The CTU Master of Science in Criminal Justice is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills essential to professionals striving to pursue opportunities in policy development, planning and decision-making in the criminal justice system.

The focused concentration in Homeland Security serves as preparation for students and professionals interested in criminal justice roles that align or interact with homeland security functions and organizations.

The program, delivered through the school's award-winning Virtual Campus,* serves as preparation for students and professionals interested in criminal justice roles that align or interact with homeland security functions and organizations.

Upon successful completion of this program, graduates should be prepared to pursue opportunities to become leaders in policy development, planning and decision making in the criminal justice system. Graduates will be expected to:

• Pursue work in a leadership role in a criminal justice environment, with a focus on homeland security
• Possess the knowledge and skills to be a competitive candidate to secure a leadership position in a criminal justice organization with a focus on homeland security
• Abide by the professional and ethical standards established by criminal justice and homeland security agencies
• Possess the knowledge and skills to fulfill the policymaking responsibilities of a leader in a criminal justice organization with a focus on homeland security

The core curriculum of this program is designed to help students focus on a number of substantive areas applicable to the field of criminal justice, with an emphasis on problem solving and real life applications of issues related to the industry. Required core courses** include:

• Leadership and Ethical Decision-Making
• Graduate Research Methods
• Advanced Review of Criminal Justice
• Criminology and Public Policy
• Issues of Diversity in Criminal Justice
• Terrorism and Homeland Security Management
• Special Topics in Criminal Justice

** The CTU Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree program is designed with an in-depth focus in the area of policy. Students from a non-criminal justice undergraduate background are required to successfully complete CJUS500 prior to taking CJUS600. Students who possess this background but need to refresh their knowledge of criminal justice concepts are encouraged to take CJUS500, which focuses on providing students with sufficient background on basic criminal justice concepts and terms common to the profession.

In addition to the broad-based core curriculum, students are required to complete five concentration courses relevant to the field of homeland security. Concentration courses include:

• Technology Solutions for HLS – Coursework provides HLS professionals with the requisite knowledge to be able to leverage technology to prevent, protect against, respond to and recover from terrorist and natural-born incidents. The objective is to prepare students to effectively evaluate, select and implement technology to better strengthen capability-specific national priorities.
• Organizational and Policy Challenges – In this course, students examine key questions and issues facing the U.S. intelligence community and its role in homeland security and homeland defense. Course materials provide an overview of diverse intelligence disciplines and how the intelligence community operates, and students will have the opportunity to fully address policy, organizational and substantive issues regarding homeland intelligence support.
• Vulnerability Analysis and Protection – This course begins with an overview of risk and its application to critical infrastructures as it relates to the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP). Students then investigate measures, tools and techniques for Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) assessment. At the completion of the course, students will be able to apply CIP techniques to any critical infrastructure within their multi-jurisdictional region and derive optimal strategies and draft policies for prevention of future terrorist attacks or natural disasters.
• Homeland Security and Government – This course provides students with an insight into the structural, conceptual and intellectual underpinnings and implications of the homeland security project. By incorporating a selection of key texts in Western political and social thought alongside current topical writings, the course seeks to equip participants with a deeper understanding of the prevailing discourse and its impact on homeland security.
• MSCJ - Homeland Security Concentration Capstone – This course is designed to integrate and synthesize all coursework in the program, challenging the student to demonstrate the professional competencies associated with a broad conceptual and practical understanding of the criminal justice field and the area of homeland security. Students will evaluate case studies and analyze issues of law, policy and society as they apply ethical principles in developing effective strategies to confront issues facing practitioners within the realm of homeland security.