Complete CMIT-135 and CMIT-140
Begin Your Digital Investigation Career
Take your first step into cybercrime investigation with Champlain College Online's (CCO) Undergraduate Certificate in Digital Forensics. This focused 18-credit program introduces you to the essential skills needed to collect, preserve, and analyze digital evidence while understanding the legal framework that governs this rapidly growing field. Whether you're interested in cybersecurity, law enforcement, or legal support roles, this certificate provides the foundational knowledge employers seek.
Develop Core Digital Forensics Capabilities
- Legal Foundation Knowledge: Understand criminal law and procedure as they apply to digital evidence, including legal requirements for search and seizure in electronic investigations.
- Evidence Collection Techniques: Learn proper procedures for acquiring and preserving digital evidence while maintaining its integrity and admissibility in legal proceedings.
- Operating System Analysis: Examine how different operating systems store and manage data, and how this affects forensic investigation and evidence recovery.
- Python Programming Skills: Develop basic scripting abilities to automate routine tasks and customize the digital forensic process.
- Digital Forensic Tools: Gain hands-on experience with industry-standard forensic software to recover, analyze, and document digital evidence.
- Ethical Investigation Practices: Explore the ethical considerations and professional responsibilities in digital forensic work, ensuring investigations meet legal and ethical standards.
Program Curriculum
Champlain's online digital forensics courses encompass the top skills needed by today's IT professionals.
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of substantive criminal law. With this foundation for understanding the legal system students will identify the essential elements of crimes, including the criminal act, criminal state of mind, and jurisdiction. They will examine the rationale underlying criminal law, factors affecting criminal responsibility, and legal defenses. By analyzing real-world scenarios, students will develop skills to distinguish lawful from unlawful actions and prepare for advanced studies or careers in criminal justice.
This course focuses on the rules and procedures governing how the American criminal justice system must process individuals suspected, accused, and convicted of law violations.
From day one, students in this course are problem solving, first in terms of algorithmic design and then as early as week two via programming in the latest version of Python, using PyCharm. Students begin by writing a program to have a conversation, having strings and numbers as input, and advance, by week seven, to building a working password saver program, capable of looking up, adding (and encrypting), and storing passwords.
This course, through guided research and hands-on learning experiences, provides students with an understanding of operating systems, including their core fundamental principles and how they work. Students are introduced to the three most popular operating systems for personal computers (Windows, OSX and Linux), and mobile operating systems, and learn about standard functions such as memory, process/thread, input/output, storage and device management.
This exciting course introduces students to the myriad software tools and best practices for handling digital evidence. Labs utilize Champlain College Online's Forensic VDI and challenge students to begin building their skills, from creating a hash value for a forensic copy with X-Ways Forensics and FTK Imager, to examining evidence with The Sleuth Kit (TSK), Autopsy and/or EnCase.
Prerequisites
Building on the skills students have previously acquired, this course offers students the opportunity to deep dive into a case using X-Ways Forensics to examine the registry, understand "typical" user activities on the Internet (social media and search histories, for example), and create a timeline/events. Students also gain more experience with RegRipper along with an introduction to analyzing a memory dump using Volatility.
Prerequisites
Complete CFDI-240
Additional Program Details
- Apply foundational knowledge of criminal law and procedure to identify the key elements of crimes, basic constitutional protections, and the role of law enforcement in evidence collection and prosecution.
- Describe fundamental digital forensic principles and their role in investigative procedures, including basic evidence handling, chain of custody, and ethical considerations in digital investigations.
- Apply basic programming logic and scripting techniques to automate simple data acquisition and forensic analysis tasks.
- Identify key functions of operating systems and their impact on digital forensics, including file storage, memory management, and user authentication processes across common platforms.
- Recognize digital forensic tools and techniques used in basic investigations and explain how forensic examiners collect and preserve digital evidence from storage devices and networks.
Champlain College Online's computer science faculty, led by Department Chair Richard Pickering, are expert practitioners in the field. Their industry expertise ensures that our curriculum is aligned with the needs of employers, and reflects the skills today’s IT systems professionals need for success. Classes led by our seasoned experts will give you real-world insight into the world of information technology, and create a rich community of career-focused learning.
Tuition & Costs
Online Undergraduate Tuition Fall '24 - Summer '26
$335
per credit
$290
per credit for Champlain alumni, associate degree graduates, veterans**, and family members of veterans and servicemembers
$250
per credit for military servicemembers
$150
One-time graduation fee
*Based on a 3-credit course; cost will vary if course is a different number of credits
** Veteran rate effective Spring 2025, not retroactive
See the undergraduate cost of attendance and fees here
Affordability and Paying For Your Education
We provide a number of options to make your online education affordable, including preferred tuition for alumni, associate degree graduates, community college graduates, and military.
Why Get an Undergraduate Certificate in Digital Forensics?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that information security analysts, which includes digital forensics specialists, will see job growth of 33% from 2022 to 2032*—much faster than the average for all occupations. This certificate serves as a standalone credential with immediate workforce value and is the first step toward more advanced degrees in digital forensics and cybersecurity at CCO.
*Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Information Security Analysts
Top Reasons to Pursue this Certificate:
- Enter a high-growth field
- Respond to increasing cybercrime
- Build versatile, in-demand Skills
- Create a foundation for career advancement
- Learn from a leader in cybersecurity education
Academic Excellence and Recognition
Regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education
Designated as a Military Friendly School for our commitment to the military community
Ranked among the best by Tech Guide for game design and computer science
Named the among the best schools with accelerated bachelor's degrees by Intelligent.com
Meet the Program Director
Richard Pickering, PhD
Department Chair - Cybersecurity and Assistant Professor
Oversees
- Computer Science
- Software Development
- Software Engineering & Project Management
- Web Design & Development
About
Dr. Richard Pickering is an Assistant Professor and the Program Director for Technology here at Champlain College Online. Richard has a Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning coupled with an MBA and numerous technology-related certifications.
Prior to Champlain, Dr. Pickering enjoyed a distinguished career blending pedagogical expertise with strategic leadership in program management and product development in the educational business sector.
Dr. Pickering also has held positions as Chief Executive Officer at Virtual High School Global Consortium, Chief Operating Officer at Victory Productions, various Program/Product Manager posts as well as Adjunct Professor appointments.
FAQs: Digital Forensics Certificate
Digital forensics is a field of law enforcement that examines different forms of technology for evidence of criminal activity. With this online digital forensics program, you can learn how to apply these skills with forensic tools for evidence collection and use in legal procedures.
If you have an interest in working with forensic tools to catch criminal behavior, you should look into this online digital forensics certificate program. Students who love working on computers, solving problems, and want to work with law enforcement are a great fit for this field of work. With the new and exciting innovations in technology, this is a perfect time to pursue careers in digital forensics.
The certificate in digital forensics program helps students develop core skills in analysis, cybersecurity, and law enforcement. By completing this program, you can have a foundation on which you can start building your career and education. Many students choose certificate programs as an efficient way to begin an entry-level role and start working toward advancement.
The Digital Forensics Certificate program at Champlain College Online can be completed in 8 months. With six courses (18 credits) required for completion, you can take the first big step toward a career in less than a year. Plus, you can apply your credits towards a degree program when you’re ready.
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