The Master of Science in digital forensics and cyber investigation at University of Maryland Global Campus is designed to prepare you to meet the growing demand for investigative, leadership, and executive skill in evaluating and managing complex cybersecurity incidents and threats. Learn how to determine whether a digital system has been attacked or compromised, and master reliable methods to identify, preserve, analyze, and present evidence for legal prosecution, administrative proceedings, and business purposes.
In this program, you can develop investigative problem-solving skills, contribute to important team deliverables, analyze complex data scenarios, examine digital media for evidentiary artifacts, and write detailed digital forensic examination reports. The applied knowledge and skills you acquire can help government, business, and law enforcement organizations in detecting data breaches, mitigating cyber attacks, identifying responsible parties, and evaluating evidence of digital crime.
UMGC was named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.
These requirements are for students who enroll in the 2021–2022 academic year. For prior year academic requirements, visit our catalog archive.
About the Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigation Master's Degree
What You'll Learn
Through your coursework, you will learn how to
- Design procedures at a suspected crime scene to ensure that the digital evidence obtained is not corrupted
- Conduct hands-on forensic searches to identify intrusion methods
- Employ rigorous procedures to enable forensic results that can withstand scrutiny in a court of law
- Explain the operation of digital components
- Seize, image, deconstruct, and analyze digital media for evidence
- Prepare professional reports
- Present digital forensics results in a court of law as an expert witness
Coursework Examples
In past projects, students have had the opportunity to
- Create an investigation plan for a digital forensics incident
- Conduct a mobile incident response and investigation based on a classroom scenario
- Use appropriate tools and procedures to check for the use of anti-forensics techniques
- Conduct a Linux/Windows/Mac machine image investigation using industry-standard tools
- Identify malicious software, network activity, suspect traffic, and intrusion artifacts through a review and analysis of artifacts
- Conduct a digital forensic investigation in a challenging environment
Industry Certification
This program can help prepare you for the following certification exam(s):
Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigation Master's Degree Requirements
Our curriculum is designed with input from employers, industry experts, and scholars. You'll learn theories combined with real-world applications and practical skills you can apply on the job right away.
Master's Courses
Take the following courses in the order listed:
Foundation Course
- CBR 600
Core Courses
- DFC 610
- DFC 620
- DFC 630
- DFC 640
- CYB 670
Course Rules and Program Progression
- You must complete each course with a grade of B or better to advance to the next course. The grade of C is not available for these courses.
- The courses in this program will have seven-day and 60-day options for the grade of Incomplete.
Vertical Pathway
If you completed your undergraduate degree at UMGC with a major in computer networks and cybersecurity, a vertical pathway between UMGC's graduate and undergraduate degree programs in that field allows you to reduce your total coursework for this program by up to 6 credits.
Other Requirements
- You must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher at all times.
- All degree requirements must be fulfilled within five consecutive years.
- Any transfer credits must have been earned within the five-year time frame to be applied toward a graduate degree.
Please review our overview of overall master's degree requirements for additional considerations.
Career Preparation
This program is designed to help prepare you for work in government organizations, the private sector, and law enforcement agencies in the areas of computer and digital crime.
Experience Recommended for Success in the Program
We recommend a background in computing and programming. If you need to improve your computing skills, we recommend you take ASC 605. If you have not taken programming courses, we recommend you take ASC 609. We recommend ASC 601 if you'd like to improve your graduate writing skills.
Facts & Figures
Source: CyberSeek | "Cyberseek: A Map to Solving the Cybersecurity Skills Gap," Burning Glass Technologies, November 1, 2016. | 2016
Source: Burning Glass International | Job Market Intelligence: Cybersecurity Jobs 2015 | 2015
Source: Burning Glass International | Job Market Intelligence: Cybersecurity Jobs 2015 | 2015
Not only is cybersecurity growing…but it’s also a very interesting field…. Imagine being paid to sit on social networks and find bad guys that are breaking into major corporations.
Rick Geritz
Chairman, CyberMaryland
The curriculum has a flexibility about it that I haven’t seen from other academic institutions. UMGC, I think, has cracked the code in terms of allowing it to be very agile and very much focused on the changing dimensions of cybersecurity.
Robert Lentz
President and CEO, Cybersecurity Strategies
Student Clubs and Organizations
Type: Student organization
Available To: Undergraduate and Graduate
The Computing Club aims to create a dynamic environment where members can work collaboratively, share innovative ideas, enhance their career-readiness, and gain marketable experience in their respective fields.
Type: Student organization
Available To: Undergraduate and Graduate
The Cyber Competition Team represents UMGC at various cybersecurity events and highly competitive tournaments nationwide. Students hone their cybersecurity skills, learn to work effectively as a team, and network with other students, cyber professionals, and prospective employers. Winner of a 2021 UMGC Student Organization Best-in-Show Activities and Events Award!
Type: Honor society
Available To: Undergraduate and Graduate
Upsilon Pi Epsilon is the international honor society for the computing and information disciplines. Formed in 1967, the purpose of Upsilon Pi Epsilon is to promote the computing and information sciences and to encourage the enhancement of knowledge in the field. Upsilon Pi Epsilon is open to both undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing a degree in the computing and information disciplines.
About the Faculty
Our world-class faculty members combine academic credentials with a wealth of experience in the field.
Faculty members in this program hold or have recently held positions including
- Assistant deputy undersecretary
- Chief information security officer
- Cryptologic manager
- Deputy chief of cybersecurity operations
- Director of server operations group
- IT director
- Special agent
- Team lead of cyber threat analysis
- Technical director of security engineering and testing
Our faculty work or have worked at organizations including
- Defense Information Systems Agency
- General Dynamics
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
- Lucent Technologies
- National Biomedical Research Foundation
- National Security Agency
- Transportation Security Agency
- Science Applications International Corporation
- State of Maryland
- State University of New York
- U.S. Department of Defense
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Verizon
Featured Faculty
Additional Information
Technology Requirements
This program's curriculum requires that you use a computer with the following:
- Microphone and speakers or headset with microphone or equivalent device
- 5 GB of free hard drive space
- 4 GB RAM or higher
- A high-speed internet connection
- Computer processor (Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon 64) running at speeds of at least 1 GHz
- Windows 8.1 or Mac OS X 10.6 or higher for an operating system (Linux operating systems can also be used but require more technical knowledge from the user)
Note: The higher the processor speed of your computer (e.g., 2.4–3.4 GHz), the larger the amount of available memory (e.g., 4–12 GB), and the larger the amount of available hard drive space (e.g., 5–20 GB), the better your computer will perform and the smoother your experience will be.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Program
What do I need to do to succeed in the Master of Science in digital forensics and cyber investigation? +
This program is open to anyone but some basic knowledge of IT is helpful. If you have no IT background, it is strongly recommended that you take the non-credit preparation course in IT prior to taking CYB 610.
Whom is the Master of Science in Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigation geared toward? +
This program is designed for those who want to develop skills and competencies in the analysis of digital evidence. This may lead to positions tracking cyber intruders or digital evidence within government and private organizations as well as law enforcement.
What will I get from the Master of Science in digital forensics and cyber investigation? +
This program focuses on the investigation area of a cyber attack and collecting evidence from digital assets of other specific activity. It will help you develop your competencies in finding, accessing and analyzing digital evidence left on a variety of devices from computers to smartphones and tablets. The program will require that you become adept with network, computer, and digital analysis technologies at an intermediate level.