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This 18-credit certificate in crime and community mapping develops data mapping and analytic skills which are highly marketable in the criminal justice and social service professions. We see you not only learning the principles of criminal justice and the factors associated with criminal behavior but also collecting geographical data and evaluating it from the perspective of police and criminal justice agencies. Even better – you will work with real police department data and provide results that assist local law enforcement agencies.

What is crime mapping?

Crime mapping is a tool for the of crime analyst that allows them to find geographic trends on anything, from the number of home burglaries in a certain radius to the location of criminally charged persons within 20 miles of an elementary school. If there is an increase in armed robberies in a town, you will know how to map the location of the robberies and analyze the results to find patterns and aid prevention efforts.

Crime mapping is used for incident analysis, gang hazards, resource allocation, offender tracking, and parole and probation monitoring. Social service agencies and police departments need to work smarter, not harder, and these mapping skills are essential to accomplishing this.

Why earn a crime mapping certificate?

Crime mapping is a highly valued skill. Cedar Crest’s criminal justice degree is unique in that it is a behavior-based program where you learn and understand what influences criminal behavior, and, therefore, how to aid in the prevention of criminal acts. Over the past 20 years, police and criminal justice agencies have increasingly devoted attention to crime prevention and have developed mapping technology that allows them to evaluate patterns of behavior in select areas.

If you’re pursuing a degree in social service disciplines, the ability to organize and analyze geographic data has become a sought-after and essential skill. Cedar Crest students learn using ArcPro, one of the top crime mapping software products used by social service agencies. Whether your interest lies in criminal justice, social work, or psychology, crime mapping can increase your marketability and provide greater insight into crime prevention.

Is this certificate for you?

The crime mapping certificate is designed to easily fit within the schedule of any student interested in a social service discipline. Day and online classes are offered in either accelerated or traditional formats. The certificate provides the highest quality education at a pace that works for your schedule. Students who come to Cedar Crest solely for the crime mapping certificate may wish to consider continuing on to complete their bachelor’s degree. Credits from the certificate will count toward your degree.

Program Highlights

  • LEADING-EDGE, industry-standard mapping software for students to develop their skills, using real police department data to provide actual results through concepts learned in class.
  • CRIMINAL JUSTICE INSTITUTE provides crime mapping solutions to police departments and social service agencies while giving students real-world data and scenarios.
  • HIGHLY QUALIFIED PROFESSORS with expertise in the criminal justice field, as well as, mapping software analysis.
  • PROGRAM options allow you to choose between traditional or online classes.

Dive A Little Deeper

Total number of credits required by program: 18 credits

The following courses are included as options in the certificate:

CRJ 110 Introduction to GIS and Crime Mapping – This course is designed to introduce the student to one of the most popular pieces of criminal justice technology in the field today.  The ability to analyze information geographically is important not only in the field of criminal justice but also in fields such as psychology, social work, business, marketing, public health, and a wealth of others.  Developing an understanding of the geographic distribution of a wide range of events, conditions, and patterns is essential in developing interventions and strategies that that are effective at addressing the distribution issue.  This course will introduce the student to the mapping software and allow the student to begin to understand how to geographically display a variety of different social conditions and community information.

CRJ 210 Advanced Crime and Community Mapping – This course is designed to advance the skills that were obtained in the introductory mapping course.  The course assumes that the student has a basic understanding of the GIS mapping software and is intended to present for discussion advanced topics such as map animation, hot spot analysis, creating buffers, distance analysis, and querying maps.  Once completed, the student will be able to demonstrate an advanced level of understanding as to how to map community incidents and information.

CRJ 212 American Models of Policing – This course is designed to expose the student to how policing is carried out in America.  Policing is not a singular concept or practice and can vary from community-to-community or neighborhood-to-neighborhood.  The content in this course exposes the student to the major policing models in America.

CRJ 215 Data Management for Crime Analysts – This course is designed to teach the student how to collect, manipulate, and present data in a way that enhances the understanding of the end user.  Data analysis is becoming increasingly important to non-profit, social service, government, and law enforcement organizations yet the skills required for quality analysis are lacking in the profession.  Effective societal change cannot be made until professionals have a detailed understanding of the conditions and factors that influence human behavior.  Being able to identify and assess those conditions and factors begins with the effective collection, manipulation, and presentation of information.

CRJ 310 Crime and Community Development – This unique community-lab based experience is an application course where students will demonstrate the ability to manage different types of geographic information using the ArcGIS software.  Working independently on different data sets, each student will work to identify how geography can enhance one’s understanding of the relationship between crime and the social conditions that influence it and business development.  This course can be taken 4 times.  

Upcoming Admissions Events

Nov 16
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Undergraduate Info Session: Morning Learn More
Nov 16
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Undergraduate Info Session: Afternoon Learn More
Dec 10
  • Tue
  • 5:00PM – 6:00PM
Nurse Anesthesia Virtual Information Session Learn More
Dec 10
  • Tue
  • 7:00PM – 8:00PM
Graduate Nursing Virtual Information Session Learn More

Cooperative Agreements

Cedar Crest College collaborates with several academic institutions to provide our students with innovative pathways that help them succeed in their chosen fields.

Cedar Crest Accounting Students in the Classroom

How To Apply

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Accreditation

Cedar Crest College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; 1007 North Orange Street, 4th Floor, MB #166, Wilmington, DE 19801

Faculty & Staff

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