A collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD), and the Neubauer Family Foundation will provide tuition support for senior PPD officers to enroll in Penn’s new Master of Applied Criminology and Police Leadership (MCPL) program.
School of Arts and Sciences Interim Dean Jeffrey Kallberg announced the collaboration at a special event on May 21, 2025. Guest speakers included Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, Deputy Provost Beth A. Winkelstein, professor of criminology John MacDonald, and businessman and philanthropist Joseph Neubauer.
Thanks to the generous support of the Neubauer Family Foundation, scholarships will be offered to eligible senior PPD personnel to attend the professional master’s program, which will launch this fall through the College of Liberal and Professional Studies.
In her remarks, Mayor Parker noted the collaboration represents Philadelphia’s commitment to community. Commissioner Bethel described the program as groundbreaking, and one that will prepare police leaders to meet the needs of the city with skill, empathy, and vision. Professor MacDonald emphasized that the program’s evidence-based policing and management science curriculum will strengthen community trust and advance procedural justice. Closing the event, Mr. Neubauer shared his business and civic philosophy of investing in human capital. The collaboration, he said, is about building a legacy in the community and can transform the city’s approach to safety.
The first of its kind in the US, the MCPL offers a curriculum grounded in evidence-based policing (EBP) designed to develop students’ understanding of modern research findings in applied criminology and policing. The program will be delivered in a low-residency executive format, allowing enrolled police professionals to continue working full time during their studies.
Read more about the collaboration in the Penn Today article here >
Learn more about the MCPL program >
