Digital Forensics MSc/MSc by Research/PgCert/PgDip
Course descriptionCourse Description:
Delivered by the Cranfield Forensic Institute this course focuses on providing the knowledge and skills required to conduct comprehensive forensic examinations of digital devices. Guest lectures are delivered by Digital Forensic practitioners throughout the course, with guest lecturers coming from both law enforcement and private companies.
Start Months:
September
Full Time/ Part Time:
Full-time/ Part-time
School:
CDS
Theme:
Defence and Security
Fees:
Home EU Student Fees
MSc Full-time - £9,000
MSc Part-time - £9,000 *
PgDip Full-time - £7,200
PgDip Part-time - £7,200 *
PgCert Full-time - £3,600
PgCert Part-time - £3,600 *
Overseas Fees
MSc Full-time - £17,500
MSc Part-time - £17,500 *
PgDip Full-time - £14,000
PgDip Part-time - £14,000 *
PgCert Full-time - £7,000
PgCert Part-time - £7,000 *
*Students will be offered the option of paying the full fee up front, or to pay in four equal instalments at six month intervals (i.e. the full fee to be paid over the first two years of their registration).
Entry Requirements:
Normally a first or second class Honours degree or equivalent in science, engineering or mathematics. Alternatively, a lesser qualification together with appropriate work experience may be acceptable.
The full-time course is ideally suited to recent graduates in a related subject such as Computer Science who wish to specialise in Forensic Computing. It is also suitable for those who have recently completed a BSc in Computer Forensics, Digital Forensics, Cybercrime Forensics or a related subject, who would wish to deepen their knowledge, improve their skills and increase their employability, in what is a very competitive market.
The part-time course is more suited to those already in full-time employment, such as law enforcement officers, government staff, security consultants, accountancy and banking organisations, corporate security personnel and members of associated agencies in both the UK and overseas. This programme could lead to a new career or promotion with an existing employer. Guidance may be sought by those who do not have the formal qualifications necessary to enrol immediately onto the programme, as to the best study route to take. Please contact us.
English Language
Students whose first language is not English must attain an IELTS score of 7
English Language:
If you are an international student you will need to provide evidence that you have achieved a satisfactory test result in an English qualification. The minimum standard expected from a number of accepted courses are as follows:
IELTS Overall score – 7.0
TOEFL - (Internet-based Test) (Total score = 100)
Pearson PTE Academic – Overall score - 68
Cambridge English Scale - 190
Cambridge English: Advanced – Grade A or B
Cambridge English: Proficiency – Grade A or B
In addition to these minimum scores you are also expected to achieve a balanced score across all elements of the test. We reserve the right to reject any test score if any one element of the test score is too low.
We can only accept tests taken within two years of your registration date (with the exception of Cambridge English tests which have no expiry date).
Students requiring a Tier 4 (General) visa must ensure they can meet the English language requirements set out by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and we recommend booking a IELTS for UKVI test.
Duration:
Full-time MSc - one year, Part-time MSc - up to three years, Full-time PgCert - one year, Part-time PgCert - two years, Full-time PgDip - one year, Part-time PgDip - two years
(For MOD status students the duration may vary, subject to annual review.)
Course Format:
Taught
MSc/MSc by Research/PgCert/PgDip
Overview:
Delivered by the Forensic Institute this course focuses on providing the knowledge and skills required to conduct comprehensive forensic examinations of digital devices. Lectures are delivered by Digital Forensic practitioners and acdemics throughout the course, with guest lecturers coming from both law enforcement and private companies.
Who is it for?
This course is highly practical and technical in both delivery and assessment. It is designed to enable participants to conduct comprehensive forensic computing examinations and cutting-edge digital forensic research.
The full-time course is ideally suited to recent graduates in a related subject such as Computer Science or Forensic Science who wish to specialise in Digital Forensics. It is also suitable for those who have recently completed a BSc in Computer Forensics, Digital Forensics, Cybercrime Forensics or a related subject, who wish to deepen their knowledge, improve their skills and increase their employability in a very competitive market.
The part-time course is more suited to those already in full-time employment, such as law enforcement officers, government staff, security consultants, accountancy and banking organisations, corporate security personnel and members of associated agencies in both the UK and overseas. This programme could lead to a new career or promotion with an existing employer.
Why this course?
This MSc is specifically designed to provide you with the practical skills, knowledge base and research skills to work as a digital forensics practitioner.
This course is highly practical and technical in both delivery and assessment. It is designed to enable participants to conduct comprehensive forensic computing examinations and cutting-edge digital forensic research.
Your teaching team:
You will be taught by staff from the University and external lecturers, many of whom are world leaders in their field and who understand the problems of translating theory into practice.
Lecturer
Dr Sarah Morris
Guest lectures are delivered by digital forensic practitioners throughout the course, with guest lecturers coming from both law enforcement and private companies.
Course details:
Students will complete a number of taught modules each with theoretical and practical elements and, for the MSc, an individual research project.
Individual project:
The individual project will involve academic research in a specific area of digital forensics. The student will produce a substantial dissertation detailing their investigation and findings. Students are pushed to produce high quality, novel research during this period, and research outcomes are often at the cutting edge of the subject.
Assessment:
The assessments on this course are a mixture of written and practical exams, oral presentations, coursework assignments and (MSc only) a thesis.
Core modules:
Investigation and Evidence Collection
Reasoning for Forensic Science
Forensic Computing Foundations
Internet Forensics
Courtroom Skills
Elective
Digital Crime and Investigation
Network Forensics
Advanced Forensic Computing
Programming for Digital Forensics
Digital Forensics Using Open Source Tools
Mac OS X Forensics
Fakes and Forgeries
Trace Evidence
Forensic Exploitation and Intelligence
Funding Opportunities:
Departmental bursary
Most fees paid personally by the student or their families are eligible for a departmental bursary. This is often in the order of £1,500 for UK/EU students or £3,500 for overseas students. Details will be sent in the offer letter.
Security clearance for Shrivenham:
Some Cranfield University courses are delivered at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Shrivenham which is a Ministry of Defence (MOD) site. All applicants to courses that are wholly or partially delivered at Shrivenham must complete the BPSS (HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard V4 April 2014) prior to registration on the course or must already hold a security clearance to this level or higher.
Your application and BPSS clearance application will be shared during the application process with the MOD who have ultimate discretion over whether to admit applicants to the Shrivenham site. This information will be returned by the MOD to Cranfield University after checks are completed and no copies will be retained by the MOD.
BPSS checks may involve confirmation of the following:
Identity (e.g. Photo ID)
Nationality and Immigration Status
Employment/Academic History (covering the past 3 years)
Criminal record (unspent convictions only)
Additionally, applicants are required to give a reasonable account of any significant periods (6 months or more in the past 3 years) of time spent abroad.
This may be revised from time to time dependent on national security requirements. For more details, please consult the BPSS Guidance.
It will take additional time to process your BPSS clearance application once you have completed your course application.
Inability to access the Shrivenham site as a result of failure to meet security clearance requirements will result in a withdrawal of offer, or, if already registered, a termination of registration.
Your career:
Our MSc course and its individual modules, or equivalent, are regularly cited in job adverts for digital forensics jobs. This highlights our real-world learning, application to the work place and our relevance to practitioners.