Cyber Forensics and Security, M.S.

Program Description

The Master's Degree in Cyber Forensics and Security (M.S. CFS) provides students with advanced education and skills in digital forensics and cybersecurity. This advanced, practitioner-focused program is intended to prepare students for the fast-moving and ever-­changing environment they will work in. Students will learn advanced skills and techniques to solve investigative and cybersecurity problems using science and technology. The program will prepare students to face sophisticated cybersecurity and investigative challenges and take a leadership role within their organization. 

Admission Requirements

Deadlines: Applications to the program are due by August 1 for the fall semester and by December 1 for the spring semester. However, students are strongly encouraged to apply early. Applications submitted after the due dates may be considered, but no later than three weeks from the start of classes for both fall semester and spring semesters. Application for admission does not guarantee acceptance into the program.

Applicants should follow the admissions process described in the Graduate Catalog,
or at the Graduate Admissions website at www.marshall.edu/graduate/admissions/how-to-apply-for-admission. (Submit all materials to the Graduate Admissions Office.)

Prospective students will apply for the program at various stages of their careers. Some students will come straight into the program after completing their undergraduate degrees, while other students will be seeking to further their education after several years in the field. As such, there will be two paths into the program. Option A is for those students having recently graduated with an appropriate 4-year degree. Option B is for those applicants having significant work experience in the field. The details for each option are outlined below. 

Option A 

Option A is intended for applicants that are recent graduates and have less than three years work experience in cyber forensics and security. 

  1. Baccalaureate Degree - Students admitted to the program must have an appropriate baccalaureate degree from an accepted, accredited U.S. institution, or U.S. equivalent.
  2. Grade Point Average - Students admitted must have an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.8 on a 4.0 scale.
  3. GRE Score - Applicants must take the GRE. The GRE will be evaluated in combination with the undergraduate GPA.
    Waivers: Applicants may qualify for a waiver of the GRE requirement if the student:

1. possesses an overall GPA of 3.30 or higher as evidenced by his/her official, final degree transcript from the applicant's baccalaureate degree-awarding institution, or

2. by completion of a master's degree in a related field. Applicants who have completed a previous master's degree must submit an official, final transcript from the applicant's master's degree-­awarding institution as evidence of qualifying for the waiver.

Option B

Option B is intended for applicants that have been out of school for more than three years and have three or more years of documented work experience in n cyber forensics, cybersecurity, or incident response. 

  1. Baccalaureate Degree - Students admitted to the program must have a baccalaureate degree from an accepted, accredited U.S. institution, or U.S. equivalent.
  2. Grade Point Average - Students admitted must have an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
  3. Personal Statement - In the personal statement, the applicant will describe their background and goals as they relate to the study cyber forensics and security. Successful applicants will articulate how their background and work experience has prepared them for success in the program as well as how their goals align with the program's learning objectives. Note that in a master's program, writing skills are more important than ever. We, therefore, urge all applicants to spend a lot of time composing a thoughtful and detailed Personal Statement of about 500 words. 
  4. Letters of Recommendation - Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation. The letters should attest to the applicant's knowledge, skills, character, and work ethic.
  5. Current CV/Resume - An updated resume or curriculum vitae (CV) that includes a detailed work history, education, training, certifications, awards, publications, professional memberships, etc.
  6. Professional Portfolio -The portfolio must include examples of the applicant's work product and is intended to demonstrate their capacity to successfully complete graduate-level work in digital forensics and cybersecurity. The portfolio could include things such as:
    • Samples of professional writing (redacted reports, grants, SOPs, etc.) 
    ​• Code/Script Examples (GitHub repositories, etc.)
    • Professional Publications (journals, books, articles, etc.)
    • Presentations (slide decks, conference proceedings, etc.)
    • Current/Prior Research

Provisional and Conditional Admission and Enrollment 

Students may be considered for provisional admission or conditional enrollment. Please see www.marshall.edu/graduate/admissions/types-of-admission. All prospective students are strongly encouraged to contact the Cyber Forensics and Security Graduate Director before applying to the Master of Science Cyber Forensics and Security program to discuss the application process and requirements. 

Assistantships And Financial Support 

The Cyber Forensics and Security program has funds available in the form of assistantships to provide financial support for graduate students. For complete information on graduate assistantships, please see www.marshall.edu/graduate/graduate-assistantships-2/graduate-assistantship­-overview. For complete information on other financial support opportunities, please see www.marshall.edu/graduate and click on "Costs and Aid." Additionally, there are paid part-time research and internship opportunities within various federal, state, and private contracts within the program that can help alleviate the costs associated with this degree. All prospective students are strongly encouraged to contact the Cyber Forensics and Security Graduate Director before applying to the Master of Science in Cyber Forensics and Security program to discuss these potential opportunities. 

Program Requirements

The M.S. CFS requires 33 total hours of graduate-level coursework. Core courses comprise 27 of the 33-hour total. In addition, students are required to complete six hours of DFIA/CFS  technical electives.

Required Core
CYBR 530Cybersec Policies & Mgmt3
CYBR 542Cyber Operations3
CFS 630Cyber Threat Intelligence3
CFS 640Advanced Cyber Forensics3
CFS 650Adv Cyber Defense3
CFS 660Red Team3
CFS 665Cyber Sec IoT and ICS3
CFS 670Practicum3
or CFS 675 Thesis
CFS 690Capstone3
Technical Electives6
Students must complete 6 credit hours from the following:
OSINT Practicum I
Intro to Digital Forensics
Incident Response
Mobile and Web Pen Testing
Multimedia Forensics
Adv Network Defense
Applied Cyber Warfare
Network Forensics
Network and Cyber Crime
Mobile Device Forensics
Students may also choose electives from the following courses offered by the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences:
Computer Security Design
Cybersec Policies & Mgmt
Cyber Operations
Cyber Vulnerability Assess
Total Credit Hours33

Plan of Study

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredit Hours
CYBR 530 Cybersec Policies & Mgmt 3
DFIA/CFS Technical Elective 3
 Credit Hours6
Spring
CFS 640 Adv Cyber Forensics 3
CYBR 542 Cyber Operations 3
CFS 665 Cyber Sec IoT and ICS 3
 Credit Hours9
Summer
Summer I
DFIA/CFS Technical Elective 3
Summer II
CFS 670
Practicum
or Thesis
3
 Credit Hours6
Second Year
Fall
CFS 650 Adv Cyber Defense 3
CFS 630 Cyber Threat Intelligence 3
 Credit Hours6
Spring
CFS 690 Capstone 3
CFS 660 Red Team 3
 Credit Hours6
 Total Credit Hours33