University of Central Florida · Department of Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Master of Science in Digital Forensics

Master'sMSDedicated degreeOn campusOnlineHybrid

Overview

A 30-credit MS run by the Department of Computer Science with Forensic Science (Chemistry), Criminal Justice, Legal Studies and the National Center for Forensic Science. Core courses cover computer forensics and digital forensics practice, with restricted electives in security, malware analysis and incident response; it is offered on campus and 100 percent online, and thesis students defend once on campus.

Official program name: Master of Science in Digital Forensics
Awarded degree: Master of Science · major: Digital Forensics
Source: ucf.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: ucf.edu · verified October 11, 2026
School: University of Central Florida — Department of Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Source: ucf.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Location: Orlando, FLFor 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: 30 credit hours minimum beyond the bachelor's degree
Source: cs.ucf.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Duration: Not verified
Start terms: Fall, Spring
Source: ucf.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Why this program is listed

Dedicated 30-credit MS in Digital Forensics with substantial security coursework, offered on campus and 100 percent online.

Digital forensics degree; required courses are Computer Forensics I and II, Topics in Forensic Science and The Practice of Digital Forensics, with restricted electives in computer security, malware analysis, OS/file system forensics, incident response and cyber operations.

Source: ucf.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 · Online · Hybrid
Source: grad.cecs.ucf.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Online delivery: Fully onlineAll coursework is online and the institution states no required campus attendance for the online option.
Source: ucf.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Campus visits (online option): Optional campus visits
Source: ucf.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Class schedule (online option): Not verified
Internship: Optional internship
Source: msdf.ucf.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Study intensity: Not verified

Attendance requirements as published

Dissertation defense Optional
Thesis-option students complete a one-time on-campus thesis defense
once · Orlando campus
Source: ucf.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Curriculum

Lab environment

Restricted electives include a Cyber Operations Lab course.
Source: ucf.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Thesis and non-thesis options

Thesis option (6 credit hours) or two additional restricted elective courses (6 credit hours).
Source: cs.ucf.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Certification exam preparation

Prepares students for certification exams including CompTIA A+, GIAC Security Essentials and CompTIA Network+.
Source: ucf.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Preparing for a certification exam is not the same as earning the certification. We list a certification as included only when the school says the exam or credential is part of the program. Degrees vs certifications

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 CS, computer engineering, IT or a closely related field; others must show basic CS/IT coursework, training or experience
Source: ucf.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Minimum GPA: RequiredMinimum 3 — Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (all undergraduate work or last 60 hours), or a related graduate/professional degree
Source: grad.cecs.ucf.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Statement / essay: RequiredStatement of educational, research and professional career objectives
Source: ucf.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Recommendation letters: Required3 letters — Three letters of recommendation (the CECS graduate admissions page lists one)
Source: ucf.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Résumé / CV: RequiredResume
Source: ucf.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
July 1 · for Fall
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: ucf.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Year not printed
Application deadline
December 1 · for Spring
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: ucf.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.

Category	Amount	Basis and year
In-state — In-state tuition	$369.65	per creditCalculated tuition$11,089.50 = 30 credits × $369.65 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, books, travel for any required visits or placements, transfer credit reductions and rate changes. Not the full cost of attendance.Source: ucf.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Out-of-state — Out-of-state tuition	$1,276.48	per creditCalculated tuition$38,294.40 = 30 credits × $1,276.48 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, books, travel for any required visits or placements, transfer credit reductions and rate changes. Not the full cost of attendance.Source: ucf.edu · verified October 11, 2026

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 University of Central Florida 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

Higher Learning Commission (HLC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026
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) · 2016 - 2027Validated program(s) of study: Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Information Technology (IT) together with the Secure Computing and Networks (SCAN) minor (POS-CD)Source: maps.caecommunity.org · verified October 11, 2026
CAE in Cyber Research (CAE-R) · 2017 - 2029Validated program(s) of study: Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Information Technology (IT) together with the Secure Computing and Networks (SCAN) minor (POS-CD)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 Florida.

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.

grad.cecs.ucf.edu/academic-programs/degree-and-certificate-programs/ — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
NCAE-C institution directory (National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity) — Source, verified October 11, 2026
msdf.ucf.edu/classes.php — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
DAPIP — HLC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
cs.ucf.edu/master-of-science-in-digital-forensics/ — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
ucf.edu/degree/digital-forensics-ms/ — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026

Something out of date? Request a correction · Represent this school? Claim the profile

Similar programs at other schools

Same degree level and focus. Listed for discovery, not ranked.

Carnegie Mellon University

M.S. in Information Security (MSIS)

Master'sMSDedicated degreeMaster of Science

Campus · Full-time, Part-time

Pittsburgh, PA

Campus-based study

Part-time: can be completed in just 2 years or up to 6 years (part-time option) · 123 credits

$30,755 per semester · All students — INI tuition, 2026-27 · 2026-2027

December 1, 2026 · Fall 2027

School designated CAE-CD, CAE-CO, CAE-RNSA CAE designation of the institution, not accreditation

Cyber Defense · Cyber Operations · Digital Forensics · Incident Response

View program

Champlain College

Master of Science in Digital Forensic Analytics

Master'sMSDedicated degreeMaster of Science

Online

Burlington, VTSchool location, not a residency requirement

Online attendance requirements not verified

1 year estimated time to completion with 2 courses per term (2 courses per term) · 33 credits

$608 per credit · All students — Online graduate tuition, Fall '26 - Summer '27 · 2026-2027

December 29, 2026 · Spring 2027 (term 1, Jan 11)

School designated CAE-CDNSA CAE designation of the institution, not accreditation

Digital Forensics

View program

Champlain College