Overview
Analytic techniques are an important addition to every analyst’s toolbox. As criminals become more proficient, analysts must be able to use equally sophisticated analytical skills. The Crime and Intelligence Analysis option trains graduates to successfully apply the tools and techniques required for solving complex investigations. It provides students with the critical thinking skills necessary for addressing modern-day crimes, internship experience in a law enforcement agency, access to a global network of intelligence professionals and recognition by international professional associations.
This program offers a high-intensity learning experience involving hands-on use of leading-edge crime and intelligence analysis tools (e.g. visual investigative analysis software, crime mapping and statistical software). This program trains graduates to develop intelligence end-products that help drive front-line operations and deploy patrol resources more effectively.
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Synthesize information from disparate sources for the purpose of identifying crime patterns, series and trends
- Map crime locations and analyze hot spots of crime, disorder and incivilities
- Develop collection plans of high-risk and habitual offenders
- Collect, evaluate, maintain and collate crime and intelligence data for national security, law enforcement and the business community
- Design and maintain criminal intelligence databases for law enforcement action
- Prepare written and oral reports and various types of charts and graphs based on research, correlation and analysis of evidence.
Entrance Requirements
Application processing
Applications are accepted throughout the year.
Entrance requirements
Most courses may be taken for professional development purposes on an individual course basis without formally applying to the program. To request approval to take a course for professional development, email the Program Assistant identifying which course you'd like to take and attach your current resume along with a brief explanation of how it pertains to your occupation or area of studies.
This program has a two-step admission process. Applicants must meet all entrance requirements to be accepted.
Step 1: Pre-entry assessment
Contact the Program Assistant for a pre-entry assessment.
You must upload an approved pre-entry assessment from the program area to your online application.
Step 2: Meet the following entrance requirements
- English: two years of education in English in an English-speaking country with one of the following:
- English Studies 12 (67%) or
- English First Peoples 12 (67%) or
- Acceptable equivalent high school course or
- 3.0 credits of post-secondary English, humanities or social sciences (67%) from a recognized institution
What if I don’t meet these English requirements? - Completion of one of the following options prior to admission:
- Option 1: A two-year diploma (minimum of 60 credits) or associate or bachelor's degree from a recognized post-secondary institution or
- Option 2: A minimum of 60 credits of courses fulfilling the requirements of the first two years of study towards the completion of a defined undergraduate degree from a recognized post-secondary institution (e.g. BA, BSc, BComm, BASc, etc) or
- Option 3: A minimum of 60 credits of courses from one or more recognized post-secondary institutions (minimum of 18 credits at second-year or higher level) or
- Option 4: Certification as a police constable AND completion of 30 credits from a recognized post-secondary institution or
- Option 5: Meeting of alternate entry/exception policy. Contact the Program Assistant for details.
- Criminal Record Check (CRC)
- Contact your local police department to obtain the appropriate forms - Letter for police department [PDF]
- Must be issued within one year of your application date
- The outcome of the CRC may influence your acceptability for this program
- Completed and signed applicant waiver form from the program area
- Resume
Applicants who have completed post-secondary studies outside of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand will require a comprehensive evaluation of their credentials by the International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES). Credential evaluation reports from other Canadian services may be considered. These reports must include course-by-course evaluations and GPA calculations.
Recommended for success
- Attend an information session prior to applying for this program. For more information and to register for an information session visit the Forensics website.
International applicants
This program is available to international applicants who currently have a valid status in Canada. A valid study permit is required prior to starting the program.
Apply to program
To submit your application:
- Include proof of meeting all entrance requirements.
- Convert all transcripts and supporting documents to PDF files.
- Have a credit card ready to pay the application fee.
Apply Now
Scheduled Intakes
Ongoing Flexible Learning (Part-time Studies) intakes: January, April, and September.
Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)
Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR) lets student use knowledge and skills learned outside recognized programs to gain exemption for particular courses in the program. Contact the Program Assistant for details.
myCommunication
Within two business days of submitting your completed application, BCIT will send a message to your personal and myBCIT e-mail addresses. All correspondence regarding your application will be posted to your online myCommunication account at my.bcit.ca. We'll send you an e-mail when a new message is posted. It's important to watch for these e-mails or regularly check your account online.
You can expect to receive communication concerning the status of your application within four weeks.
