{"id":2277,"date":"2020-08-12T20:48:45","date_gmt":"2020-08-13T00:48:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/met\/?page_id=2277"},"modified":"2026-04-01T10:52:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T14:52:23","slug":"career-outlook","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/met\/programs\/criminal-justice\/career-outlook\/","title":{"rendered":"Criminal Justice Career Outlook"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Back to Programs<\/a>Criminal Justice<\/a><\/div>\n

How Tailoring Your Degree Puts You on Track for Top Criminal Justice Careers in Cybercrime, Analysis & Management<\/h2>\n

Few careers offer the stability or opportunity of criminal justice and law enforcement. Even in trying times, federal, state, and local organizations rely on qualified professionals to protect communities, assets, and individuals from being exploited by bad actors and opportunists. The footprint of crime and its victims is expanding as the world of law enforcement, like so many modern professions, becomes increasingly specialized.<\/p>\n

Digital crimes are on the rise as agencies struggle to outsmart the perpetrators. Massive sets of crime and intelligence data, largely generated in real-time, have put the onus on the entire chain of command to develop new skillsets. And law enforcement agencies require fresh vision and skilled leadership to develop accountability systems, build public trust, and ensure evidence-based practices.<\/p>\n

These evolving conditions bring with them emerging opportunities. With a few short semesters of graduate study in criminal justice at Boston University\u2019s Metropolitan College (MET), you can prepare yourself for success in the following promising cybercrime, analysis, and management career roles.<\/p>\n

Digital Forensics\/Cybercrime Investigator Career Outlook<\/h2>\n

Perhaps the most vital growth area in law enforcement is that of cybersecurity, cybercrime, and digital forensics investigation. The FBI\u2019s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) registered 847,376 complaints in 2021, reporting potential losses that exceeded $6.9 billion, up from 791,790 complaints for over $4.2 billion in losses in 2020.<\/strong> As these reported crimes rise, so too does the demand for thorough investigators able to trace cybercriminal activity back to its source.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest challenge cybercrime investigation faces is a lack of qualified human resources,\u201d says Dr. Kyung-shick Choi<\/a>, director of Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity programs<\/a> at BU MET. This deficit, Dr. Choi suggests, runs across the board. \u201cThe current capabilities of many law enforcement agencies are, unfortunately, very limited. Most local and state law enforcement officers lack the expertise to process computer data and related evidence, putting their departments at a disadvantage,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Since 2017, the IC3 has reported an average of 52,000 complaints annually, accounting for $18.7 billion in financial losses. Those figures are only the tip of the iceberg, however, as the FBI estimated in 2016 that only 15 percent of cybercrimes are reported to law enforcement.<\/p>\n

\u201cConsidering the exponential increase in the number of cybercrime cases we are seeing overall, nationally and globally, the assistance provided by the FBI is still much too limited,\u201d Dr. Choi says. \u201cCybercrime is in need of an infusion of law enforcement officers trained in both cybercriminal behavior and information technologies.\u201d<\/p>\n

BU MET is committed to improving cybercrime investigation acumen and literacy in the real world, where it counts\u2014that\u2019s why the Cybercrime Investigation program was granted funding from the US Department of Justice\u2019s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to help harness greater cybercrime investigation intelligence across law enforcement.<\/p>\n

According to <\/strong>PayScale.com<\/strong><\/a>, cybersecurity analysts earn<\/span> an average salary of $77,201. Meanwhile, the median salary for the related career of information security analyst was $103,590 in 2020<\/span>, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a>, which projects a growth rate of 33% through 2030, or 47,100 new jobs, a much faster expansion than the average career. <\/strong><\/p>\n

With cybercrime occurring globally, and across jurisdictions, an increasing number of local police departments are recognizing the need to staff–<\/span>up with those trained to help solve these types of cases<\/span>. A 2018 Police Executive Research Forum study, \u201cThe Changing Nature of Crime and Criminal Investigations,\u201d found that for police forces, cybercrime investigators are making old ways of crime-fighting increasingly obsolete. \u201cThe old \u2018silos,\u2019 such as special units for organized crime, gangs, and narcotics, are becoming less relevant as cybercrime becomes a part of all these traditional categories,\u201d the study reads.<\/p>\n

Chris Kayser (MET\u201916) found success in cybersecurity after his time at BU MET. \u201cUpon graduation, I formed a company called Cybercrime Analytics, Inc., that provides consulting, training, and special projects services, as well as providing the platform for my continuing research in the area of cybercrime investigation and cybersecurity,\u201d he says. \u201cMuch of what I learned from my courses in the master\u2019s degree program at BU provided me with the necessary skillsets to ensure the growth of my new company.\u201d<\/p>\n

Director Choi has seen his share of MET graduates become leaders in the field at federal agencies, and he\u2019s pleased that program alums have largely maintained special relationships with their mentors at BU MET. These strong connections, he believes, only propel BU MET\u2019s leadership in the world of cybersecurity further, creating branching networks of opportunity. \u201cI think that type of environment is very important, because students get to see leaders from our program\u2014great role models, constantly in communication,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cCybercrime is a challenging field of study,\u201d says Director Choi. \u201cBut it opens the path to great potential. If you are working in law enforcement or IT-related fields and are fascinated with technology, and willing to learn new things, you can make a difference with your determination.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crime Intelligence Analyst<\/h2>\n

Policework is not just knocking on doors and interviewing witnesses anymore, as data-driven and intelligence-led approaches to crime have rapidly become the standard among contemporary criminal justice organizations. The proliferation of data generated by surveillance cameras, body cams, GPS, mobile devices, social media, email and text exchanges, wearable tech, sensors, and other sources has enhanced police\u2019s potential to map hotspots, discern patterns and trends, gather evidence, solve crimes, and demonstrate results. This has put a premium on the data analysis skills critical to tactical, operational, and strategic efforts in law enforcement, and essential to research and policy development<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery criminal justice agency talks about data-driven approaches,\u201d says Dr. Shea Cronin<\/a>, assistant professor in BU MET’s Criminal Justice program. \u201cA capacity to work with data and understand the ways it can inform decisions is essential.\u201d<\/p>\n

A 2018 study from Police Chief<\/em> online, \u201cIntelligence-led Policing: Changing the Face of Crime Prevention,\u201d found that extrapolating data only stands to become increasingly important. \u201cWith continued refinement of how data is analyzed, coupled with programming that utilizes data intelligently and encourages agency and community collaboration, intelligence-led policing will continue to strengthen its role as a deterrent to crime,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n

Dr. Shea Cronin on Racial Segregation and Gun Violence Study<\/h3>\n