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Digital Forensics
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Digital Forensics Graduate Certificates
A Graduate Certificate in Digital Forensics is a university-issued graduate degree. It involves acceptance to the University of Rhode Island graduate program, graded course work, and typically a paper or project. It is designed for professionals who wish to obtain a focused graduate degree, but cannot commit to a full Master's degree.
The Graduate Certificate in Digital Forensics is designed to be done completely online so that professionals may fulfill the requirements for this degree from anywhere.
Necessary Background
The Graduate Certificate program is not an entry level program, and is not recommended for students who do not have a strong background in working with computers. The program assumes that students have an 'A+' level of understanding of computers and how they work. However, it does not assume that students know anything about Digital Forensics, and the program is designed to teach students everything they need to know about performing digital forensics investigations from the ground up. For more information on whether or not you meet the background requirements, or how to prepare for starting the program please visit this page.
Course Requirements
In order to complete a Graduate Certificate in Digital Forensics, students must complete 4 courses. Available courses are sorted into three course groups: Starting Core Courses, Mandatory Core Courses, and Concentration Courses.
Starting Core Course
The Starting Core course must be taken before students can take any additional courses. This courses can not be taken in conjunction with any other courses.
- CSF 410 - Digital Forensics (Fall; 4 credits)
Mandatory Core Courses
All courses in the 'Mandatory Core' must be taken towards completion of the certificate program. These courses must be taken after completion of the Starting Core Course, but can be taken in any order. Students can choose to take these courses before, after, or in conjunction with courses from the Concentration Courses.
- CSF 512 - Advanced Topics in Digital Forensics (Spring; 4 credits)
- CSF 516 - File System Analysis (Summer; 4 credits)
Concentration Courses
Students must take one additional course from the Concentration Courses to complete their certificate program. These courses must be taken after completion of the Starting Core Courses, however can be taken in any order. Students can choose to take these courses before, after, or in conjunction with courses from the Mandatory Courses.
- CSF 414 - Digital Forensics Analysis (Spring; 4 credits)
- CSF 524 - Advanced Incident Response (Fall; 4 credits)
Sample Options and Completion Times
There are many options available for students to complete the Graduate Certificate in Digital Forensics, below are some sample options and how long they take to complete.
| Year 1 | Year 2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Option 1 | CSF 410 | CSF 512 & 414 | CSF 516 | 12 months | ||
| Option 2 | CSF 410 | CSF 512 | CSF 516 | CSF 524 | 16 months | |
| Option 3 | CSF 410 | CSF 512 | CSF 516 | CSF 414 | 20 months | |
| Option 4 | CSF 410 | CSF 516 | CSF 524 | CSF 512 | 20 months | |
| Option 5 | CSF 410 | CSF 414 | CSF 516 | CSF 512 | 20 months | |
Program Requirements
Read more about the program requirements for the Digital Forensics Graduate Certificates.
Previous Program Requirements
In an effort to keep our programs up to date with the most recent industry standards and practices, our programs are continuously changing. The information above, reflects the program that will be offered starting in Fall of 2013. For anyone interested, you can read more about the previous program requirements here.
Apply Now!
Our Graduate and Professional programs start in September. The deadline for applications is July 1st.
Industry Tools
Our courses teach students how to use the leading industry tools such as: FTK and WinHex!
Industry Certifications
Our courses will help you prepare for standard industry certifications such as: CCE and ACE!
