At a Glance

Completion Time
8–16
Months
Credits Required
32
Tuition
$25,452
Part-Time*

*Based on 2025–2026 Boston University tuition and fees. Merit scholarship may reduce cost.

Learn to Lead through Strategic Management

The online Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) concentration in Strategic Management offers an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to provide the skills needed to face contemporary criminal justice challenges and lead reforms—not only domestically, but internationally.

Effective leadership in the increasingly complex field of criminal justice requires a strong footing in ethics, business, and analysis, as well as the ability to keep pace with issues that include the realities of terrorism, the emergence of cybercrime, questions of police legitimacy, and stagnant correctional outcomes in terms of recidivism among offenders. The Strategic Management concentration develops valuable skills that enhance the ability to analyze diverse problems and develop sound, sustainable policies that are guided by logic and planning—making it the ideal credential for experienced, mid-career criminal justice professionals who seek to advance to the ranks of policy-making, upper management, or executive-level positions in their agencies.

Curriculum

The online Master of Science in Criminal Justice concentration in Strategic Management consists of a total of eight courses (32 credits): four required courses and four concentration requirements.

The Boston University online Master of Science in Criminal Justice will provide you with an in-depth examination of crime and justice, including theories, trends, and policies, in less than two years of study. Online students pursuing a concentration in Strategic Management must satisfy the MS in Criminal Justice core requirements and the concentration requirements.

Plus two electives from the following list:

Requirements

Visit the BU MET Website for Admission Details.

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 a 15:1 student-to-instructor ratio
  • Study under leading criminal justice faculty with extensive field experience and scholarship in law enforcement, corrections, cybercrime investigation and digital forensics, research and policy, forensic mental health, the judicial system, strategic management, and many other areas.
  • Learn through case studies, simulations using real data, and hands-on problem solving to develop practical skills you can immediately apply on the job.
  • 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.

US citizens and permanent residents are automatically considered for Merit Scholarships during the application process and nominated based on eligibility.

Ranked #6 in the nation

#4

America’s Top Online Colleges 

Graduate with Strategic Management Expertise

In addition to the knowledge gained in the MSCJ core, students who complete the Criminal Justice master’s degree concentration in Strategic Management will be able to demonstrate:

  • Familiarity with organizational structures of the criminal justice system along with the classical and contemporary theories of organization, planning, and change.
  • The ability to learn and apply planning skills related to criminal justice policymaking and program design.
  • Knowledge of policy monitoring and program evaluation techniques.
  • Proficient comprehension of quantitative and qualitative practices that enhance organizational decision-making, evaluation, and accountability.
  • An understanding of the nature of public emergency management and preparedness across public and private jurisdictions.

Advance Your Career in Criminal Justice

The Strategic Management concentration of BU MET’s MS in Criminal Justice is built on the foundation that effective leadership in the increasingly complex field of criminal justice requires a strong footing in ethics, business, and analysis, as well as the ability to keep pace with issues that include the realities of terrorism, the emergence of cybercrime, questions of police legitimacy, and stagnant correctional outcomes in terms of recidivism among offenders.

The MSCJ concentration in Strategic Management is the ideal program of study for experienced, mid-career criminal justice professionals who seek to advance into policymaking, upper-management, or executive-level positions in their agencies.

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.

Recent graduates have found job opportunities and career paths in organizations such as:

  • Louisiana State Police
  • Pennsylvania State Police
  • San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
  • Wilmington Police Department

  • PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
  • Capital One
  • Roger Williams University
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

  • United States Army
  • Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC)
  • United States Department of Justice (DOJ)
  • United States Department of State (DOS)

Bridget Bishop

MET’s MS in Criminal Justice was the perfect one-year opportunity to expand my knowledge about a field that interested me. These professors kept me engaged in learning and showed me firsthand how to have an impact. The drive their dedication inspired was one of the most important ingredients to my success. My coursework throughout this program has shown me there are so many opportunities to make a mark on policy and practice in the criminal justice system and beyond.

Bridget Bishop (MET’22)
Law Student, University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School
MS, Criminal Justice, concentration in Strategic Management

Robert Cadigan

Emeritus Associate Professor, Applied Social Sciences

Linda Holt

Lecturer, Applied Social Sciences

James Matesanz

Lecturer, Applied Social Sciences

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