Costs & Supplies
Tuition fees
Flexible Learning (Part-time Studies) tuition is charged on a course-by-course basis. Please see the Flexible Learning Tuition & Fees pages for more information:
Courses
Program matrix
Check current availability of courses for this program.
| 1. Required Foundation Courses: (15.0 credits) | Credits | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| FSCT 7910 | Research Methodology and Measurement Models | 3.0 | |
| FSCT 8431 | Applied Research Methods & Statistics in Crime Analysis | 3.0 | |
| FSCT 8432 | Approaches to Analysis and Reasoning for Crime Studies | 3.0 | |
| FSCT 8434 | Crime Mapping | 3.0 | |
| FSCT 8436 | Introduction to Crime and Intelligence Analysis | 3.0 | |
| 2. Required Specialty Courses: (9.0 credits) | Credits | ||
| FSCT 8430 | Tactical Analysis 1 | 3.0 | |
| FSCT 8433 | Crime Analysis | 3.0 | |
| FSCT 8486 | Strategic Analysis | 3.0 | |
| 3. Complete 6.0 credits from the following elective courses: | Credits | ||
| FSCT 8010 | Forensic Behavioural Science | 3.0 | |
| FSCT 8303 | Geographic Profiling 1 | 3.0 | |
| FSCT 8481 | Major Crimes Analysis | 3.0 | |
| FSCT 8482 | National Security Analysis | 3.0 | |
| FSCT 8520 | Internet for Investigation | 3.0 | |
| Total Credits: | 30.0 | ||
Check current availability of courses for this program.
Transfer credit
Do you have credits from another BC/Yukon post-secondary school? Do you want to know if they transfer to courses here at BCIT? Check out BCIT's Transfer Equivalency Database to find out.
Program Details
Program length
Students work through their chosen curriculum at their own pace, therefore, the total length required to finish the program can vary. At six credits per term, the Advanced Certificate Program can take five terms to complete.
Grading
Depending on the course learning outcomes, students will be graded on a combination of the following:
- Participation in in-class exercises
- Participation in and completion of case studies
- Participation in discussion forums
- Submission of completed projects
- Submission of completed assignments
- Quizzes
- Mid-term and final examinations
The minimum passing grade for each course is 60%.
Additional program options
- Crime and Intelligence Analysis
- Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity
- Forensic Science
- General Criminalistics
Program delivery
Blended: This program is delivered partly on campus and partly online.
The Crime and Intelligence Analysis certificate option is instructed by a team of experienced practitioners and experts using leading-edge technology and advanced methods. The ASC Program takes advantage of the best policing has to offer, and through extensive coursework, immerses students in challenging problem-based scenarios. The ASC Program is intended to provide the most current and applicable analysis training available, and to help students develop the skills necessary to advance in the profession.
The Advanced Certificate courses will be delivered in the classroom setting and where appropriate will utilize the computer lab for assignments that require industry standard technologies. Online courses are currently under development.
Forensic Science and Technology offers flexible scheduling, which is determined by student demand and part-time instructor availability. Courses have a variety of formats, running evenings and/or weekends, consecutive days, or a combination of both.
Program location
Courses may be offered at the following locations:
Burnaby Campus
3700 Willingdon Avenue
Burnaby, BC
Downtown Campus
555 Seymour Street
Vancouver, BC
Continue your education
Students in the Advanced Certificate may go on to pursue the Bachelor of Technology in Forensic Investigation (Crime and Intelligence Analysis option) only if they meet the requirements for entrance into the Bachelor of Technology program. For further information, please visit our Crime and Intelligence Analysis Bachelor of Technology program page, or contact the department at 604-412-7436.
Graduating & Jobs
Job Opportunities
Intelligence analysts are employed by the military and law enforcement agencies at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. They also work for federal and provincial ministries whose mandates involve the environment, business, taxation and immigration. Analysts may be called upon to provide a variety of analytical services and products. Crime analysts are employed by municipal police departments and RCMP detachments in support of front-line policing efforts. Crime and intelligence analysis is a rapidly growing branch within law enforcement agencies and in the private sector, a trend that is expected to continue in the foreseeable future.
Some position titles (in law enforcement) include:
- Crime Analyst
- Intelligence Analyst
- Major Crimes Analyst
- National Security Analyst
- Strategic Intelligence Analyst
- Research Analyst
- Open Source Analyst
Read about a Forensics grad working in this important field.
