University of Maryland Global Campus Online Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigation Master of Science

UMGC's online M.S. in Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigation is the one to look at if you want to investigate incidents and handle digital evidence instead of designing security systems. It is 30 credits at $694 each, with a competition team and a Virtual Security Lab for hands-on practice, and military students pay $336 per credit.

It is a narrower specialty than a general cybersecurity master's, so it fits best when you already know you want the investigative side.

University of Maryland Global Campus is a public university in Adelphi, Maryland, and it is one of the biggest online providers in the country, with 63,012 students enrolled. This master's is fully online, with every course available online, and it sits in the digital forensics family instead of the general cybersecurity one.

UMGC offers four online cybersecurity-area master's degrees, so the differences matter. Cybersecurity Technology and Cybersecurity Management and Policy cover the broad technical and governance sides. Cyber Operations is the operational option. This degree is the one built around forensics and investigation.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

Tuition is $694 per credit for every student, in state or out, and the 30-credit total comes to $20,820. Military students pay $336 per credit. Other fees may apply. You can transfer up to 12 credits, so a student with relevant graduate coursework could trim the total.

Compared with a sibling, the price is the same as the Cybersecurity Technology and Management and Policy master's, while Cyber Operations is $555 per credit in state and $659 out of state. If cost is your deciding factor and you are flexible about specialty, that gap is worth knowing. If you are set on forensics, the extra cost buys you the investigation focus.

30 credits at $694 a credit comes to $20,820 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• Law enforcement, military and government employees who already touch evidence or incident response and want formal training in digital forensics.
• IT and security analysts who want to move from monitoring alerts to investigating what happened after a breach.
• Students who learn by doing. The Virtual Security Lab and the Cybersecurity Competition Team give you places to practice outside of assignments.
• Service members and veterans, since the military rate is $336 per credit compared with $694 for everyone else.

Who Should Skip It

• Students who want the widest possible security degree. A general cybersecurity master's, including UMGC's own Technology and Management and Policy versions, keeps more job titles open.
• People who need a degree built around a specific certification exam.
• Anyone who wants a thesis. This degree ends with a 3-credit capstone, DFCS 690.

The 30 credits break into three parts: 15 credits of core courses, 12 elective credits and a 3-credit capstone. The capstone is the Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigation Capstone, DFCS 690.

The core builds the investigative foundation that the degree name promises. The 12 elective credits are where you shape the degree toward your own interests. That is the most flexible part of the curriculum, so ask an advisor which electives students in your line of work usually choose.

Hands-on practice is built around two things named on the program page: the Virtual Security Lab and the award-winning Cybersecurity Competition Team. You try out for the team, which then competes in nationwide competitions. It is optional, so it suits students who want to build a portfolio and meet peers, not those with no spare hours.

Standout Features

• Competition team and Virtual Security Lab for hands-on practice

Every course is available online, so you do not need to travel to Maryland. The lab is virtual, meaning you reach your practice environment through the internet, and the competition team gives you a way to work alongside other students. UMGC is a large school built for working adults and military students, so expect a lot of sections and flexible scheduling.

Because the program is large, ask early how advising works and who your contact is, and ask how often the electives you want are offered.

Federal earnings data lists $130,314 as the median earnings figure for UMGC graduates in this field at the master's level. Treat it as a signal for the school's graduates in the field, not a promise for this specific degree.

Forensics work often leans on tool-specific certifications and on-the-job experience, and this degree is a credential on top of that. Ask the program which certifications its graduates add after finishing.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

• It is a specialty degree, so a general security hiring manager may value a broader title.
• Only up to 12 credits transfer, which is less flexible than some programs.
• At $694 per credit, it costs more per credit than UMGC's Cyber Operations master's, which is $555 in state and $659 out of state.
• UMGC's federal graduation rate is 33%, common at schools with many working adults. Ask how many master's students finish in the time they planned.

• Which core courses cover evidence handling and which cover investigation methods?
• Which electives do students with my background usually choose?
• How do I join the Cybersecurity Competition Team, and how much time does it ask of me?
• What software and environments are in the Virtual Security Lab?
• How does the capstone work, and can I base it on a case from my own job?
• Does my military status or employer qualify me for a lower rate?

• Best Digital Forensics Degrees Rank 2 of 10, master's
• Best Online Programs in Maryland Rank 5 of 9, master's

• Cybersecurity Technology Bachelor of Science

  B.S., Bachelor's

  Fully Online $499 per credit Score 64.2

• Cyber Operations Bachelor of Science

  B.S., Bachelor's

  Fully Online $499 per credit Score 60.3

• Cybersecurity Management and Policy Bachelor of Science

  B.S., Bachelor's

  Fully Online $499 per credit Score 59.4

• Cybersecurity Technology Master of Science

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $694 per credit Score 61.4

• Cybersecurity Management and Policy Master of Science

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $694 per credit Score 61.2

• Cyber Operations Master of Science

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $659 per credit Score 60.4

• Boise State University

  Master of Science in Cyber Operations and Resilience

  Idaho $550 per credit Score 59.1

• Franklin University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Ohio $690 per credit Score 59.8

• Johns Hopkins University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Maryland Score 59.9

• University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Wisconsin $722 per credit Score 58.9