Criminal Justice Dual Degree
Program Quick Facts
Credits
120
Start Terms
Fall
|Spring
|Summer
Available
Online
Dakota State University and Northern State University have partnered to create a concurrent dual-degree program that enables students to earn complementary degrees in criminal justice and cyber-focused fields simultaneously. The program is designed to expand opportunities for students at both institutions, streamline the path to two degrees, and prepare graduates for careers at the intersection of public safety, investigation, intelligence, and cybersecurity.
Through the agreement, the two institutions align their curricula so that courses count toward both degrees where appropriate. This ensures students do not exceed a typical 120-credit pathway to earn both degrees. All required courses are offered online, enabling students to complete the program without relocating from their home institution.
Choose your area of study
The unique program prepares students to work where emerging technologies and criminal justice meet, leading to careers in national security, law enforcement, public policy, and beyond.
This pathway helps students combine criminal justice knowledge with technical skills, preparing them for careers in systems, security operations, and protecting digital environments within the field of criminal justice.
Curriculum and experience highlights
Study criminal justice through a cyber lens
This pathway combines the study of criminal justice and criminology with technical preparation in cyber leadership, intelligence, or network and security administration. Students gain a broader understanding of crime, investigation, systems, security, and digital environments—preparing them for modern careers where technology and public safety increasingly overlap.
Fully online flexibility
All required courses in the NSU criminal justice program and the DSU Cyber Leadership and Intelligence and Network and Security Administration programs are available online. That gives students flexibility to stay at their home institution while progressing through both degrees. Because all required coursework is available online, students can pursue both degrees through a flexible delivery model built for access and continuity.
Faculty
Exploring careers with this dual degree
A concurrent degree in criminal justice and cyber-focused study expands job opportunities by preparing students for careers in cybersecurity, intelligence, digital investigations, network defense, and public-sector technology, as well as for advanced graduate study. This interdisciplinary program allows students to develop expertise across complementary fields, creating career pathways that may not be available through a single major alone. By combining knowledge of criminal justice with technical cyber skills, graduates enter the workforce with a broader, more versatile foundation that strengthens their competitiveness in a rapidly evolving job market.
Your future at DSU begins today.
Admission and pathway details
Current students should speak with their home institution advisor to explore the dual-degree option and review the plan of study. NSU students entering the DSU portion must complete CSC 150 Computer Science I. Eligible students then complete a streamlined, no-fee application and can begin taking courses at the partner institution.
Prospective and incoming students can apply directly to the dual-degree pathway as part of their application to DSU or NSU. All students follow a coordinated plan of study and must meet Board of Regents, institutional, and residency requirements to earn both degrees.
Tuition and financial aid
Students pay tuition and fees to their home institution while participating in the dual-degree program. Financial aid is also managed through the home institution, which determines eligibility and processes awards.