Bermuda College will offer an Associate Degree in Criminology course during the next academic year.The Dean of Arts, Necheeka Trott, said the college decided to offer the degree in light of Bermuda’s increasing number of gun and violent crimes.The course will start in September and lasts 30 months and is being offered through the College of Working Adults (CWA).Ms Trott said: “This 30-month programme focuses on the study of crime, the behaviour of criminals and the social institutions evolved to respond to crime.“It includes instruction in the theory of crime and delinquency, punishment and corrections, psychological and social bases of criminal behaviour, criminal law and the criminal justice system, penology, studies of specific types of crime, applications to specific issues in law enforcement and more. With the rising crime we felt as a community college this was fitting to offer.“It will provide the resources to people already involved in jobs that relate to the field to gain academic accreditation to compliment the day-to-day skills they already have.“It will also be helpful to people looking to get a job.”The CWA courses are split into three 15-week blocks. The brochure states tuition is free for Bermudian students who have a GPA of 2.0 or higher.Education Minister Dame Jennifer Smith told the House of Assembly this week about the successes of other programmes at the Bermuda College.She said: “As the Island seeks to regain its prominence in the hospitality industry, two programmes in the Division of Business Administration and Tourism the Associate in Applied Science Culinary Arts and the Diploma in Culinary Arts were each recently reaccredited by the Accrediting Commission of the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation.The college also recorded a 75 percent enrolment increase in its culinary arts programmes this year. “The division of Applied Science and Technology has seen its enrolment increase by 23 over last year.”Last year 94 students received associate degrees, diplomas or certificates in over 40 credited programmes at the Bermuda College. The majority of them were from the Division of Business Administration and Tourism.The college also assisted 14 people receive baccalaureate degrees in external programmes offered in partnership with Mount Saint Vincent University or complete their first year of the University of Kent law programme.They also helped 117 people gain external certificates or professional designations through the Division of Professional and Career Education.