Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice

What Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice does

Michigan State University's School of Criminal Justice is an academic unit within MSU's College of Social Science and was established in 1935 as the first school of criminal justice in the United States. The School delivers undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs in criminal justice, with a portfolio that now includes online graduate offerings: a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice, a Master of Science in Cybercrime and Digital Investigation, a Master of Science in Law Enforcement Intelligence and Analysis, and a Graduate Certificate in Cyber Criminology & Cybersecurity. Online master's tuition is standardized at $892 per credit hour, with a 30-credit structure implying a $26,760 gross tuition per master's completer.

The School's core "products" are accredited academic credentials and applied research outputs rather than commercial software. Distribution is conducted through MSU's online learning infrastructure, reaching students across all 50 U.S. states and 130+ countries. Faculty include practitioners with experience at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FBI, and Michigan State Police, and the unit operates applied-research assets including the MSU Center for Cybercrime Investigation and Training and a Cold Case Unit partnership with the Michigan State Police. Revenue mechanics are tuition-driven ($892/credit hour, federal financial aid eligible via Title IV), with revenue accruing to the broader MSU budget rather than as a standalone commercial entity. The School serves working professionals, career changers, military-affiliated learners, and international students, with an alumni base exceeding 12,000.

Name

Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice

Legal name

Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice

Website

https://cj.msu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Michigan State University's School of Criminal Justice, founded in 1935 as the nation's first such school, delivers online graduate degrees in criminal justice, cybercrime and digital investigation, and law enforcement intelligence to a global student body of working professionals and military-affiliated learners, with 12,000+ alumni.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education — Criminal Justice

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Corrections, Detention & Probation Officer Training (EDAOAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Correctional Education Programs (Community College-Delivered) (EDAHADAN), Campus Law Enforcement & Investigations (EDALAEAC)

Keywords

• Criminal justice education
• Graduate degree programs
• Online higher education
• Law enforcement training
• Cybercrime investigation

Headquarters

HQ city

East Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue (Online Graduate Programs): The school generates primary revenue from tuition payments for its online graduate degree and certificate programs. Tuition is charged per credit hour with rates ranging from $892 per credit. Programs include MA in Criminal Justice (30 credits), MS in Cybercrime and Digital Investigation (30 credits), MS in Law Enforcement Intelligence and Analysis (30 credits), and Graduate Certificate in Cyber Criminology and Cybersecurity (15 credits). Additional revenue comes from application fees ($75 per applicant).
2. Employer Tuition Reimbursement: Working professionals whose employers offer tuition reimbursement programs can use this benefit to cover all or part of educational costs. The school positions itself as a resource that employers can direct employees toward.
3. Federal Student Aid and Military Benefits: Federal student aid (FAFSA) is accepted for eligible students. Military benefits including GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Program provide additional revenue streams for veteran and active-duty students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

The Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice offers fully online graduate degree and certificate programs in criminal justice, cybercrime and digital investigation, and law enforcement intelligence and analysis, delivered asynchronously through the D2L learning platform. The school also operates on-campus undergraduate and graduate programs, professional development training (School of Staff and Command, First Line Supervision), and applied research and community centers such as the MSU Center for Cybercrime Investigation and Training, the Cold Case Unit, and the Police Research Lab.

Product overview

The Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice offers a portfolio of academic degree programs and professional development offerings. The core online graduate offerings include four programs: the Master of Arts in Criminal Justice (MA), Master of Science in Cybercrime and Digital Investigation (MS), Master of Science in Law Enforcement Intelligence and Analysis (MS LEIA), and a Cyber Criminology and Cybersecurity Graduate Certificate. On-campus programs include undergraduate BA options and doctoral degrees. The school also operates specialized community and research centers including the MSU Center for Cybercrime Investigation and Training, the Cold Case Unit (offering both student organization and internship experiences), the Police Staffing Observatory, and the Michigan Justice Statistics Center. Research initiatives span the G.R.E.A.T. Follow-up Study, The Police Research Lab, Project Safe Neighborhoods, and violence prevention evaluation projects. Professional training programs include the First Line Supervision Course and School of Staff and Command.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MSU Center for Cybercrime Investigation and Training: A full-service training hub preparing law enforcement agencies for the increasing threat of cybercrime.
• Police Staffing Observatory (PSO)
• Michigan Justice Statistics Center
• Cold Case Unit
• School of Staff and Command
• Interdisciplinary Conference on Cybercrime

