A graduate degree in criminal justice teaches investigators the latest research and theory methods in the field of criminology. Coursework includes spotting crime trends, analyzing human behavior, victimology, legal issues and computer crimes. Graduates work in crime prevention at the local and national level, including in counterterrorism. A graduate degree also prepares students for a doctoral degree. The University of Maryland, College Park consistently ranks as the best graduate program in criminal justice, according to U.S. News & World Report.
A graduate degree in forensic science prepares students for careers in criminal laboratories, dealing with medical examiners, pharmacies and the legal system. Coursework trains graduates to analyze the molecular and biological composition and structure of the human body. If a person dies of a drug overdose, a forensic scientist is able to tell the police how a person died -- a key component of the crime scene investigation team. Forensic scientists sometimes must testify in court as to their findings and can work as consultants in the exoneration of a crime.
Cyber Forensics is a specialized field in criminology, training students with an undergraduate degree in information technology on how to combat cyber crimes. Students learn how to analyze files, emails, hard drives, computer disks and individual networks to track crime and cyber attacks. Information found in these places is seized and used to prosecute criminals. Graduates work for the federal government, the military or in the private sector to protect security networks from attack. Experts in cyber forensics also provide testimony in court cases and depositions.
The MBA prepares students for the administrative side of the criminal justice world to give them leadership and executive training. With an undergraduate degree in criminal justice, students who get their MBA conduct criminal investigations in fields such as insurance, accounting and banking fraud. Investigators can do audits looking into corporate fraud. Customizing an MBA program teaches students how to analyze organized crime and build a private firm.