The College of Professional Studies is the school for students who have a specific career in mind. The college offers programs of study that lead toward degrees in specific, career-oriented fields. Courses of study “such as computer science, criminal justice, legal studies and funeral services…attract students to the College of Professional Studies,” said assistant to the dean Pamela Dalton. She said the school attracts “a lot of policemen that are attracted to the criminal justice major, [and also] a lot of students who are going into law school in the legal studies major. And, of course, we have a lot of computer science majors because of obvious reasons given the current boom in the field of computers.”
“The classes I’m taking within the college are really cool, and suit my needs as a junior at St. John’s University, preparing me to be a professional in my specific career,” junior Bobby Randazzo said.
The College of Professional Studies is lauded by students within the school for their willingness to help. “I have to say they have helped me out in times that I have needed them,” said sophomore Lentz Lefevre. “Anybody who is trying to be a professional in their field, they have a substantial program leading towards that, and also for people who are undecided. They really helped me decide what to do, they’ve helped me out a lot,” she said.
“They are also always there when you need something,” Michelle King said. “The advisers are very willing to offer their time and to help you when you need help, unlike other places where you have to wait forever to speak with someone. In the CPS, they seem to really want to help you.”
The College of Professional Studies is the largest school at St. John’s University, and is also the most diverse. “I think we get a broad spectrum of students. We run the gamut from people like funeral services to people who are planning to be lawyers,” said Dalton.
The school offers various majors in many professional fields. It also takes advantage of the fact that St. John’s is in New York, where you can easily find internships with high-quality companies in a wide variety of fields.
Even though the college already includes many programs, it is continually expanding with the rest of the university. It has recently received accreditation from the American Bar Association for the legal studies program, and “we just started a masters program in criminal justice called Criminal Justice Leadership,” said Dalton. With profession specific programs in a wide variety of fields, the College of Professional Studies joins the rest of the schools at St. John’s University in educating students toward success in the 21st century.
