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Background

The School of Arts and Sciences at Point Park University has a mission to develop students as lifelong learners through a distinctive liberal arts and interdisciplinary foundation. The School is composed of four departments: criminal justice and intelligence studies; literature, culture and society; natural sciences and engineering; and psychology. It is the foundation of all the academic programs at Point Park, providing liberal arts and science courses to every school and major. 

Department Landing Pages

Criminal Justice and Intelligence Studies
Literature, Culture and Society
Natural Sciences and Engineering
Psychology

Enrollment (Fall 2023)

Undergraduate: 615
Graduate: 81

Bachelor of Science Degrees

  • Biological Sciences
  • Civil Engineering
  • Criminal Justice
  • Electrical Engineering 
  • Forensic Science
  • Specialized Professional Studies -- Funeral Service
  • Intelligence and National Security
  • Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Liberal Studies
  • Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor of Arts Degrees

  • Behavioral Sciences
  • Creative Writing
  • English
  • Global Cultural Studies
  • History
  • Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Legal Studies
  • Liberal Studies
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Social Justice Studies

Capstone Program

In cooperation with the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, this Bachelor of Science Capstone degree program  requires completion of the 20-month, five-trimester Associate in Specialized Business degree at PIMS, followed by one year of study at Point Park.

  • Specialized Professional Studies -- Funeral Service (B.S. Capstone)

Post-Baccalaureate Degree

  • Bachelor of Science in Intelligence and National Security

Master of Arts Degrees

  • Community Psychology
  • Intelligence and Global Security

Doctoral Programs

  • Ph.D. in Critical Psychology
  • Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology

Certificate Program

  • Intelligence and National Security (available in traditional and fully online formats)

Facilities

Natural Sciences

  • Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Computer Laboratory
  • Chemistry Laboratory
  • Environmental Science, Molecular Biology, Zoology, Botany, and Genetics Laboratory
  • Instrument Laboratory (with new spectroscopic instruments)
  • Physics/Geology Laboratory

Engineering

Civil Engineering
  • R.L. Simmons Materials Laboratory
  • Simulation Laboratory
  • Soils Laboratory 
Electrical Engineering
  • Circuits Laboratory
  • Digital Electronics Laboratory
  • Electrical Power Laboratory
  • Radio Laboratory
Mechanical Engineering
  • Heat Transfer Laboratory
  • Fluid Mechanics Laboratory
  • R.L. Simmons Materials Laboratory
  • Finite Element Analysis with ANSYS

Student Internship Opportunities/Partners

  • Allegheny County Department of Economic Development
  • Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner
  • Allegheny Land Trust
  • Allpoint Systems
  • The Audubon Society
  • The Bradley Center
  • Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute</ li>
  • Children's Hospital of UPMC
  • Contact Pittsburgh
  • Continental Design and Management Group
  • Correction agencies
  • Federal agencies
  • GAI Consultants Inc.
  • Law offices
  • Lechtzer Inc.
  • Local and county law enforcement agencies
  • Mercy Behavioral Health
  • Mylan Inc.
  • The National Aviary
  • PennDOT
  • Persad
  • Pittsburgh Action Against Rape
  • Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Inc.
  • Probation offices
  • UPMC Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic
  • U.S. Intelligence Community
  • Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
  • Westinghouse Electric Co.

Faculty

Criminal Justice and Intelligence Studies

Michael Botta, M.S., chair
Richard Linzer, J.D.
Sean Elliot Martin, Ph.D.
Andrew Richards, M.A.
Christine Secilia, M.S.
Edward Strimlan, M.D.
Mark Wintz, Ph.D.

Literature, Culture and Society

Chris Girman, Ph.D., J.D., chair
Jehnie Burns, Ph.D.
Marion Dixon, Ph.D.
Karen Dwyer, Ph.D
Kirstin Hanley, Ph.D.
Dwight Hines, Ph.D.
Dora Ion, Ph.D.
Helena Knorr, Ph.D.
Jessica McCort, Ph.D.
Edward Meena, M.Ed., M.A.
Robert Ross, Ph.D.

Natural Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Matthew Pascal, Ph.D., chair
Vishnu Agrawala, Ph.D.
Oleksandr Dobzhanskyi, Ph.D.
Robert Draper, M.Sc., M.S.N.E.
Laura Frost, Ph.D.
Robert Garson, Ph.D.
Gregg Johnson, Ph.D.
Donald Keller, Ph.D., P.E.
Diane Krill, Ph.D.
John Kudlac, Ph.D.
Yan Liu, Ph.D.
Kristy Long, M.S.
Mark Marnich, Ed.D.
Brendan Mullan, Ph.D.
Raju Mundru, Ph.D.
Matthew Opdyke, Ph.D.
Aram Parsa, Ph.D.
Daniel Reed, M.S.
Rebekah Young, M.S.

Psychology

Sarah Schulz, Ph.D., chair
Matthew Allen, Ph.D.
Britney Brinkman, Ph.D.
Amanda B. Lowe, Ph.D.
Robert McInerney, Ph.D.
Bethany Morris, Ph.D
Brent Dean Robbins, Ph.D.