USC Bovard College Commencement Speaker, Professor Carlos Adame, addresses the crowd at the 2026 commencement.
Hailing from across the country and internationally, 66 Master of Science in Criminal Justice graduates gathered on Friday, May 15, 2026 to celebrate their achievements alongside family, friends, and peers, marking the culmination of months of dedication, perseverance, and hard work.
This year’s commencement speaker was Bovard College Professor Carlos Adame, former Chief Human Resources Officer at Amazon, whose message to graduates focused on leadership and navigating change in an increasingly complex world. Drawing from his own career journey, Adame emphasized the unpredictable nature of professional paths and the importance of adaptability in navigating them.
“Your degree is not your destination. It’s your launching point,” he said. “The trajectory of your life will be determined not by the plan you made, but by how you thrive and lead others through the changes you never saw coming.”
2026 MSCJ graduates getting ready to take the stage at commencement.
Navigating uncertainty and refining leadership skills are hallmarks of the Bovard College experience, qualities Adame both recognized and reinforced in his remarks.
“You didn’t just earn a master’s degree. You demonstrated something far more valuable: You proved you can lead through complexity. You managed competing priorities. You collaborated across time zones. You learned new technologies. You balanced work, family, and education simultaneously,” he said. “Do you know what that makes you? It makes you exactly the kind of leader every organization is desperately seeking.”
The ceremony also recognized contributions from Bovard College faculty, with MSCJ’s Louis Morlier receiving the Excellence in Teaching award. Combining intellectual rigor with a deeply supportive approach, Morlier is known for creating learning environments where students feel challenged and encouraged. Students describe his courses as “one of the most engaging and thought-provoking” experiences in the program, noting that he “pushes students to think differently and more critically… and supports them every step of the way.” His classes foster meaningful dialogue—“Every class felt like it mattered”—while colleagues highlight his ability to balance “rigor without intimidation” and describe his classroom as a model of engaged learning.
The 2026 graduates from the MSCJ program represent a broad cross-section of the workforce, spanning local and federal law enforcement, military service, government agencies, and the private sector. Many are currently serving in public safety roles, including positions with the Los Angeles Police Department, Santa Monica and San Bernardino Police Departments, county probation agencies, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Department of Homeland Security. Others work in legal, investigative, and compliance roles across district attorney offices, military branches, and federal courts.
At the same time, the cohort includes professionals from healthcare, education, nonprofit, and corporate environments, who are preparing to transition into criminal justice careers, underscoring the program’s accessibility for both career advancement and career change.
Designed with flexibility in mind, students can complete the MSCJ program on either a 1-year track within 12 months or on the 2-year track in less than two years. There are 24 units of coursework and classes are offered in the fall, spring and summer semesters. No GRE is required, and students have their choice of three enrollment dates each year.