Master of Science in Digital Forensics

Master'sMSDedicated degreeOnline

Overview

A 30-hour online M.S. in Digital Forensics covering forensic analysis, network security and evidence handling, supported by the Cyber Forensics Intelligence Center's Network Security and Data Recovery labs.

Official program name: Master of Science in Digital Forensics
Awarded degree: Master of Science · major: Digital Forensics
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Degree level: Master's
Cybersecurity focus: Dedicated cybersecurity degreeThe degree itself is in cybersecurity or a closely related security field (information security, information assurance, cyber operations, digital forensics…).
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
School: Sam Houston State University
Location: Huntsville, TXFor the online option this is where the school is located — not a residency requirement, and not a guarantee that you may enroll from your state.
Specializations: Digital Forensics — core of the degree
Required credits: thirty hour program
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Duration: Not verified
Start terms: Fall, Spring, Summer
Source: shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Why this program is listed

Dedicated online M.S. in Digital Forensics in the Department of Computer Science.

Digital forensics degree that prepares students to plan, establish and administer security and information assurance systems, using a Network Security Lab and a Data Recovery Lab.

Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

We list cybersecurity bachelor's, master's and research doctorates at institutionally accredited US schools — dedicated degrees and formal concentrations, never certificates or electives-only degrees. Eligibility rules

Format and attendance

Formats, online delivery, campus visits, internships and class schedule are shown separately, each only as the school states it.

Formats offered: Online
Source: shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Online delivery: Online delivery type not verified
Campus visits (online option): Campus visits: not verified
Class schedule (online option): Not verified
Internship: Internship requirement: not verified
Study intensity: Not verified

The program page does not say whether the online option requires campus visits. Ask the school before you apply — missing information is not “no requirement”.

Curriculum

Lab environment

Cyber Forensics Intelligence Center with a Network Security Lab and a Data Recovery Lab
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Research and doctoral requirements

Research areas, supervision, examinations and residency as the school publishes them.

Qualifying examinations

Non-thesis and professional option students take comprehensive exams in core subjects where they earned a B or lower.
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the school states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.

Technical preparation

Prerequisite courses: RequiredComputer networks, database management systems, Calculus I and statistics; otherwise graduate stem courses are added
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Recommendation letters: Required2 letters — Two letters of recommendation
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Résumé / CV: RequiredUp-to-date resume
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Tests

Entrance and English-language test policy: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the school printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Application deadline
August 1 · for Fall
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Year not printed
Application deadline
December 15 · for Spring
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Year not printed

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.

Tuition for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Scholarships and funding

Awards published by the school for this program or for its level. Loans must be repaid and are not scholarships; service scholarships require government service after graduation. Scholarships & funding guide

CyberAICorps: Scholarship for Service (SFS) Service scholarship
Full tuition (up to 2-3 years, depending on degree program); stipends of $27,000 per year (undergraduate) and $37,000 per year (graduate); $6,000 professional allowance per academic year
Eligibility: Citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States; undergraduate or M.S. students in a formal program focused on cybersecurity; must live locally to attend meetings
Obligation: Work after graduation for the Federal Government or, subject to NSF approval, a State, Local, Tribal, or Territorial Government or an FFRDC, in an AI and/or cybersecurity position for a period equal to the length of the scholarship
How to apply: Phase I application (due March 15), Phase II application with statement of interest, references and resume, interviews for top candidates
Deadline: Phase I Application is due on March 15.
Source: shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

School-wide awards are listed because they apply at this degree level; eligibility conditions apply.

Accreditation, ABET and CAE

Three different things: the school's institutional accreditation, ABET accreditation of this exact program, and the school's NSA CAE designation.

Institutional accreditation

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026

ABET program accreditation

This program does not appear in ABET's accredited-program database. ABET accreditation is program-specific and optional; the school's other programs or its institutional accreditation do not imply it.

NSA CAE designation (school)

CAE in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) · 2020 - 2025Published period has endedValidated program(s) of study: Bachelor of Science, Major in Computing Science (Information Assurance, IA)Source: maps.caecommunity.org · verified October 11, 2026

A CAE designation belongs to the institution and its validated program of study; it is not accreditation and does not certify every degree. Accreditation & CAE explained

State authorization (online students)

Not verified — check the school's state authorization page before applying from outside Texas.

International applicants

Not verified for the online option.

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages and directories below. Last verified October 11, 2026.

catalog.shsu.edu/graduate-and-professional/college-departments/science-and-engineering-technology/co — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 11, 2026
NCAE-C institution directory (National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity) — Source, verified October 11, 2026
DAPIP — SACSCOC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
shsu.edu/academics/colleges/science-engineering-technology/computer-science/student-resources/schola — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
shsu.edu/academics/majors-programs/digital-forensics-ms.php — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026

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Online attendance requirements not verified

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