Graduate employment outcomes
The BCIT student outcomes report presents summary findings from the annual survey of former students administered by BC Stats one to two years after graduation. These reports combine the last three years of available results for the 2020-2022 BCIT Outcomes Surveys of 2019-2021 graduates and for Degree 2017-2019 graduates. The reports are organized into three-page summaries containing information on graduates’ labour market experiences and opinions regarding their education. More detailed information can be accessed at the BC Student Outcomes website.
To view these results, you may need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed in your Web browser.
Apply for graduation
Upon successful completion of all program requirements, complete an Application for BCIT Credential [PDF] and submit it to Student Information and Enrolment Services.
Allow approximately six to eight weeks for processing.
All financial obligations to the Institute must be met prior to issuance of any credential.
Professional associations
There are several professional associations that offer professional development courses and related certification, including the International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts (IALEIA), the International Association of Crime Analysts (IACA), the International Association of Law Enforcement Planners (IALEP), and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). Both IALEIA and IACA sponsor periodic training sessions and provide train-the-trainer workshops. IALEP hosts a one-week course on planning, which includes topics ranging from project management to capital planning and facilities planning. ACFE offers a comprehensive range of courses in both foundation and advanced topics relating to fraud examination.
Faculty, Advisors & Staff
Ken Schulz, Program Head
Ken completed his M.A. (Criminology) at Simon Fraser University in 1995. Since then, he has worked as an analyst with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He has worked as a Tactical Analyst on a variety of investigations under the provincial and federal mandates. He presently works in the field of Strategic Intelligence Analysis. He has been involved with the FSCT CIA programs from their inception.
email: kschulz8@bcit.ca
Magda Marczak, Faculty
Magda Marczak has been a part time instructor at BCIT since 2015, delivering FSCT 8436 – Introduction to Crime and Intelligence Analysis. Magda holds a Master of Arts Degree in Criminology from Simon Fraser University and BCIT Advanced Certificate in Forensic Investigation: Crime and Intelligence Analysis. Magda began her career in policing in 2004 with the Vancouver Police Department, and became one of the first civilian analysts in the organization. In 2008, Magda joined the Delta Police Department where she continued to develop as an analyst. In 2014, Magda became the manager in charge of the Surrey Crime Analysis Section, where she is currently overseeing a team of 15 analysts. In addition, Magda manages eight electronic file administrators who prepare disclosure packages, and one digital extraction technician.
In her spare time, Magda enjoys the outdoors and spending time with her family.
Cyril Sweetville, Faculty
Cyril Sweetville has 20 years of law enforcement and regulatory experience. Cyril has worked as a Customs Inspector, RCMP Police Officer, and police support staff for the RCMP and Abbotsford Police, as well as a Licencing Officer for DFO. Cyril has experience in frontline policing in the lower mainland and in northern Canada, in federal policing, as well as in national security and close protection. Cyril brings additional subject matter expertise from his work as a facilitator in the RCMP terrorism awareness program, and as instructor on the RCMP VIP close protection driving program.He holds Bachelors degrees in Religious Studies and Political Studies; a Postgraduate Certificate in Policing, Intelligence, and Counterterrorism; and has recently completed his Master’s Degree in Homeland Security.
Cyril is currently an instructor in the National Security analysis course, and has also previously guest lectured in this subject matter at BCIT.
Bob Young, Faculty
Bob Young brings a wealth of practical experience, having worked for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) for 33 years as an intelligence officer across Canada and overseas, until recently retiring as the Regional Director General for BC and Yukon. Bob has also testified numerous times for CSIS and has continued doing so since retiring.Bob has degrees in Political Science, International Affairs and Law.
As Co-Instructor for the National Security Analysis course, Bob lectures on the Canadian national security community, terrorism, espionage, foreign interference, the insider threat, and ethics and intelligence, while providing Canadian examples and related challenges. During his classes, Bob encourages questions and class discussion in an effort to develop critical thinking skills (and to hopefully keep students awake).
Edwin Yong, Program Assistant
Contact Us
Patrick Neal – Program Coordinator
Tel: 604.412.7641
email: patrick_neal@bcit.ca
Ken Schulz – Program Head
email: kschulz8@bcit.ca
Edwin Yong – Program Assistant
email: BCIT_Forensics@bcit.ca
Questions or comments?
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