Boston University Criminal Justice Programs

People study cybercrime investigation and cybersecurity at BU MET for all kinds of reasons—one current student is a Fox News reporter who wants to “help educate the public on how to protect themselves, their livelihood, and their data.”

Fox News Reporter Studying Cybercrime Investigation to Help Educate Public on Privacy, Security

A MS in Criminal Justice earned at BU MET can play a key role in promotions and professional advancement—as it did for Thomas Dawley, who has been named chief of police for Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Congratulations!

Criminal Justice Master’s Alum Named Chief of Pittsfield Police Department A MS in Criminal Justice earned at BU MET can play a key role in promotions and professional advancement—as it did for Thomas Dawley, who has been named chief of police for Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

As crime rates in Boston plummet, BU Today spoke with MET crime analysis expert Dr. Shea Cronin to get his perspectives on the trends.

“They’ve created a network of centering violence as a public health approach in the well-being of young people—pulling them out of things that can push them towards violence, retaliatory violence, or associating with groups in their neighborhoods that might be engaged in violence,” he said. “That has also been the work of specific programs that have been in Boston for quite a while, but have been, I think, reinvigorated with the leadership.”

Learn more here.

Dr. Shea Cronin Credits Boston’s Reduced Crime Statistics to Coordinated Approach Dr. Shea Cronin Credits Boston’s Reduced Crime Statistics to Coordinated Approach The city of Boston has enjoyed a positive downswing in crime thus far in 2024, as murders have been reduced by 82 percent since last year, the greatest rate of decline in the nation. According to Metropolitan College...

Climate change impacts more than just infrastructure and the economy. As a Pardee Faculty Research Fellow, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Danielle Rousseau, along with two other MET professors, will investigate the role trauma-informed planning can and should play in climate recovery and resilience.

As 2024 Pardee Fellows, Three MET Professors to Conduct Trauma-Informed Climate Resilience Research Climate change impacts more than just infrastructure and the economy. As Pardee Faculty Research Fellows, three MET professors will investigate the role trauma-informed planning can and should play in climate recovery and resilience.

MET Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Shea Cronin recently told the The Boston Globe that people sometimes mistakenly conflate incidents like neighborhood drag racing with a rapid rise in crime.

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When It Comes to Neighborhood Crime, Perception Affects Understanding, Criminal Justice Professor Says When It Comes to Neighborhood Crime, Perception Affects Understanding, Criminal Justice Professor Says MET Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Applied Social Sciences Chair Shea Cronin was recently featured in a Boston Globe article spotlighting lawlessness in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhoo...

“We’ve seen declines across lots of cities,” Cronin, a crime policy expert says, but “Boston is doing incredibly well when it comes to indicators of violence, including murders.”

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Boston’s Declining Murder Rate Lowest among Big US Cities. Is It a Fluke? BU crime policy expert Shea Cronin on what’s behind the trend

Don’t forget to sign up for the Fifth Annual International White Hat Conference, which will be held June 26–28, 2024.

You will hear from some of the best minds in cybersecurity, cyber-investigation, and law enforcement—this time on the subject of “AI & Robotics Frontier: Mastering Cybercrime Defense in the Digital Age.”

Free to attend, the conference will be offered virtually as well as on site in South Korea.

Register now!

2024 International White Hat Conference June 27 & 28 - Cybercrime Defense in Preparation for the AI and Robotics Revolution

Did you know a MS in Criminal Justice can serve as preparation for a PhD program? Find out about five recent MET MSCJ students who are pursuing their doctoral dreams.

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Numerous Criminal Justice Alums Accepted to PhD Programs Numerous Criminal Justice Alums Accepted to PhD Programs By equipping you with a rounded set of critical-thinking skills and specialized practical law enforcement knowledge, Metropolitan College’s Master of Science in Criminal Justice prepares graduates for a wide array of professional and persona...

Join us for the Fifth Annual International White Hat Conference, June 26-28, 2024!

This year's White Hat Conference, themed "AI & Robotics Frontier: Mastering Cybercrime Defense in the Digital Age," is hosted by Boston University Metropolitan College’s Criminal Justice Programs and Center for Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity, in collaboration with the Korean National Police University.

Free to attend, the conference will be offered virtually as well as on site in South Korea.

Learn more about the conference below ⤵️

White Hat Conference | White Hat Conference 2024 International White Hat Conference Cybercrime Defense in Preparation for the AI and Robotics Revolution Hosted by Boston University in Partnership with Korean National Police University June 27–28, 2024 Online And In-Person Pangyo 2nd Techno Valley Corporate Support Hub 6th FL Pangyo Startup ...

“Prison education is about hope for a better self and hope for a better life.” On Tuesday, April 2, MET observed the 50th anniversary of BU’s Prison Education Program, hosting a lively discussion of prison education’s role in reducing recidivism and changing lives, both historically and with an eye towards the future.

Education’s Transformative Power on Display as MET Honors Prison Program’s Legacy of Impact Education’s Transformative Power on Display as MET Honors Prison Program’s Legacy of Impact To learn is to be improved upon, to be changed by knowledge. For more than 50 years, Boston University has been a conduit of change for the incarcerated through its Prison Education Program, administered ...

Dr. Kyung-shick Choi was recently invited to join NBCBoston’s “The Searches for Ana Walshe” true crime podcast to offer his insights into the role digital forensics play in the case.

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MET Cybersecurity Director Choi Lends Investigatory Expertise to True Crime Podcast MET Cybersecurity Director Choi Lends Investigatory Expertise to True Crime Podcast “How do you dispose of a body?” Typing a question like that into your online search engine could get you more than just simple query results—it could turn out to be used as evidence of criminality. As director ...

MET Criminal Justice Alum Police Chief Named Deputy Mayor in Colorado MET Criminal Justice Alum Police Chief Named Deputy Mayor in Colorado Steven Christopher Noeller (MET’17), who earned his MS in Criminal Justice at BU’s Metropolitan College, has received a promotion by the mayor of Pueblo, Colorado. Already the city’s chief of police, Noeller will now serve a...

Join us on April 2, as we look to the future of Prison Education.

With a history that reaches back to 1972, Boston University has the distinction of being one of the longest continuously run programs to offer a college education to incarcerated individuals.

Now, BU is taking the opportunity to honor its groundbreaking Prison Education Program and its hundreds of graduates with an event that will explore the future of prison education.

Link to register: http://spr.ly/6182khTSy

MET Criminal Justice Instructor James Matesanz visited the Massachusetts State House to speak in support of the expansion of reentry programs for the incarcerated.
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MET Criminal Justice Lecturer Advocates for Correctional Reform at Massachusetts State House MET Criminal Justice Lecturer Advocates for Correctional Reform at Massachusetts State House Like so many Metropolitan College instructors, James Matesanz brings to his criminal justice classroom a wealth of practical experience in the field. During his career, Professor Matesanz was a leader in cor...

MS in Criminal Justice graduate Marlon Lynch (MET’05), who previously served as chief safety officer at Michigan State University, has been named associate vice chancellor for public safety at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Criminal Justice Master’s Graduate Takes Post as University of Colorado Boulder Public Safety Head Criminal Justice Master’s Graduate Takes Post as University of Colorado Boulder Public Safety Head Marlon Lynch (MET’05), who earned his Master of Science in Criminal Justice at BU’s Metropolitan College, was recently appointed associate vice chancellor for public safety at the University of C...

For the 11th straight year, Metropolitan College online master’s degree programs have been deemed among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

MET’s online MS in Criminal Justice, which has placed top-4 each year since 2015, is ranked #3 nationally among the Best Online Graduate Criminal Justice Programs for 2024, up from #4 a year ago.

MET Online Master’s Programs Climb U.S. News & World Report Poll for 2024, with 3 Top-10 Placements MET Online Master’s Programs Climb U.S. News & World Report Poll for 2024, with 3 Top-10 Placements For the 11th straight year, Metropolitan College online master’s degree programs have been deemed among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. This year, three graduate programs nette...

A Massachusetts woman was recently scammed out of over $150,000—before she was contacted by CIA imposters looking to bilk her more. As BU MET’s Kyung-shick Choi explains, there is a growing need for qualified cybercrime professionals.

Cybersecurity Director Choi: In the Cybercrime Fight, Help Wanted Cybersecurity Director Choi: In the Cybercrime Fight, Help Wanted Every day, our lives become more and more interconnected through the digital space. From our phones to our bank accounts, our work lives to our personal ones, all of it can be accessed through technology—and not just by us ourselves...

Join us in congratulating MS in Criminal Justice alum Angela Deneault, who was recently promoted to captain of the Jamestown Police Department, as well as fellow graduate Karen Catlow, who was promoted to lieutenant.