Products and services

• Master of Arts in Criminal Justice (MA)

Quantifiable outcome

• Intelligence Analysts earn a median salary of $86,280 with 2-4% job growth through 2032 (O*NET Online)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Michigan State Police First District Cold Case UnitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA flagship partnership in which MSU students work directly with Michigan State Police detectives to assist in cold case homicide investigations. Students participate in organizing and digitizing cases, determining new investigative leads, reexamining evidence, and identifying new information sources. The partnership operates through the CJ 894 Practicum Internship course where students spend nine hours per week at the Michigan State Police Annex in Dimondale, Michigan.
• U.S. Department of Homeland SecuritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe MS in Law Enforcement Intelligence and Analysis program curriculum is informed by the Department of Justice. Faculty include those with experience at DHS. The school maintains partnerships with DHS providing internship and career pathways for graduates in intelligence and counterterrorism roles.
• Michigan Intelligence Operations CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing career development opportunities and industry connections for students in the Law Enforcement Intelligence and Analysis program. Students benefit from real-world intelligence operations exposure and potential employment pathways.
• MSU PoliceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity police department partnership providing internship and career pathway opportunities for criminal justice students, particularly those in cybercrime and law enforcement intelligence programs.
• Vidocq SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe MSU Student Cold Case Unit is founded on principles that govern the Vidocq Society, a group of forensics and criminal justice professionals who gather to discuss and debate crimes and mysteries. The MSU Cold Case Unit promotes similar debate and discussion about unsolved cases.
• International Headquarters of The Inside-Out Prison Exchange ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Inside-Out Program at MSU is a partnership with the international Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, operating at the Carson City Correctional Facility in Carson City, Michigan. The program brings together traditional MSU undergraduate students with incarcerated students for collaborative learning.
• College of Social SciencecoreOthersThe School of Criminal Justice is part of the College of Social Science at Michigan State University, which provides institutional infrastructure, advising resources, experiential learning requirements, and academic oversight.
• MSU Office for Undergraduate ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity office that works to increase opportunities for MSU students to engage in scholarship and expand faculty engagement with undergraduate researchers. The School of Criminal Justice connects students to research opportunities through this office.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• University of Maryland Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice: Public R1 university with a leading criminology and criminal justice department offering online master's degrees; competes directly with MSU for working professionals and federal employees.
• University of Cincinnati School of Criminal Justice: Top-ranked R1 public university with a dedicated School of Criminal Justice offering online master's and doctoral programs; very comparable in mission, scale, and target student segments.
• George Mason University Department of Criminology, Law and Society: Large public R1 university near the D.C. policy ecosystem offering master's degrees in criminology and law with strong government and intelligence-community ties; comparable positioning to MSU's LEIA program.
• Sam Houston State University College of Criminal Justice: Largest criminal justice school in the U.S., offering online master's and doctoral programs in criminal justice, cybercrime, and forensic science; directly competes with MSU for online graduate and veteran enrollment.
• Florida State University College of Criminology and Criminal Justice: Public R1 university with a dedicated college of criminology offering online and on-campus graduate degrees; competes in the same online CJ master's rankings and federal-career outcome positioning.
• John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY): Senior CUNY college entirely dedicated to criminal justice, forensic science, and public safety; a direct peer in mission and audience with both on-campus and online graduate offerings.
• Penn State University Criminal Justice Program: Major public university offering online bachelor's and master's degrees in criminal justice through Penn State World Campus; a direct competitor in online graduate CJ education with a large alumni base.
• American Public University System (American Military University): Online-only university with a large veteran and active-duty student body offering criminal justice degrees; a key direct competitor in the military-affiliated online CJ segment.
• Northeastern University College of Criminal Justice: Private R1 university offering online and hybrid master's in criminal justice and cybercrime; comparable in cybersecurity-adjacent specializations and working-professional audience.

Broad incumbents

• Arizona State University School of Criminology and Criminal Justice: Very large public R1 university offering online and on-campus criminal justice graduate degrees with significant scale and digital-learning investment; broader incumbent competing for the same national online audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/msu_scj
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCx0LW1D_FHSYt4mZ-l56KFQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/msucj
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/msucj
• Instagraminstagram.com/msuscj

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice