second oldest Baptist college, Porter said, will help attract outstanding online graduate students in the future.

Other Mississippi College leaders praised the hard work done by Porter, his dedicated team of instructors and students in recent years.

“Without that kind of collaboration, and the equal determination of students to succeed in the program, these kinds of national rankings don’t occur,” said Jonathan Randle, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. “We’re proud of the program and the accomplishments of its instructors, alumni and current students.”

In November 2015, the MC online masters in the criminal justice field was ranked fifth best in the USA by the website graduateprograms.com among 25 schools making the final cut. It was based on more than 40,000 student reviews of over 1,600 graduate programs nationwide. Student reviews examined factors like academic competitiveness, career support, and financial aid. Michigan State topped the list followed by the University of Cincinnati.

Mississippi College’s success with its online master’s in the field is indicative of a growing university that’s stepped up its efforts to reach students via the latest advances in distance learning.

“Online learning is something we are constantly working to improve, both in terms of student services and course quality,” said Ron Howard, vice president for academic affairs. “We are proud of the progress our Administration of Justice and Homeland Security have made.”

President Lee Royce and Graduate Dean Debbie Norris joined the list of Mississippi College leaders applauding the program’s accomplishments on a national scale.

The MC program caters to working adults who often juggle families with full-time jobs, school activities and other duties.

Bill Blunden, 47, a U.S. Army veteran, received his bachelor’s in Homeland Security at Mississippi College. He’s the CEO of an information security firm. Getting his master’s at MC, he said, opened doors for him to become an instructor in cyber security and cyber terrorism at the Christian university in Clinton.

For more information on the MC program, contact Harry Porter at 601-925-3266 or hporter@mc.edu