MS in Criminal Justice
Offered on campus or online, the Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) program is designed for those who want to enter or advance in the field of criminal justice, or who seek a deeper understanding of crime and justice for application in related fields. A Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Boston University’s Metropolitan College will give you a competitive edge, whether you plan to enhance your career, teach, apply to law school, or pursue a doctorate. Ever evolving and often misunderstood, crime and justice issues are complex and important areas of public policy. In your coursework, you will analyze criminal behavior, apply principles of leadership in organizational settings, learn theories of social control, and gain an informed perspective of law enforcement, the judicial system, and corrections. Students in the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program have the option of choosing a concentration in Crime Analysis, Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity, or Strategic Management.
This program requires an average of 8–16 months to complete. Students may begin the program in the fall, spring, or summer term.
Learning Outcomes
- Advanced knowledge of and ability to evaluate criminological and criminal justice theories and their implications for public policy and practice.
- Proficiency in research design and quantitative and qualitative analysis related to evaluation of criminal justice practices, programs, and policies, and to the etiology of crime in applied settings.
- Competence sufficient to evaluate and resolve the ethical issues in criminal justice practice and implement, manage, and lead organizational changes to prevent or respond effectively to them.
- An ability to synthesize, evaluate, recognize implications, and communicate effectively using scholarly sources of information connected to crime theory and policy.
Admissions Information
For current admissions information, please visit the Metropolitan College website.
Degree Requirements
A total of eight courses (32 units) is required, as follows:
Core Courses (four courses/16 units)
- MET CJ 570 Criminology and Crime Policy
- MET CJ 571 Criminal Justice Administration and Ethics
- MET CJ 590 Research and Evaluation Methods
- MET CJ 591 Applied Analytical Methods
General Electives (four courses/16 units)
With the advice of the department chair, students who are not choosing a concentration will select four courses from the following list.
- MET CJ 511 Rehabilitation and Re-Integration
- MET CJ 512 Sexual Violence
- MET CJ 520 Violence and Trauma
- MET CJ 531 Youth Crime Problems
- MET CJ 610 Cybercrime
- MET CJ 612 Crime and Intelligence Analysis
- MET CJ 620 Cyberterrorism and Cyber Defense
- MET CJ 625 Victimology
- MET CJ 632 White-Collar Crime
- MET CJ 640 Performance Management Analytics
- MET CJ 650 Terrorism
- MET CJ 660 Gender and Justice
- MET CJ 705 Threat Assessment
- MET CJ 710 Applied Digital Forensic Investigation
- MET CJ 711 Planning and Implementation
- MET CJ 720 Trauma and Crisis Intervention
- MET CJ 725 Forensic Behavior Analysis
- MET CJ 750 Policing in a Democratic Society
- MET CJ 775 Seminar in the Law and Criminal Procedure
- MET CJ 801 Special Project in Criminal Justice
- MET UA 507 Law and Justice in the City
With advisor approval, students may choose to take courses outside of the general electives list.
Concentrations
Crime Analysis
The MSCJ concentration in Crime Analysis provides students with a set of courses that further develops their ability to use and analyze a variety of data sources to inform the investigations, strategies, and policy decisions of criminal justice organizations. This set of skills is crucial to a growing field within law enforcement and related domains in criminal justice. Data-driven and intelligence-led approaches to crime have become the standard among contemporary criminal justice organizations. The concentration prepares students to fill in-house crime analyst or similar positions and strengthens the skills of students working in investigations, management, and operations to utilize analysis more effectively.
Learning Outcomes
- Prepare different sources of data for analysis (e.g., data reorganization, matching) and carry out analysis using a variety of different techniques, including mapping and spatial analysis and other advanced techniques.
- Incorporate analyses into effective analysis products (e.g., written reports, presentations, interactive dashboards) that are useful to investigation, strategy, and policy decisions within law enforcement organizations.
- Comprehend the ethical and legal rules and values that govern crime analysis within law enforcement organizations operating in democratic society.
- Inform and critically evaluate data-driven or intelligence-led investigations, strategies, and policies based on awareness of the contemporary law enforcement and security approaches.
