Computer Science and Criminal Justice Team Up as Partners in
Crime to Launch Innovative Program

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering  and the School of Criminal Justice have teamed up as partners in crime to launch an innovative academic program that combines the two disciplines. Undergraduates majoring in computer science will now be able to complete a cognate--similar to a minor--in criminal justice.

“Our graduates already have the skills needed to detect and stop cybercriminals,” says Laura Dillon, chairperson of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. “This new program will provide our students with the additional skills required to investigate and build a case that can be prosecuted.”

As a complement to their computer science courses, students in the program will take criminal justice courses covering topics like criminology, investigative procedures, cybercrime, identity theft, and computer forensics.

According to Edmund McGarrell, director of the School of Criminal Justice, “The demand for people with skills that bridge computer science and criminal justice is very large and growing daily. Unfortunately, the supply of such people is almost non-existent. The graduates of this program will be highly sought after by both the private and public sectors.”

Thad Greene, a senior in the program, will be one of the first students to complete a computer science major with a criminal justice cognate. “MSU has provided me with a unique educational experience including a new computer science course in computer security along with courses in criminal justice,” Greene says.  “This new program will make me very marketable, providing me with a variety of excellent career opportunities.”

“This program represents one of a number of innovative initiatives in cybersecurity throughout MSU,” says Anthony Wojcik, professor of computer science and engineering and director of MSU’s CyberSecurity Initiative, a team of world-class, interdisciplinary researchers from across the MSU campus working in collaboration with industry and government to lead the state and the country in cybersecurity research.

“Cybersecurity, cybercrime, and cyberterrorism are important aspects of homeland security,” notes MSU President Designate and Provost Lou Anna K. Simon. “This program not only provides our students with outstanding career opportunities, it also meets the growing needs of our state and our country. Innovative programs like this are core to our land-grant mission.”