Online Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity Graduate Certificate

Certificate Details

The Graduate Certificate in Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity (CIC) at Boston University’s Metropolitan College offers an interdisciplinary approach that combines criminal justice and cybersecurity. Taught by faculty from the departments of Applied Social Sciences and Computer Science, the curriculum ensures that students develop competency and practical knowledge, enabling them to work with various issues related to cybercrime. Students will gain insight into cybercriminology and the practical digital investigative knowledge, legal practices, and policies related to cybersecurity risk assessment. In addition, students who successfully complete the certificate program are eligible to take the forensic examiner exams.

Build Practical Skills in Cybercrime Investigation and Cybersecurity

There are few, if any, sectors in the world not driven by networked technology. We live our lives online, from reading the headlines to dating to ordering groceries. We have smart locks at home, sensors in our vehicles, and devices that connect us to every service we could ever need—creating vast amounts of private and sensitive data stored in commercial, financial, medical, military, and government databases. This technology enhances the quality of life in many cases and can even be life-saving. Yet, at the same time, the wealth of lucrative and destructive opportunities for cybercriminals, hackers, spies, predators, and other “bad actors” has ballooned. According to the 2018 Internet Crime Report released by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, there were 351,936 complaints reported that year, with losses exceeding $2.7 billion—a 238 percent increase in losses since 2014. The need for law enforcement officers, investigators, and information security professionals with expertise in cybercrime investigation and cybersecurity techniques continues to grow.

The Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity Graduate Certificate is also available on campus in Boston. Learn more.

Curriculum

Boston University’s Graduate Certificate in Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity (CIC) consists of four required online courses (16 units).

Coursework from the Graduate Certificate in Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity can be applied toward the Boston University Metropolitan College Master of Science in Master of Science in Criminal Justice.

Plus two elective from the following list:

Dates & Deadlines

View BU MET’s academic calendar for online programs, including important dates and deadlines.

Application Requirements

Learn about application requirements for BU MET graduate degree and certificate programs.

How You Benefit from a
Boston University Education

A BU credential can help lay the foundation for career advancement and personal success.

• Benefit from an average 24:1 student-to-instructor ratio
• BU MET’s Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity program is the recipient of a grant from the US Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) supporting the Student Computer Forensics and Digital Evidence Educational Opportunities Program—designed to enhance current capacities of law enforcement agencies in the areas of computer forensics and digital evidence.
• Coursework employs case studies, simulations using real data, and hands-on problem solving to develop practical skills you can immediately apply on the job.
• Collaborate with faculty who have subject-matter expertise, research-based insight, and extensive field experience in law enforcement, corrections, cybercrime investigation and digital forensics, research and policy, forensic mental health, the judicial system, strategic management, and many other areas.
• Study alongside classmates whose diversity of criminal justice experience inspires discussion and debate, along with the opportunity to form valuable, long-lasting connections in the field.
• BU MET has offered criminal justice education since 1973, introducing its master’s degree in criminal justice in 1980, which became BU’s first fully online program in 2002.

All graduate students are automatically considered for merit scholarships during the application process and nominated based on eligibility. Learn more.

Rankings & Accreditations

#6 in 2025, and top 6 since 2015

MET’s online master’s degree in criminal justice is ranked #6 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 2025.

#4

America’s Top Online Colleges 

Graduate with Cybersecurity Expertise Expertise

Students who complete the Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity Graduate Certificate will be able to demonstrate:

• 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.

“I believe my degree will make me more competitive for advancement within my agency…what I learned has made me sharper and more familiar with progressive policing strategies. Most importantly, my degree has provided me with additional cyber and investigative skills that I can use to contribute to my work as a member of the Rhode Island State Police.” Read more.

Advance Your Career

While traditional crime has been on the decline since the 1990s, cybercrime has been on the rise. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), from its inception in 2000 through 2019, there have been 4,883,231 complaints received. In the years since 2015, IC3 reported an average of more than 340,000 complaints annually, with $10.2 billion in financial losses. That is just the tip of the iceberg, however, as some estimate that only 1 in 10 incidents are reported to law enforcement.

With cybercrime occurring globally and across jurisdictions, the challenges for police are real, as is the need for specialized resources and expertise in cybercrime investigation training. BU MET’s certificate in Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity provides practical and essential knowledge of cybercrime and cybersecurity—and as a graduate you are eligible to take the forensic examiner certification exams.

Recent graduates have found job opportunities and career paths at companies such as:

Take Advantage of Career Resources at BU MET

You will find the support you need in reaching your career goals through MET’s Career Development office, which offers a variety of job-hunting resources, including one-on-one career counseling by appointment for online students. You can also take advantage of tools and resources available online through BU’s Center for Career Development.

Criminal Justice Faculty

Shea W. Cronin

Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice

Chair, Applied Social Sciences

Kyung-shick Choi

Professor of the Practice, Criminal Justice

Director, Cybercrime & Cybersecurity

Danielle Rousseau

Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice

James M. Silver

Visiting Associate Professor, Criminal Justice

Interested in Learning More?