Champlain College Online Master of Science in Digital Forensic Science

Champlain's online M.S. in Digital Forensic Science is a 30 to 36 credit master's that ends in a research thesis and, at two courses per 7-week term, can be done in about 10 months. It fits working investigators and analysts who want depth in malware, mobile devices and incident response. The $608 per credit rate and the thesis are the two things to weigh.

Champlain College Online is the online arm of a private nonprofit college in Burlington, Vermont. Federal data shows all of its graduate students study fully online, and the school describes its online graduate programs as designed for working professionals. The degree is regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.

Champlain runs several sibling master's degrees. The one most often confused with this is the Master of Science in Digital Forensic Analytics, which is 33 credits and finishes with a Capstone in Forensic Analytics instead of a thesis. Cybersecurity Analytics, Cybersecurity Management and Cybersecurity Operations are separate 30-credit degrees aimed at security work more broadly.

This is the science version: a thesis-style capstone and a course list centered on examining evidence. Choose it if you want to explain how an investigation works, not only run one.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

Tuition is $608 per credit for Fall 2026 through Summer 2027. Across 30 to 36 credits, plan on a total in that range times $608, plus a one-time $150 graduation fee. Alumni, servicemembers, veterans and their families pay $500 per credit.

Champlain evaluates transfer credit from prior college credits, work experience and training, and military training, so a short evaluation up front can lower the number of credits you pay for. Federal data shows a median of $145,009 in earnings for Champlain graduates in this field, which is a useful figure to set against the cost.

Who It Fits

• Digital forensic examiners, SOC analysts and incident responders who want a master's credential with a research component.
• Working adults who need short terms. You can take one or two courses per 7-week term.
• Servicemembers, veterans and their families, who pay $500 per credit instead of $608, as do alumni.
• Applicants without test scores. Champlain says the GMAT and GRE aren't required for admission to its online graduate programs.

Who Should Skip It

• Students who want the lowest possible rate. A state university may charge less per credit, so compare before you apply.
• Anyone without a bachelor's from a regionally accredited institution, which is the admission baseline, with a 2.5 GPA recommended.
• People who'd rather finish with a practical project than a thesis. The Analytics sibling ends in a capstone built around forensic analytics.

The notable courses read like a case file. Malware Analysis teaches you to take apart hostile code, and Mobile Device Analysis moves the same skills onto phones and tablets. Operating System Analysis turns to the operating system itself as a source of evidence, and Incident Response and Network Forensics follows an attack across a network.

Digital Forensics and Encryption deals with a problem every examiner meets: data you can see but can't read. The program finishes with a Capstone Research Thesis, so you'll end with an extended piece of research rather than a practical project.

The credit total is listed as 30 to 36, so ask which number applies to you.

Courses the School Names

• Malware Analysis
• Mobile Device Analysis
• Incident Response and Network Forensics
• Operating System Analysis
• Digital Forensics and Encryption

Standout Features

• National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education since 2006 (stated for Champlain College)

Terms are 7 weeks long, and you can take one or two courses at a time. With two courses per term, the school's estimate for finishing is 10 months. With one, expect it to take longer.

The pace is quick. Seven weeks leaves little room to fall behind on a lab or a long paper, so graduate students who work full time often choose one course during busy periods. The program is fully online, with no campus visits required.

The degree is a Master of Science from a school that holds NSA and Department of Homeland Security designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education, which Champlain says it has held since 2006. The accreditor is NECHE.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

• At $608 per credit, a public university may cost less, so compare totals.
• Ten months assumes two courses every term, which is a heavy load alongside a full-time job.
• The thesis capstone asks for sustained research writing, which not every practitioner enjoys.
• Its specialty is narrower than a general cybersecurity master's, so it may suit a forensics career better than a security leadership one.

• How does the 30-credit path differ from the 36-credit path, and which applies to me?
• What does the Capstone Research Thesis involve, and who advises it?
• How is this different from the Digital Forensic Analytics master's in terms of coursework and capstone?
• Which forensic tools do students use in Malware Analysis and Mobile Device Analysis?
• How much credit will my work or military training earn?
• Do my bachelor's GPA and field affect admission, given a 2.5 GPA is recommended?

A private nonprofit college in Burlington, Vermont that delivers its online degrees through Champlain College Online.

• Best Online Cybersecurity Degrees Rank 2 of 10, master's
• Best Online Master's Programs Rank 2 of 10, master's
• Best Digital Forensics Degrees Rank 1 of 10, master's
• Best Accelerated Online Programs Rank 1 of 10, master's
• Best No-GRE Online Master's Rank 2 of 10, master's
• Best for Military Students Rank 1 of 10, master's
• Best for Working Adults Rank 2 of 10, master's
• Best 100% Online Programs Rank 2 of 10, master's
• Best Online Programs in Vermont Rank 1 of 5, master's

• BS in Computer Forensics & Digital Investigations

  B.S., Bachelor's

  Fully Online $342 per credit Score 75.9

• Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  B.S., Bachelor's

  Fully Online $342 per credit Score 72.4

• Master of Science in Cybersecurity Operations

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $608 per credit Score 70.7

• Master of Science in Cybersecurity Analytics

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $608 per credit Score 70.5

• Master of Science in Digital Forensic Analytics

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $608 per credit Score 70.3

• Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $608 per credit Score 70.1

Also at Champlain College, but not counted here because they are not fully online: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (bachelor's, on campus).

• Georgia Institute of Technology

  Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Georgia $387 per credit Score 79.4

• University of the Cumberlands

  Master of Science in Information Systems Security (Online)

  Kentucky $355 per credit Score 67.4

• Hallmark University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Texas $595 per credit Score 67.1

• Dakota State University

  Cyber Defense, MS

  South Dakota $495.70 per credit Score 65.8