Administration of Justice and Homeland Security (M.S.)

Students must successfully complete 12 courses totaling 36 credits to earn the master's degree. All students must complete the curriculum as follows:

Required Courses

There are eight (8) required courses in the administration of justice and homeland security program. These courses are as follows:

Area of Concentration or Approved Electives

Students may either choose an area of concentration (leadership in justice, cybersecurity and intelligence and digital forensics) or select electives from any of the graduate programs (with the approval of the graduate program director) to develop an individualized program of study that meets their personal and professional goals. Recommended electives for those not selecting an area of concentration are listed below:

*Other electives may be allowed with permission of the graduate program director.

Cybersecurity and Intelligence Concentration

This program is designed to respond to the interests, knowledge requirements, and needs of professionals not limited to the field of law enforcement and justice at the local, regional, state and international levels. Professionals in this field require an education that prepares them for global challenges that impact cybersecurity and intelligence at home and abroad. It is necessary for professionals in this field to have an understanding of the advancing technological world and its immense impact on the global community.

This program includes attention to counterterrorism training in such areas as information technology, terrorist groups, domestic terrorism, high tech crimes, intelligence gathering, and financial investigative techniques. To support this effort, practical problems will be discussed with emphasis on enhanced cooperation with law enforcement at the international, federal, state, local, and tribal levels. A commitment to technical report writing and analytical thinking is a consistent priority that is based upon the needs of current and future skill requirements.

Program requirements and curriculum following the completion of an approved program of 12 courses (36 credits), which includes the selection of four electives from the list below and all degree requirements, the Master of Science in Administration of Justice and Homeland Security with a concentration in cybersecurity and intelligence is conferred.

The concentration in cybersecurity and intelligence focuses on the conceptual aspects of what steps need to be taken so that managers can lead and interact in a technological environment and bridge the communication gap between management and technicians. The concentration in cybersecurity and Intelligence highlights theory, policy, and problems in this emerging field. Developing special topics courses are designed to enable students to stack credentials and certifications which will be helpful in the competitive field of cybersecurity and intelligence.

Digital Forensics Concentration

A concentration in digital forensics is offered. Digital Forensics encompasses an array of skills including acquiring, extracting, and analyzing data that is often useful for criminal investigation and civil litigation cases. In addition to criminal and civil investigations, it also plays a major role in intelligence and counterterrorism matters. As a concentration area in Administration of Justice and Homeland Security, Digital Forensics would expand on student's knowledge from core classes, instruct them on analyzing and documenting data, and help them develop necessary skills for utilizing networks, servers, and analysis tools. As with this and with our other programs at Salve, a deliberate evaluation of relevancy in the constantly changing world of global technology will shape the syllabus of each course in this program to best serve the students and their career placement.

The concentration in digital forensics will enable students to satisfy all of the following concentration objectives:

1. To acquaint students with computer network architecture, proper evidence collection and storage, and federal rules and criminal codes;
2. To understand how foreign state sponsored threat actors target certain institutions and companies;
3. To introduce students to network traffic analysis, web log analysis, malware reverse engineering, and cyber infrastructure analysis;
4. To instruct each student on how to navigate networks, servers, and mass data as well as how to utilize common digital forensic tools.

Students must complete the courses below:

Leadership in Justice Concentration

A concentration in leadership in justice is offered. A practitioner of justice faces many challenges in this field, which is changing dramatically. Professionals in the justice field are being asked to reduce and manage crime while facing budget cuts, protecting the public, and organizing agencies and departments in a collaborative environment. 

Leaders in the justice field must reshape departments that have been highly centralized, over-specialized, and conventional in their approach to solving community issues and problems. They must draw upon their knowledge and skills to establish and maintain a high standard of integrity and ethical values.

Following the completion of an approved program of 12 courses (36 credits), which includes the eight required courses and four electives from the list below, a Master of Science in Administration of Justice and Homeland Security with a concentration in leadership in justice will be conferred.

The concentration in leadership in justice focuses on strategic management in a multicultural, technological, and collaborative environment.

Students must complete the courses below:

Degree Plan for M.S. in Administration of Justice

M.S. in Administration of Justice

Cybersecurity and Intelligence Concentration

Digital Forensics Concentration

Leadership in Justice Concentration