Mission Statement
The Crime Science program provides our students and partners with the skills necessary to effectively lead a law enforcement or community-centered organization in a way that recognizes the value of collaboration, the importance of scientifically tested approaches, the significance of a global and diverse environment, and the benefit of preventive programs designed to create a safer, more vibrant communities.
Master of Science in Crime Science
The psychology, forensic science, and criminal justice programs have joined together to produce an interdisciplinary master’s degree in Crime Science. At its core, crime science is an outcome-centered approach that is grounded in two elements: effective prevention and detection of crime. Crime reduction can be more effectively achieved if, as a profession, criminal justice organizations move to embrace scientifically proven methods that prevent crime from occurring or, alternatively, solve the crime that does occur more quickly.
Crime science is an interdisciplinary program and relies more heavily than some programs on understanding the value gained from merging different disciplines into a more comprehensive platform. Crime science tries to bridge the collaborative gap that exists between practitioners and researchers. This outcome-centered approach will teach the value of scientific methodologies and will teach what can be tested. Currently, unlike the natural sciences where the practitioner and researcher are often one and the same, criminal justice practitioners are unaware of academic advancements and achievements, and researchers have no access or platform to inform policy and practice. In the end, the goal of a crime science program is to teach practitioners, policy makers, and community activists how to collectively, and collaboratively manage resources in a way that effectively prevents criminal behavior.
Program Goals and Student Learning Objectives
Students completing the Master of Science in Crime Science will be able to:
- Create strategies and interventions that use the theoretical concepts of environmental criminology and the idea of cross-sector collaboration in ways that are designed to evaluate, investigate, or prevent criminal or deviant behavior.
- Create strategies and develop an assessment plan that identifies how patterns in both geographic and non-geographic data can be used by criminal justice agencies to aid the process of strategic learning.
- Develop an evaluation and assessment plan that is designed to measure the effectiveness of program goals and objectives.
- Develop a leadership philosophy statement that demonstrates an understanding of how leadership styles can be applied to criminal justice and community-centered organizations.
- Understand the unifying paradigm of forensic science and how it is correctly applied to the management and reconstruction of a crime scene.
- Students will understand how the processes and development of the human mind influence memory and behavior.
Course Rotation and Sequencing
The program is largely a weekend-centered program. The only exception to that is in the delivery of forensic science content. Those learning modules will be delivered in 3 consecutive days. This design was created so it might be more attractive to the working professional or to anyone that might work in a shift schedule system.
Much of the course content is delivered in 1-2 credit learning modules. The program will take approximately 18 months to complete if the student takes all the components in the rotation that is suggested: 12 months dedicated to structured
course content and six months dedicated to the capstone project. Since each of the course content concepts is independent from one another, the student may enter the program at any point and become integrated into the 12-month cycle.
The dates of the 12-month cycle will be posted every January and may be slightly different each year, based on instructor availability. For that reason, the rotation is not provided in the catalog.
Course Models
There are three different course models in the Crime Science program and the student will be assigned to the model that best fits his or her experience and academic record.
- Professional model – this model is for students who are currently working in a career that is associated with the crime science field of study.
- Internship model – this model is for college graduates who do not have professional experience. If the student does not have the required work experience this model is mandatory and includes an internship placement. The capstone experience will be based on the internship experience.
- 4 + 1 Undergraduate-to-graduate model – this is available to qualified Cedar Crest undergraduate students majoring in criminal justice, psychology, or a forensic science-related field of study. An internship placement is required for this model.
There are slight variations in the coursework and course rotations for each of the three models. The schedules for each of the modules will be posted on the Crime Science website.
Admission Requirements
In order to be admitted into the Crime Science Program, each student must meet the following requirements:
- A minimum of 1-year, full-time work experience (reflected in a resume) or if the student does not have one year of experience, a 1-page statement explaining how the student’s carrer goals allign with the curriculum.
- A minimum GPA of 3.0 in the student’s undergraduate field of study – If the student does not have a 3.0 in his or her undergraduate program, the student must complete an interview with the Program Direction. The purpose of the interview is to assess academic preparedness
- Background check – the background check will be waived for any applicant already employed in the criminal justice, forensic, or social work systems. Any applicant not employed in one of those fields must submit a criminal background check and child abuse clearance form. A criminal history would not exclude a candidate unless the conviction was for a sex offense or weapons offense. This is necessary because those convictions would seriously inhibit the applicant’s ability to find work in the criminal justice, forensic, or social work fields.
- Letters of recommendation – All students must submit two letters of recommendation. Letters must either be from criminal justice practitioners or an academic representative.
Capstone/Thesis Project
The capstone project is the culminating event for the crime science degree and is an application-centered experience where the student must apply what she or he has learned and demonstrate an understanding of how the elements of crime science can be applied to a community setting or situation. Criminal justice must move in the direction of evidence-based applications and this project is designed to emphasize that belief.
The project must be based in one of four areas:
- Offer an evaluation/assessment plan for an existing program or initiative, clearly identifying program goals, objectives, and measurable outcomes. The plan must include a description of how the outcomes will be used to reassess program performance and design.
- Offer a plan to create an intervention, program, or initiative that is designed to prevent criminal/deviant behavior, ensuring that an effective evaluation component exists.
- Offer a change in policy or practice designed to make the collections and/or analysis of evidence more effective in the timely investigation of criminal behavior. The plan must be comprehensive in the respect that it must also identify how the changes would be assessed or evaluated over time.
- Complete one of the two crime science scenarios designed to allow a student to demonstrate masters in one of the core areas of study. There are currently two scenarios: one is grounded in our understanding of crime prevention, and the other in program evaluation
This is an independent, project-style course where each student will be assigned a capstone advisor. The project design and revisions to the work product will be passed through the capstone advisor. It is anticipated that the capstone experience will take about 6 months to complete. If the project takes longer than 6 months, the student must file a written time extension request with his or her capstone advisor.
Completion of the Program and Graduation
To successfully complete the Crime Science Program a student must adhere to the following:
- Certification candidates must complete all graduate courses with a grade of C or higher.
- Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA
- Students must apply to the Registrar for graduation by deadlines – see MyCedarCrest
- Fulfill all financial responsibilities to the College.
Graduate 2024-2025 Tuition and Fees
Master in Crime Science Graduate Tuition, per credit $888.00
Full-Time/Part-Time Student Activity Fee/semester$20.00
Full-Time Technology Fee, per semester $125.00
Part-Time Technology Fee, per semester $75.00