What is Digital Forensics?

Digital Forensics is like being a digital detective. You'll learn to find hidden evidence on computers, phones, and networks that others can't see. This fast-growing field has more jobs than qualified people to fill them, with positions in law enforcement, government agencies, corporations, and security firms. Our program gives you the exact skills these employers need, from collecting digital evidence to testifying in court cases.

Why study Digital Forensics at Champlain?

At Champlain, you'll start working with real digital forensics tools in your first semester—not just reading about them in textbooks. While students at other colleges wait years to touch actual forensic equipment, you'll already be: Working on real cases for the Department of Justice, Department of Defense, and Secret Service Learning in a lab recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense Building a resume that makes employers take notice Connecting with government agencies that hire our students before they even graduate Our 100% job placement rate and $73,056 average starting salary for recent graduates prove our approach works.

What will I learn while studying Digital Forensics?

By the time you graduate, you will: Find hidden evidence – Recover deleted files, track digital footprints, and uncover the truth Conduct professional investigations – Follow proper procedures that ensure evidence holds up in court Secure digital systems – Identify security gaps before hackers can exploit them Analyze complex data – Turn technical findings into clear reports that non-experts can understand Use professional tools – Master the same software and equipment used by law enforcement and security firms

Curriculum for Digital Forensics Degree

Get hands-on learning from the first semester, covering digital forensics, cybersecurity, and mobile device analysis. Study abroad options available.

In our nationally recognized program, you’ll start learning computer and digital forensics right away. You’ll work on projects and labs, like our Leahy Center for Digital Forensics & Cybersecurity, to gain real-world skills. You’ll specialize in forensics, cybersecurity, and the analysis of digital devices. Our core courses will broaden your knowledge, and you can even study abroad without falling behind in your major.

Learning Outcomes for Computer & Digital Forensics

This curriculum is an example of possible courses in this major. Always check the college catalog for the exact requirements.

Formative Knowledge

FRM 114 Knowledge Making Through Science

There is a difference between what science is, its history and meaning, and what science does through experimental and applied practices. This interdisciplinary course invites students to examine how scientific knowledge is defined, constructed, and communicated. Students will critically analyze different examples of science in society to understand how science shapes and is shaped by culture, power, and people. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to evaluate the ways in which science reflects and transforms the world around us.

Prerequisites
Credits	3

FRM 124 Global Contexts of Technological Change

How does technological change impact people across the globe? What gets lost-or found-in translation? Through interdisciplinary analysis, this course examines technological change as a global phenomenon. We will examine how innovations from one perspective can be exploitative from another, investigating how technologies evolve and affect each other across different times and places. The course emphasizes ethical inquiry and considers how the economic, political, and cultural forces driving technological change affect people's lives differently depending on context, identity, and access. Students will leave with a deeper understanding of how science and technology shape and are shaped by the world.

Prerequisites
Credits	3

FRM 134 Engaging W/ Complexity: Systems Thinking

This course equips students with interdisciplinary tools and methods to analyze and respond to complex, real-world problems. Drawing on diverse frameworks and theories, students will explore how their own identities and experiences shape their understanding of contemporary issues. Emphasis is placed on synthesizing knowledge across fields to develop innovative, contextually relevant solutions. Students will communicate their insights effectively through a range of expressive modes tailored to varied audiences and purposes.

Prerequisites	Complete FRM-124
Credits	3

Foundations for Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics

FOR 100 Introduction to Cybercrime & Digital Forensics

Students in this course will be presented concepts from white collar and cyber crime arena. The topics may include identify theft, fraud, cyber terrorism, hacking, cyber bullying, child pornography and sexual exploitation, testimony, civil and criminal litigation. Students will learn best practices with hands-on experience in identifying and preserving digital evidence.

Prerequisites
Credits	3

FOR 210 Operating Systems Fundamentals

In this course, students will learn basic computer organization and operating system functions. The course will cover Processes, Threads, CPU Scheduling, Process Synchronization, Memory Management, Virtual Memory, and Disk Management. Finally, the students will be introduced to System Security, Networking and Virtualization.

