An influential force

Do you want to help solve social problems?

Do you want to make a difference in the lives of others?

Do you want to transform your community?

Then CPACS is the place for you. CPACS was created to offer academic programs to prepare graduates to meet the critical social needs of our community and state. Our certificate and degree programs will prepare you to be a leader, a mover and shaker, and change maker.

A degree in criminology and criminal justice empowers you with an understanding of crime, ways to protect against it and help victims of it, and how to ensure justice. Whether you want to get your hands dirty on a crime scene, go hands-on in a lab, work behind the scenes in research or administration, criminology and criminal justice provides opportunities for you to make your community a safer and more just place for all.

A degree in gerontology opens the doors to understand the issues facing our world’s rapidly increasing aging population. Business opportunities and social needs are rapidly unfolding and you can be at the center of it all. You may find yourself creating new care facilities, developing new services, or advocating for policy changes. In all these ways and more, the study of gerontology prepares you to improve the quality of life for older persons.

Lift up those who are down. A degree in social work gives you the skills to empower the vulnerable. Learn how to help individuals and families escape poverty. Learn how to change social systems, eliminate oppression, and advance social justice.

A degree in public administration prepares you to improve policy and manage public and nonprofit organizations. At any level of government, or any size of a nonprofit organization, there is a great need for effective managers and policy makers. Public administration is the profession for those who can bridge gaps, create networks, and solve problems.

Ready for your career to take off? Get a degree in aviation. Soon you will find yourself piloting a jet, managing an airport, or starting a business with a fleet of drones. In this rapidly growing profession, the sky’s the limit.

Where will you be when disaster strikes? With a degree in emergency management, you will be front and center coordinating response and leading communities towards recovery. You will help plan for a safer future and reduce risks for all, from neighborhoods to multinational businesses.

A degree in multidisciplinary studies allows you to diversify your portfolio of interests. You may study the environment, management, communication, or healthcare. Or you may create your own unique plan of study. Employers want to hire graduates with a multidisciplinary approach who can solve problems and move ahead. Design your degree; design your future.

In addition to its academic programs, CPACS offers students opportunities to work on important real world projects. The Nebraska Center for Justice Research assists the Legislature in evaluation and policymaking to reduce recidivism and improve public safety. The Juvenile Justice Institute evaluates programs to help Nebraska’s children. The Nebraska Space Grant provides students with fellowships and internships to study space and flight. The William Brennan Institute for Labor Studies fosters critical thinking about workplace issues and helps working people know their rights. The Center for Public Affairs Research provides data and the knowledge to interpret it properly. It does survey research, program evaluation, and makes policy recommendations to state decision-makers. Join a project and start making a difference right away!