The Certificate in Crime Analysis is designed to meet the growing demand for criminal justice professionals with applied quantitative and analytic skills. The curriculum provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform as entry-level crime analysts in Federal, State, and local criminal justice agencies. The certificate also prepares students for a broader role as intelligence analysts.
Crime analysts typically perform detailed statistical analyses of crime data, prepare periodic reports on criminal activity and trends, identify emerging crime patterns, and communicate their findings to a variety of internal and external audiences. They may analyze a wide variety of data including arrests, convictions, known criminal associates, and other criminal intelligence data, in order to explore relationships and identify patterns and correlations in support of investigative efforts. These data come from diverse sources, including existing agency databases, financial and telecommunications records, and the Internet. Crime analysts must be skilled in manipulating data and creating relational databases that can accommodate a wide variety of data formats and sources.
Crime analysts may also be called upon to design and execute managerial and administrative studies forecasting personnel, budgeting, and other resource needs. They may also conduct citizen surveys of crime victimization, satisfaction with police services, and perceptions of departmental performance. They need to have broad knowledge in law enforcement operations, criminological theory, statistics, research methods, and relevant computer technology. They need good critical thinking skills, logic and reasoning ability. Finally, effective writing and presentation skills are essential for crime analysts.
Admission Requirements
Applicants will be accepted into the program each quarter. Exception to the Fall quarter admissions policy will be made on a case by case basis. Applicants’ academic history, motivation, aptitude for post-baccalaureate education, personal goals, and professional experiences will be considered. The specific admission requirements are identical to those for the MACJ program.