Academic Programs Catalog

The Master of Science degree in Cybercrime and Digital Investigation prepares students for successful careers related to the investigation of or response to cybercrime in both the public sector (law enforcement, government) and private industry.  Students gain an understanding of the diverse nature of cybercrime threats that affect individuals and organizations’ economic and physical safety. They also will recognize the risks posed by nation-states and terrorist organizations in online spaces, whether to intellectual property, economic operations, or national security and be capable of assessing these threats, understanding their impact to various individual and organization targets, the limits of current legal and cybersecurity policy and practice, and clearly communicate these concerns to diverse audiences.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and the College of Social Science, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Admission

To be considered for admission to the Master of Science degree in Cybercrime and Digital Investigation students must:

1. have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized educational institution, including a background of education, occupational experience appropriate to the successful pursuit of graduate study, and evidence of personal traits and characteristics considered important for scholarly performance.
2. have at least 12 credits of undergraduate course work in political science, economics, sociology, psychology, anthropology, history, social work, or any combination thereof. At least 6 of these credits must be in sociology, psychology, social work, or any combination of such courses.
3. have a cumulative undergraduate grade-point average of at least 3.20 or higher.
4. have satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examination General Test. The GRE exam is waived for candidates with a cumulative undergraduate grade-point average of 3.2 or higher from an accredited and recognized institution, and for applicants with a completed graduate degree.

Students who have deficiencies for regular admission to the program may be admitted provisionally. These deficiencies may require additional course work to make up the deficiencies. This course work will not count towards the requirements for the degree. Occupational experience is highly desirable before pursuing graduate study in some fields of criminal justice.

Requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Cybercrime and Digital Investigation

At least 30 credits are required for the degree under Plan B (without thesis). The students program of study is planned and approved in consultation with their advisor. The program is available only online.

1.	All of the following courses (18 credits):
	CJ	801	Crime Causation, prevention and Control						3
	CJ	811	Design and Analysis in Criminal Justice Research						3
	CJ	874	Cybercrime, Deviance and Virtual Society						3
	CJ	877	Cyber Terror and Cyber Warfare						3
	CJ	881	Legislative and Policy Responses to Cybercrime						3
	CJ	882	Analysis of Contemporary Cyberthreats						3
2.	Complete 12 credits from the following:
	CJ	822	Comparative Criminal Justice						3
	CJ	823	Globalization of Crime						3
	CJ	872	Open Source Information Analysis						3
	CJ	875	Digital Forensic Investigations						3
	CJ	876	Data Systems/Infrastructure						3
	CJ	878	Economic Cybercrimes and Fraud						3
	CJ	879	Interpersonal Cybercrime						3
3.	Completion of a final oral examination or evaluation.