Prerequisites	FOR-120 with C or better
Credits	3

NET 150 Network Fundamentals

Students will be introduced to networking technology and the integral part it plays in business and society. Organizations expect the communication in information systems will be reliable, effective, and secure. Topics include networking frameworks, basic network protocols and topologies, communication methods, information security, security vulnerabilities, and network troubleshooting. Students will gain factual, conceptual, and applied knowledge regarding network communications, security, technology evolution, infrastructure components, and design issues.

Prerequisites
Credits	3

Intermediate Digital Investigations

FOR 120 Introduction to Digital Forensic Analysis

This course will examine digital forensics as it relates to both civil and criminal investigations. The course content includes best practices in examining and reporting on digital evidence. Students will be exposed to current technologies and methods as well as leading edge techniques with practical based projects. Students will utilize various popular commercial and free/open-source tools to test and cross-validate results.

Prerequisites	Complete SEC-110 with a minimum grade of C.
Credits	3

FOR 230 Operating System Forensics I

This course explores more advanced topics and methodologies for examining digital evidence. Topics taught in this class include File System Forensics, Computer Operating System Forensics and Mobile Device Forensics. Students are challenged to work individually and in groups to examine and prepare detailed reports showing the relevance of digital evidence to mock cases. This course presents a higher level of technical detail and will balance theory and hands-on aspects for conducting digital forensic examinations.

Prerequisites	Complete FOR-120 with a grade of C or better
Credits	3

FOR 240 Mobile Device Forensics

Students in this course will/earn how to properly identify, preserve, analyze, examine data and report on mobile device data. Students will also be taught how to effectivefy conduct investigations involving mobile devices. Content will include analog and digital telephone networks and technologies surrounding cellular technology. Concepts of off the chip extraction and analysis will be discussed. Content will include analog and digital telephone networks and technologies surrounding cellular technology.

Prerequisites	FOR-120 with C or better.
Credits	3

Cyber Defense and Forensic Investigations

SEC 250 Computer & Network Security

This course provides an introduction to computer and data network security. Students will examine the rationale and necessity for securing computer systems and data networks, as well as methodologies for implementing security, security policies, best current practices, testing security, and incident response.

Prerequisites	Complete SEC-110 or FOR-100 with grade of C or better
Credits	3

FOR 330 Operating System Forensics II

This course dives into more advanced topics related to operating system forensics such as encryption, sandboxes, telemetry data, different system processes, and cloud applications. The course will also cover many user and system artifacts on various operating systems, such as but not limited to Linux and Mac. Students will conduct complex examinations by correlating between artifacts found on different operating systems in order to reconstruct a timeline of events that happened.

Prerequisites	FOR-230 with C or better
Credits	3

FOR 350 Malware Analysis & Incident Response

Students will learn various techniques to study malware working with real commodity malware as well as specially crafted advanced malware. We study various techniques of malware propagation, methods of detection-evasion and how to respond to a malware outbreak. Students will learn how to acquire system memory and forensically analyze memory dumps. Finally, students will learn about best practices and techniques for responding to security incidents.

Prerequisites	(FOR-230 with C or better) OR (Complete (NET-225, SEC-250 and NET-255) with a grade of C)
Credits	3

Enterprise Digital Forensics and Threat Hunting

FOR 370 File System Forensics

File systems are the underlining structures of hardware systems and are used as a method of storing and organizing computer files and their data. Students will gain a practical knowledge of the elements of digital forensics as it relates to parsing and understanding file system structure and use.

Prerequisites	FOR 230 with C or better & any intro level programming class (CSI 1xx)
Credits	3

FOR 440 Network Forensics and Threat Hunting

An organization's network is always at risk of being compromised. Students will learn how to find threats and eliminate them by mastering the practical and theoretical aspects of traffic analysis and network forensics as it applies to enterprise investigations. Students will collect and analyze of evidence from different network sources such as firewalls, routers, DNS & DHCP services, Host/Network IDS, and logs. Starting with basic network packet capture analysis, detection of abnormal activity, and covert communication channels to lateral movement, students will apply Threat Hunting to follow the footprints of a threat actor.

Prerequisites	Complete FOR-350 or SEC-350 with a C or better.
Credits	3

FOR 480 Digital Forensic Practicum

The digital forensic practicum provides students the opportunity to apply their academic learning, practical experience and acquired skills in an environment closely resembling a real world setting, working on cases that represent a comprehensive understanding of digital forensics.

Prerequisites	Complete FOR-230 with a grade of C or better.
Credits	3

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