OSU-OKC’s Crime Victim/Survivor Services program prepares advocates

OSU-OKC's Crime Victim/Survivor Services program prepares advocates

Monday, December 22, 2025

Media Contact: Cody Cramer | Director of Marketing & Communications | 405-345-9198 | [email protected]

Making a difference in people's lives motivates many students in Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City's crime victim/survivor services program.

For department head Jacqueline Mullen, after 25 years in the field of victim services, her desire to share her knowledge led her to teaching at OSU-OKC.

OSU-OKC's program is one of only a handful in the nation - and the only one in Oklahoma - designed to train victim advocates. Students learn how to support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, elder abuse and other forms of victimization.

"It is such a unique and amazing and special program," said Mullen, who is also an assistant professor. "We teach students, we equip them with the skills, with the knowledge, and with ethical competence to go out there into the field and work with people who have experienced so many different types of victimization and abuse."

The program also teaches its students how to care for themselves in a demanding field.

"It's challenging work," Mullen said. "But it's highly rewarding, and we want to make sure that we take care of ourselves as well."

Building skills for real-world impact

Mullen said the program focuses on both knowledge and practical skills.

Students learn crisis intervention, ethical competencies, communication skills and how to support victims through grief and trauma. They also gain familiarity with resources available to victims in our community.

Courses include victimology, victim services, domestic violence, rape and sexual assault, human trafficking, stalking, child abuse and exploitation.

"We teach some really unique courses to really know how to help people who are experiencing victimization and abuse," Mullen said.

The program offers two paths: an Associate of Applied Science degree and a certificate. The certificate is useful for professionals in related fields such as social work, law enforcement and criminal justice. Students pursuing the degree can also earn the certificate along the way.

"We want professionals who are already working in the field - and allied professions like law enforcement, prosecution, nursing and social work - to think about coming back and obtaining a certificate that will help them be more effective in their work with victims," Mullen said. "It's a really important credential."

Students find purpose and community

For Marrie Smith, who will graduate in spring 2026, the program has been life-changing.

"I've always had a desire to make a difference, to leave a positive impact in my community," she said. "Through the help of my professor, Jacqueline Mullen, I understood that I could create meaning and purpose in my life by what this degree program offers."

Smith said the program has given her a deeper understanding of healthy versus unhealthy relationships and the hurdles victims face when navigating systems like child welfare or the courts.

"I will be able to walk alongside them and effectively support them in a way that they might not have from anyone else in their life," she said. "If you're thinking about entering the program, honestly, just do it. The classes are so interesting and unique. I've never found another program like it."

Craig Smith, another student, shares that sense of purpose. At 50, he returned to school after years of working at a homeless shelter.

"I love working with people," he said. "I've had my own traumas, so I wanted to try something different, more advanced than just working in the base of the shelter. I wanted to help people on a different level."

Craig said the program has prepared him to meet survivors where they are and understand the impact of trauma and loss.

"The grieving classes I just got through were very good. The trauma-informed class was great," he said. "We have to do certain role-playing exercises, which help as far as getting you prepped to be an advocate."

As one of the few men in the program, Craig hopes to address an often-overlooked need.

"I really want to pursue the opportunity to maybe help male sexual assault survivors," he said. "It's something that needs to grow in the field."

Both students say the program has given them more than academic knowledge - it has given them community, confidence and a clear path to making a difference.

"This program has greatly enhanced my life," Marrie said. "I'm super grateful that OSU-OKC offers this program because it has been life-changing."

A growing need for advocates

Graduates often find employment with government agencies, law enforcement, district attorneys' offices and nonprofit organizations serving victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and homelessness.

Many students begin working in the field before graduation.

"If you're a person who's ever wanted to help other people through some of the darkest moments in their life, then this is really the program for you," Mullen said.

For more information about the crime victim and survivor services program, visit the link.