Doctor of Philosophy in Digital and Cyber Forensic Science

Research doctoratePhDDedicated degreeOn campus

Overview

A full-time, on-campus 74-credit-hour Ph.D. with core coursework, electives, a 6-hour internship, comprehensive examinations and a dissertation, admitted as an annual cohort and expected to take four to five years.

Official program name: Doctor of Philosophy in Digital and Cyber Forensic Science
Awarded degree: Doctor of Philosophy · major: Digital and Cyber Forensic Science
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Degree level: Doctoral — research doctorate
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, TX
Specializations: Digital Forensics — core of the degree (“Digital and Cyber Forensic Science”)
Required credits: 74 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Duration: four to five years of full-time study (full-time)A minimum under the stated conditions, not a typical length.
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Start terms: Fall
Source: shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Why this program is listed

Research Ph.D. in digital and cyber forensic science with a required dissertation; full-time on campus.

Research doctorate in digital and cyber forensics; core courses in file system, network, mobile, operating system and memory forensics, with electives in cryptography, cyber warfare and intrusion and malware forensic analysis.

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: On campus
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Internship: Internship / practicum required
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Study intensity: Full-time
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Curriculum

Other

Annual cohort with a fixed program of study in the first two years
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

Candidacy after 46 credit hours of coursework and internship, a portfolio review and Comprehensive Examinations
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Dissertation

Dissertation of original scholarly research of publishable quality; at least 15 dissertation credit hours
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”.

Prior degree: RequiredBachelor's degree in computer science, digital forensics, or a closely related field
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Minimum GPA: RequiredMinimum 3.5 — GPA of 3.5 or higher
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Statement / essay: RequiredPersonal statement, not to exceed 1000 words
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Recommendation letters: Required3 letters — Three letters of recommendation, at least two from faculty
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Résumé / CV: RequiredCurrent resume or vita
Source: catalog.shsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Interview: OptionalA personal interview may be requested
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

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

Program-specific scholarships: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

The NCAE-C directory lists Sam Houston State University with a CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program; eligibility, service obligation and the programs it covers are set by the school and the federal program. Source: maps.caecommunity.org · verified October 11, 2026

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

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/majors-programs/digital-cyber-forensic-science-dr.php — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026

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Cybersecurity Degrees is independent and not affiliated with Sam Houston State University. Information is collected from official pages and directories and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the school.