Criminal Justice and Cybersecurity (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:

Area of Concentration or Approved Electives

Students may either choose an area of concentration (leadership, cyberthreat management and response, or intelligence) or select six 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:

Leadership Concentration

A practitioner of justice faces many challenges in this field, which is constantly evolving. Professionals in the justice field are being asked to reduce and manage crime with limited resources, protect the public, improve community perceptions, and organize agencies and departments in a collaborative environment. They must draw upon their knowledge and skills to establish and maintain a high standard of integrity and ethical values, and lead in a way that reflects those values and strengthens their organizations. The concentration in Leadership focuses on innovative leadership practices at the forefront of this profession applicable in a challenging multicultural, technological, and collaborative environment.

Program requirements for this concentration are the completion of an approved program of 12 courses (36 credits), which includes the six core classes for the Master of Science Degree, five required courses listed below for this concentration, and one elective selected from the list below. Upon completion, the Master of Science in Criminal Justice & Cybersecurity with a concentration in Leadership is conferred.

Students must complete the courses below:

Cyberthreat Management and Response Concentration

This program is designed to respond to the interests, knowledge requirements, and needs of professionals in cybersecurity and law enforcement working in the private sector and 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 cyberthreats 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 cyber training in such areas as information technology, terrorist groups, domestic terrorism, high tech crimes, intelligence gathering, and criminal 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 professionals in these fields. Through the Cyber Fundamentals course, students will prepare to earn industry certification readying them for a career in this field and demonstrating their competency to potential employers.

Program requirements for this concentration are completion of an approved program of 12 courses (36 credits), which includes the six core classes for the Master of Science Degree, two required courses listed below for this concentration, and four electives selected from the list below. Upon completion, the Master of Science in Criminal Justice and Cybersecurity with a concentration in Cyberthreat Management and Response is conferred.

Intelligence Concentration

This program is designed to respond to the interests, knowledge requirements, and needs of professionals in cybersecurity, intelligence, and law enforcement in the private sector and at the local, regional, state and international levels. Intelligence professionals need specialized investigative and analytic processes and tools to carry out their work in a way that is ethically sound while successfully safeguarding those they have responsibility for.

This program prepares professionals to gather information, analyze it and document it in a way that reduces the impact of their biases and improves the usefulness of the information to intelligence consumers and decision makers. 

Program requirements for this concentration are completion of an approved program of 12 courses (36 credits), which includes the six core classes for the Master of Science Degree, four required courses listed below for this concentration, and two electives selected from the list below. Upon completion, the Master of Science in Criminal Justice and Cybersecurity with a concentration in Intelligence is conferred.

M.S. in Criminal Justice & Cybersecurity

Leadership Concentration

Cyberthreat Management and Response Concentration

Intelligence Concentration