The M.S. in Digital Forensics (DFOR) requires the completion of a minimum of 30 hours of graduate course work with a GPA of 3.000, or higher. The DFOR program is split into two elements: a Core component of 21 credit hours (18 credit hours plus a mandatory, 3-credit, capstone course that is taken towards the end of the degree) and an Elective component of 9 credit hours.
Coursework will progress from core courses to more advanced specialty courses, culminating in a capstone project course. Both 600- and 700-level core courses are designed to establish a solid foundation for subsequent work beyond the master’s level. Below are the new course numbers that will be effective in the fall 2022.
DFOR Core Component:
- DFOR 510 Digital Forensic Analysis
- DFOR 660 Network Forensics
- DFOR 661 Digital Media Forensics
- DFOR 663 Intrusion Detection or 664 Incident Response Forensics
- DFOR 671 DFOR Law & Ethics or or DFOR 670 Fraud Analytics*
- DFOR 672 Mobile Device Forensics
- DFOR 790 Advanced Computer Forensics (DFOR Degree Capstone Course)
Three Forensics courses (DFOR 660, 661, and either 663 or 664) that may be taken in any order, but should be completed within the first 18 credit hours of the student’s degree program (total of 9 credits)
One Ethics or fraud course may be selected from (DFOR 670 and 671), and which may be taken at any point in the program (3 credits); and
A Capstone Project Course (DFOR 790) that may not be taken until at least 18 credit hours have been earned within the DFOR degree program (3 credits), and it is strongly recommended that DFOR 790 be the last course taken in the progression.
DFOR Elective (Specialty) Component:
- DFOR 637 Cloud Forensics
- DFOR 673 Registry Forensics – Windows
- DFOR 674 MAC Forensics
- DFOR 675 Linux Forensics
- DFOR 730 Forensic Deep Packet Inspection
- DFOR 740 Offensive & Defensive Strategies
- DFOR 761 Malware Reverse Engineering
- DFOR 762 Mobile Device Forensics
- DFOR 767 Pen Testing & Ethical Hacking
- DFOR 768 Digital Warfare
- DFOR 769 Anti-Forensics
- DFOR 771 Digital Forensic Profiling
- DFOR 772 Forensic Artifact Extraction
- DFOR 672 Mobile Application Forensics and Analysis
- DFOR 775 Kernel Forensics
- DFOR 780 Advanced Topics in Computer Forensics
- ECE 511 Computer Architecture
- ECE 611 Advanced Computer Architecture
- ECE 612 Real-Time Embedded Systems
- ECE 642 Design and Analysis of Computer Communication Networks
- ECE 646 Applied Cryptography
- ECE 746 Advanced Applied Cryptography
- FRSC 510 Crime Scene Analysis
- ISA 650 Security Policy
- ISA 652 Security Audit/Compliance Testing
- ISA 656 Network Security
- ISA 674 Intrusion Detection
- ISA 785 Research in Digital Forensics
- TCOM 662 Advanced Secure Networking
These specialty courses are designed to provide students with advanced, more specialized, graduate level studies.
*Both DFOR 670 and DFOR 671 may be taken but only one may be used in the core component.
We also offer a concentration in Penetration Testing/Reverse Engineering with the following three of four classes being taken as your electives (9 Credits):
- DFOR 740 Advanced Offensive & Defensive Strategies
- DFOR 761 – Malware Reverse Engineering
- DFOR 767 – Penetration Testing in Computer Forensics
- DFOR 772 – Forensic Artifact Extraction or CFRS 775 – Kernel Forensics and Analysis