A recent article in Omnia announced the launch of a new academic program at Penn: The Master of Applied Criminology and Police Leadership (MCPL). Offered through the College of Liberal and Professional Studies, the advanced degree will be the first of its kind in the US.
Virtual Information Sessions will return in spring 2026.
We invite you to join us online for a Master of Applied Positive Psychology virtual information session. During this session, we will discuss program offerings and help answer any questions you may have as you consider the Master of Applied Positive Psychology degree.
During the Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program, students work in small groups to partner with organizations from around the world and put their positive psychology expertise to work. Each service learning project studies the organization's structure, mission, and goals and develops an actionable plan to make an immediate impact and advance the mission.
Research Interests
John MacDonald is a professor of criminology and sociology in the Department of Criminology at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on policing strategies to reduce crime, racial, and ethnic disparities in policing, police use of force, community–police relations, and the impact of police reforms on officer behavior. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed research articles, 25 book chapters and research reports, and four edited books.
Research Interests
Dr. Cuellar's research examines the use of statistics in the law. Her research focuses on two areas: causal inference and the analysis of forensic evidence.
Visit Aaron Chalfin's website
See Aaron Chalfin's CV
Research Interests
Anthony A. Braga is the Jerry Lee Professor of Criminology and the Director of the Crime and Justice Policy Lab in the Department of Criminology at the University of Pennsylvania. He collaborates with criminal justice, social service, and community-based organizations to produce high-impact scholarship, randomized field experiments, and policy advice on the prevention of crime at problem places, the control of gang violence, and reductions in access to firearms by criminals.
When Heidi Boerstler (Master of Philosophy in Liberal Arts ’26—expected) received the title of Professor Emeritus at the University of Colorado Denver Business School, where she teaches ethics and health law, she was ready to try something new. “I decided to go back and study things I’d never studied before,” she recalls. “I had always been so focused on raising my daughter, getting tenure, teaching, doing research and all.
“As a kid, when I found out about climate change, I had a lot of climate anxiety. That’s one of the reasons why I entered the sustainability field. I had to work on this problem,” shares Desiree Izecksohn, Master of Environmental Studies (MES) ’23.
The lifelong learning division of Penn Arts & Sciences
3440 Market Street, Suite 100
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3335
(215) 898-7326
lps@sas.upenn.edu
