Criminal justice majors can choose a concentration in criminal justice studies, cyber investigations, cybersecurity management or pre-law.
Criminal Justice Studies
The criminal justice studies concentration is composed of an interdisciplinary curriculum comprised of faculty in communication, management information systems, sociology, social work, political science and psychology. Students majoring in criminal justice can construct their major from a broad array of social science courses.
The department and program offer numerous opportunities to engage in service learning and participate in our well-developed internship program that offers placements in community, corporate, or justice administration agencies at the local, state or federal level.
Students will learn how laws are debated, created and enforced through criminal justice studies and how laws protect individuals and create an orderly society. You will gain an understanding of deviance, crime and criminality as you study law enforcement, the courts, corrections, social movements and other groups and agencies
By studying crime and the systems of criminal and community justice in-depth, our interdisciplinary program prepares you for a career as a practitioner and scholar within criminal justice and related criminological professions.
Cyber Investigations
Cyber investigations play a vital role in the criminal justice field. They are critical for identifying emerging threats and helping to maintain the safety of our digital spaces. In addition, the pervasive reach of smartphones and computers means that almost all criminal investigations will have a digital component.
The complexity of cyber crimes, including their technical nature and cross-jurisdictional challenges, necessitates specialized techniques and tools for evidence collection and analysis. Law enforcement professionals increasingly require proficiency in cyber investigatory techniques in order to successfully navigate these challenges.
Cybersecurity Management
According to the Department of Homeland Security, cybersecurity managers have chief responsibility for overseeing the security of an information system or network. This work includes understanding the infrastructure necessary to protect the organization, developing procedures for responding to information security threats, maintaining situational awareness of cybersecurity threats and assisting with the development and enforcement of organizational policies to secure information.
To effectively respond to organizational threats, the cyber-security manager merges basic knowledge of cybersecurity technical skills with an understanding of policy, theory and business practice. Thus, cybersecurity specialists must have:
- knowledge of computer networking concepts and protocols, and network security methodologies;
- knowledge of cybersecurity and privacy principles used to manage risks related to the use, processing, storage, and transmission of information;
- knowledge of cyber threats and vulnerabilities;
- knowledge of risk management processes (e.g. methods of assessing and mitigating risk); and
- knowledge of vulnerability information dissemination sources (e.g. alerts, advisories, errata and bulletins).
Businesses, government agencies and private citizens are all at risk of falling victim to cybersecurity attack. According to the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies, cybersecurity management professionals “provide leadership, management, direction or development and advocacy so the organization may effectively conduct cybersecurity work.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that information security related jobs are expected to grow 28 percent from 2016 to 2026. Thus, the need for professionals who understand cyber-security policy and how to manage, direct, deploy and enforce cyber-security practices remains high.
Criminal justice studies majors with this concentration can look beyond law enforcement and successfully pursue security careers with businesses, contracting firms, financial firms and nonprofits. We take a hands-on approach to building the student’s cybersecurity skillset.
The concentration includes a two-semester analysis and design project carried out with a local business, government agency or nonprofit organization.
Students must earn a minimum grade of B- in Math 207 and in MIS 305 to qualify to move from general criminal justice studies concentration to cybersecurity management criminal justice studies concentration.
Assumed level of proficiency with computers.
Pre-Law
Each year, a significant number of criminal justice majors express interest in pursuing a legal career. This interdisciplinary concentration has been designed with those students in mind. The concentration is designed so that students not only develop an understanding of the law but also develop critical thinking and communication skills.
Awareness of ethics is essential for success in legal professions. With this in mind, coursework is designed to encourage students to explore both personal and professional ethics.
Students also have the opportunity to obtain a pre-law minor by enrolling in coursework connected to the University of Dayton’s mock trial team.
In recent years, criminal justice majors have received acceptance letters from law schools such as American University, Boston College, Depaul University, Loyola University, Marquette University, Michigan State University, Villanova University, The Ohio State University and the University of Dayton to name a few.
Earning the criminal justice studies degree with a concentration in pre-law does not guarantee acceptance into law school. Law school admission typically requires a high grade point average, as well as satisfactory performance on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Students are encouraged to begin preparing for the LSAT early in their undergraduate careers. Each student is assigned an academic advisor who discusses law school admission requirements. The academic advisor also links the students with on-campus law school preparation resources.
Accelerated J.D. Program
The accelerated J.D. option with the pre-law concentration allows you to finish a semester sooner, so you will graduate in January instead of May and have the opportunity to take the February Bar Exam.