Concentration Requirements
In addition to the MS in Criminal Justice core curriculum (16 units), students pursuing a concentration in Crime Analysis must also take the following concentration requirements and electives:
(four courses/16 units)
- MET CJ 612 Crime and Intelligence Analysis
- MET UA 598 Foundations of GIS and Spatial Analysis
- One course selected from the following list:
- MET CJ 620 Cyberterrorism and Cyber Defense
- MET CJ 640 Performance Management Analytics
- MET CJ 705 Threat Assessment
- MET CJ 840 Applied Crime Analysis Project
- MET CS 521 Information Structures with Python
- MET CS 555 Foundations of Machine Learning
- MET CS 677 Data Science with Python
- MET CS 699 Data Mining
- MET UA 642 Geospatial Intelligence
- One course selected from the list of general electives
Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity
The MSCJ concentration in Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity enables students to develop competency and practical knowledge, enabling them to work with various issues related to cybercrime. By participating in the program, students will gain insight into cybercriminology and the practical digital investigative knowledge, legal practices, and policies related to cybersecurity risk assessment. Along with gaining practical and essential knowledge of cybercrime and cybersecurity, students who successfully complete the concentration are eligible to take the forensic examiner certification exams.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand various criminological perspectives, including cybercriminals’ mindset and the motivational factors that contribute to the committing of illegal activities.
- Evaluate enforcement and sanctioning issues particular to the nature of cybercrime and identify specific problems with the use of new technology in international jurisdiction.
- Formulate criminological strategies for the prevention of cybercrime.
- Comprehend issues around the legal admissibility of digital evidence and recognize various cybercrime environment issues in the course of a cybercrime investigation.
- Exhibit comprehensive knowledge of cybercrime-focused digital forensics and develop the ability to apply digital forensic knowledge to cybercrime cases.
- Use state-of-the-art digital forensic tools of the industry with an adequate degree of proficiency and gain essential preparation for the Digital Forensic Examiner certification exams.
- Understand the process of conducting computer crime investigation and indicating security characteristics, threats, and responses via security measure assessment from technology; policy and practice; and education, training, and awareness dimensions.
- Practice risk management—identification, quantification, response, and control—and disaster recovery procedures and countermeasures for the business enterprise.
Concentration Requirements
In addition to the MS in Criminal Justice core curriculum (16 units), students pursuing a concentration in Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity must also take the following concentration requirements and electives:
(four courses/16 units)
- MET CJ 610 Cybercrime
- MET CJ 710 Applied Digital Forensic Investigation
- Two courses selected from the following list:
- MET CJ 620 Cyberterrorism and Cyber Defense
- MET CJ 632 White-Collar Crime
- MET CJ 810 Cybersecurity Capstone
- MET CS 684 Enterprise Cybersecurity Management
- MET CS 693 Digital Forensics and Investigations
- MET CS 694 Mobile Forensics and Security
Strategic Management
The MSCJ concentration in Strategic Management offers an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to provide the skills needed to face contemporary criminal justice challenges and lead reforms—not only domestically, but internationally.
Effective leadership in the increasingly complex field of criminal justice requires a strong footing in ethics, business, and analysis, as well as the ability to keep pace with issues that include the realities of terrorism, the emergence of cybercrime, questions of police legitimacy, and stagnant correctional outcomes in terms of recidivism among offenders. The Strategic Management concentration develops valuable skills that enhance the ability to analyze diverse problems and develop sound, sustainable policies that are guided by logic and planning—making it the ideal program of study for experienced, mid-career criminal justice professionals who seek to advance into policymaking, upper-management, or executive-level positions in their agencies.
Learning Outcomes
- Expertise in organizational structures and processes of the criminal justice system along with the classical and contemporary theories of organizations, planning, and change.
- The ability to apply planning, implementation, monitoring, assessment skills, and knowledge related to criminal justice policy, programs, and practices.
- Proficient comprehension of quantitative and qualitative practices that enhance organizational decisionmaking, evaluation, and accountability.
Concentration Requirements
In addition to the MS in Criminal Justice core curriculum (16 units), students pursuing a concentration in Strategic Management must also take the following concentration requirements and electives:
(four courses/16 units)
- MET CJ 640 Performance Management Analytics
- MET CJ 711 Planning and Implementation
- Two courses selected from the following list:
- MET CJ 511 Rehabilitation and Re-Integration
- MET CJ 512 Sexual Violence
- MET CJ 520 Violence and Trauma
- MET CJ 531 Youth Crime Problems
- MET CJ 610 Cybercrime
- MET CJ 612 Crime and Intelligence Analysis
- MET CJ 620 Cyberterrorism and Cyber Defense
- MET CJ 625 Victimology
- MET CJ 632 White-Collar Crime
- MET CJ 650 Terrorism
- MET CJ 660 Gender and Justice
- MET CJ 705 Threat Assessment
- MET CJ 710 Applied Digital Forensic Investigation
- MET CJ 720 Trauma and Crisis Intervention
- MET CJ 725 Forensic Behavior Analysis
- MET CJ 750 Policing in a Democratic Society
- MET CJ 775 Seminar in the Law and Criminal Procedure
- MET CJ 801 Special Project in Criminal Justice
- MET AD 612 COO–Public Emergency Management
- MET UA 507 Law and Justice in the City
