Digital Forensics

Degree Courses of Study

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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:

  1. DFOR 510 Digital Forensic Analysis
  2. DFOR 660 Network Forensics
  3. DFOR 661 Digital Media Forensics
  4. DFOR 663 Intrusion Detection or  664 Incident Response Forensics
  5. DFOR 671 DFOR Law & Ethics or or DFOR 670 Fraud Analytics*
  6. DFOR 672 Mobile Device Forensics
  7. 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:

  1. DFOR 637 Cloud Forensics
  2. DFOR 673 Registry Forensics – Windows
  3. DFOR 674 MAC Forensics
  4. DFOR 675 Linux Forensics
  5. DFOR 730 Forensic Deep Packet Inspection
  6. DFOR 740 Offensive & Defensive Strategies
  7. DFOR 761 Malware Reverse Engineering
  8. DFOR 762 Mobile Device Forensics
  9. DFOR 767 Pen Testing & Ethical Hacking
  10. DFOR 768 Digital Warfare
  11. DFOR 769 Anti-Forensics
  12. DFOR 771 Digital Forensic Profiling
  13. DFOR 772 Forensic Artifact Extraction
  14. DFOR 672 Mobile Application Forensics and Analysis
  15. DFOR 775 Kernel Forensics
  16. DFOR 780 Advanced Topics in Computer Forensics
  17. ECE 511 Computer Architecture
  18. ECE 611 Advanced Computer Architecture
  19. ECE 612 Real-Time Embedded Systems
  20. ECE 642 Design and Analysis of Computer Communication Networks
  21. ECE 646 Applied Cryptography
  22. ECE 746 Advanced Applied Cryptography
  23. FRSC 510 Crime Scene Analysis
  24. ISA 650 Security Policy
  25. ISA 652 Security Audit/Compliance Testing
  26. ISA 656 Network Security
  27. ISA 674 Intrusion Detection
  28. ISA 785 Research in Digital Forensics
  29. 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