Criminal Justice Graduate Promoted to Police Captain in Rhode Island as Fellow Alum Rises to Lieutenant Criminal Justice Graduate Promoted to Police Captain in Rhode Island as Fellow Alum Rises to Lieutenant Angela Deneault (MET’14), a MS in Criminal Justice graduate, has been named captain of the Jamestown, Rhode Island police department. When she was first hired by the department in 1994, Deneault...

Criminal Justice alum Oscar Perez has been installed as Chief of Police in Providence, Rhode Island, where he plans to take a strategic and modernized approach to policing. Congratulations, Chief Perez!

Criminal Justice Master’s Alum Named Police Chief of Providence, RI Criminal Justice alum Oscar Perez has been installed as Chief of Police in Providence, Rhode Island, where he plans to take a strategic and modernized approach to policing.

New funding from a BU grant will allow BU MET Associate Professor Danielle Rousseau to investigate the role of strength in risk-prevention youth-oriented community programs.

http://spr.ly/6181uqZwb

Thomas Verdi (MET'16) was appointed director of the Department of Revenue in Providence, RI. Verdi recently retired from the city’s police department after 35 years of service.

Continue reading:

McKee nominates a former Providence top cop to Department of Revenue Gov. Dan McKee said Thursday that he's nominated a retired Providence deputy police chief to be director of the Department of Revenue.

Congratulations to Emily de Lalla, MS in Criminal Justice, Crime Analysis Concentration (MET’23), on her Award for Excellence! She currently works as the Clery Compliance and Records Officer for the Harvard University Police Department.

Emily completed the MET CJ840 Applied Project in Crime Analysis course (https://www.bu.edu/met/degrees-certificates/ms-criminal-justice-crime-analysis/ -METCJ840) by focusing on enhancing the analytical capacity of her department at Harvard University, where she works in crime reporting and analysis. Through this experience she directly linked HUPD data systems to PowerBI dashboards she created. These interactive, real-time, dashboards covered many aspects of the department’s operation, from showing maps and time-series graphs of calls-for-service to monitoring officer contacts with the public.

“I attribute my success in the MS in Criminal Justice program to the immense amount of engagement, support, and collaboration I experienced from the staff and faculty at BU MET.”

Welcome, Jim Silver, new Criminal Justice faculty at Metropolitan College!

Associate Professor of the Practice James Silver has an extensive background in law, criminal justice, and academia. As a lawyer, he practiced civil litigation with a leading global law firm before joining the United States Attorney’s Office in Washington, DC, where he served as an assistant United States attorney, prosecuting criminal cases and appeals. Dr. Silver was a senior research associate for the Center for Terrorism and Security Studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and a research fellow with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico, VA.

Learn more about Professor Silver:

James M. Silver | BU MET James M. SilverAssociate Professor of the Practice, Criminal Justice PhD, University of Massachusetts Lowell JD, Harvard Law School BA, University of Notre DameEmail [email protected] 617-358-2465Office MET 517 Associate Professor of the Practice James Silver has an extensive background in law, c...

Cliff Davis (MET’20) was recently promoted to sergeant at the Boston Police Department. He is a part-time instructor at MET, occasionally teaching Violence in the Family (MET CJ 344). Congratulations, Sergeant Davis! We're so proud of you.

BU MET Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Shea Cronin, an expert in the areas of crime policy and administration, is quoted in the Harvard Gazette article, “HUPD releases updates to dashboard reporting department data, indicators.”

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Criminal Justice Expert Shea Cronin Quoted in Harvard Gazette Dr. Shea Cronin, an assistant professor of criminal justice at Boston University Metropolitan College (MET), was recently quoted in a Harvard Gazette article, “HUPD releases updates to dashboard reporting department data, indicators.” An expert in the areas of crime policy and administration who...

ICYMI: BU MET hosted the 4th annual International White Hat Conference, held May 31–June 2, 2023.

Through workshops, competitions, and keynote sessions with expert panelists, the conference presented the challenges faced by law enforcement in the ongoing effort to curb online child abuse, while examining emerging technologies, laws, and policies designed to address the problem.

Learn more about the event: http://spr.ly/6185PrTYS

Join us this week for the White Hat Conference!

The free, virtual conference will be streamed live on Thursday and Friday, June 1 and 2, 2023, beginning at 9:30 am ET

More information:

White Hat Conference | White Hat Conference 2023 International White Hat Conference Targeted Means to Combat Online Child Exploitation and Victimization Hosted by Boston University May 31–June 2, 2023 Online And In-Person Location: 1010 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215 The 2023 White Hat Conference, hosted by Boston University Metropolita...