Sean Perry wanted to be a police officer, so he enrolled in UMass Lowell鈥檚 undergraduate criminal justice program.
鈥淎t the risk of sounding clich茅d, I think everyone who signs up for that major wants to help people,鈥� says Perry, a native of Methuen. As he gained knowledge and experience, however, he saw that research can also help people.
As his career goals evolved, Perry decided to enroll in the bachelor鈥檚-to-master鈥檚 program. He earned a master鈥檚 degree in criminology/criminal justice in August 2018.
During his graduate coursework, Perry learned that research and policy evaluation are needed in the criminal justice field. It was a potent lesson.
鈥淐ertain classes were eye-openers,鈥� he says. While not a math lover, his success in descriptive and inferential statistics course bolstered his confidence. 鈥淚 realized, yes, I could do that,鈥� he says.
Perry plans to pursue a Ph.D. in criminology with the ultimate goal of becoming a professor or private sector or government researcher whose studies could help improve police departments or criminal justice systems.
He cites the high-quality faculty as a reason he continued, and wishes to continue, at UMass Lowell. 鈥淚 received a really good education here. I feel like I never got anything less than Ivy Leaguers did,鈥� he says. UMass Lowell professors are so approachable, he says, contrasting that with experiences he says friends have had at Ivy League institutions: 鈥淚n fact, the down-to-earth atmosphere really suits me.鈥�
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