Digital Forensics &
Cyber Investigation

A master's in digital forensics and cyber investigation is a graduate-level program that focuses on the identification, preservation, analysis, and presentation of digital evidence in a legal context. UMGC's online Master of Science in Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigation degree is a 36-credit program that covers topics like forensic examination tools and technologies, best practices in forensic examinations, artifact reconstruction and recovery, evidentiary volume and encryption, and more. Graduates of the program are prepared for careers as digital forensic analysts, forensic examiners, forensic consultants, and information security managers.

At UMGC, we want you to be happy with the investment you make in your education, and we work hard to keep our programs affordable. When you choose to pursue your master's in digital forensics and cyber investigation at UMGC, you can rest assured that the quality of our curriculum is backed by the reputation of an accredited state university and a member institution of the University System of Maryland. Deciding whether an online master's degree in digital forensics and cyber investigation is worth it for you ultimately depends on your individual needs and goals. If you're not sure whether this is the right program for you or need help figuring out how to fit the program into your life, don't hesitate to reach out to us—our advisors and success coaches are happy to help.

UMGC's online master's degree in digital forensics and cyber investigation is a 36-credit program with courses offered year-round. Each course is 6 credits, and students typically take them one at a time, which means they can finish the program in as little as 18 months. If you recently completed an undergraduate degree in cybersecurity technology at UMGC, you may be able to apply 6 credits toward your graduate degree and shorten your time to completion by one term.

UMGC is committed to keeping our tuition and fees as affordable as possible. The master's degree in digital forensics and cyber investigation follows the specialty graduate program tuition rates, which appear at the top of this webpage. We also offer scholarships, an interest-free monthly payment plan, and no-cost digital materials in place of most textbooks to help make your education more affordable.

You don't need to have majored in any specific area to be successful in the master's in digital forensics and cyber investigation at UMGC. However, we do recommend you have a background in computing and programming. Strong writing skills are also encouraged.

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.

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.