MS in Digital Forensics (and PhD in Digital and Cyber Forensic Science)
A 30-credit online master's, and one of the very few institutions anywhere offering a doctorate specifically in digital and cyber forensic science.
Type: Degree & academicStudentsWorking practitioners
Offered by Sam Houston State University
The facts
- Cost
- Not stated on the programme page we read, so we quote no figure. Confirm current graduate tuition with SHSU, and note that the online rate and the residency rules are what determine the real cost.Figure read 2026-09-12 from www.shsu.edu/academics/majors-programs/digital-forensics-ms
- Prerequisites
- Not stated on the page we read. Application deadlines are 1 August for autumn, 15 December for spring and 15 May for summer.
- Format
- Online. 30 credit hours.
- Length
- 30 credit hours.
- Renewal
- No renewal or recertification requirement is published for this entry.
- Accreditation
- A public university with institutional accreditation. The Digital Forensics MS does NOT appear on FEPAC's accredited-programs list — SHSU's FEPAC-accredited programmes are its traditional forensic science degrees, not this one. Do not conflate the two.
- Who it suits
- Someone who wants a research degree in digital forensics, or an online public-university master's and is willing to price it directly with the university.
- Audience
- Students · Working practitioners
Strengths
- The PhD in Digital and Cyber Forensic Science is close to unique — if research or an academic career is the goal, the options are very few.
- A fully online 30-credit master's from a public institution.
- Clear, published application deadlines across three intakes a year.
Limitations
- Tuition and admission prerequisites are not on the programme page, so this entry cannot be priced or planned from it.
- Widely miscategorised as FEPAC-accredited because SHSU's traditional forensic science programmes are. This degree is not on the FEPAC list, and repeating that claim would be wrong.
- A PhD is a multi-year research commitment that is the wrong instrument for almost everyone reading this directory.
- No federal cybersecurity designation stated on the page.
Sources
Costs, prerequisites and exam formats in this field change often, and several providers price by region, cohort or employer agreement. Every figure on this page carries the date it was read and a link to the page it was read from. Confirm current terms with the provider before you spend anything.