Digital Forensics Major

Release your digital investigation skills. Adopt the investigator's mindset, solve mysteries, and master artifact discovery with Digital Forensics at Champlain College.

Two digital forensics students in a room of other students working on projects

Nationally Recognized

Champlain College is designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense and Digital Forensics.

Learn More

Program Type: Major (BS)

School/Division: Division of Information Technology & Sciences

Recommended Experiences: 365体育官网; On-Campus Employment Opportunities; Study Abroad

Let us help you find...: Admissions; Current Students College Catalog; Related Majors

Become the Digital Detective Companies Need Now

Cybercrime costs businesses over $6 trillion annually—and they’re desperately seeking skilled professionals who can find and stop these threats.

At Champlain, you’ll work on actual cases for government agencies and businesses from day one, using the same tools professionals use—graduating with the experience employers are willing to pay top dollar for.

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

365体育官网 up for more information!

a cybersecurity student checks a mobile app and the computer code

Different by Design

REAL CASES, REAL RESULTS

Work on actual investigations in our state-of-the-art forensics lab with clients including the Department of Justice, Department of Defense, and Secret Service. Build your resume with experience that matters to employers.

NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PROGRAM

Our Digital Forensics program is officially designated as a Center of Digital Forensics Academic Excellence (CDFAE)? by the U.S. Department of Defense and a Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency—credentials that set our graduates apart.

90% EMPLOYMENT SUCCESS

Our Digital Forensics graduates from our Class of 2023 found career-relevant employment within six months of graduation, with an average starting salary of $73,056. That’s the Champlain difference.

Facts & Stats

90%

of Digital Forensics majors in the Class of 2023 were employed in career-relevant positions within six months after graduation.

$73,056

Average starting salary for Champlain College Digital Forensics graduates in the Class of 2023 within 6 months of graduation.

Sample Courses in the Digital Forensics Major

Check out some of the hands-on courses in the program. Our Different by Design curriculum means you’ll be in classes in your major right away.

FOR 100 Introduction to Cybercrime & Digital Forensics

FOR 230 Operating System Forensics I

FOR 370 File System Forensics

FOR 440 Network Forensics and Threat Hunting

See the Learning Outcomes for the Digital Forensics major.

View Full Curriculum

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

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

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

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

Nick Spanos

Class of 2022

School/Division	Division of Information Technology & Sciences
Class	2022
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Home State	Florida

365体育官网

Leahy Center, Technical Intern of 365体育官网 Safety & Cybersecurity

Favorite Class

Operating System Forensics

Why Champlain for studying Digital Forensics?

With the Leahy Center and Champlain being federally recognized for their excellence in digital forensics, it became very clear that Champlain was the school for me. Other colleges don’t boast the same hire rate straight out of college. If you told me in high school that I would be accepted for a job with the federal government by my sophomore year, I wouldn’t have believed you. But in 2020, I signed a two-year contract with the Department of Defense for doing cybersecurity.

What projects have you worked on in classes that you’ve found particularly rewarding or useful?

My public speaking class helped me not only become a better speaker, but also a better presenter. I never knew how to properly end a presentation besides with “So yeah, thank you.” I didn’t have good openings either. The class has helped strengthen my stage presence and my writing ability, which has carried over into my presentations for other classes.

Describe your internship experience.

I was a Technical Intern of 365体育官网 Safety & Cybersecurity at the Leahy Center. This involved researching cyber threats targeting local businesses around Vermont, and creating materials for these businesses with information about different attacks and how to defend against them. I landed this internship my first semester of my first year, so I was building skills in the classroom as I went through the internship. The classes helped with the internship and vice-versa, as my internship introduced me to new concepts that we covered deeper in class.

National Recognition

DC3 Designation

Champlain College has been recognized as a National Center of Digital Forensics Academic Excellence (CDFAE) by the U.S. Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3). As one of the first institutions to receive this distinction, Champlain meets or exceeds the standards set by the DC3 and produces highly sought-after graduates in digital forensics and cybersecurity.
NSA Designation

Champlain College is a National Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Defense Education as designated by the National Security Agency (NSA). With the Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) designation, Champlain College’s cybersecurity courses, curriculum, and practices meet the criteria established by the NSA and federal partners such as the FBI and the Department of Defense.

Digital Forensics

Latest News from The View

Senator Leahy, NuHarbor Security and Champlain College leadership cut the ribbon at a facility's grand opening.

News

New Champlain-NuHarbor Cybersecurity Hub Brings Students and Industry Together

A high-angle view of church street in 365体育官网 with people walking down the cobblestone

News

Champlain and nuwave Equity Corporation Launch Vermont Culture Innovators Project

exterior of Freeman Hall building, dark green with stone foundation

News

Full STEAM Ahead: The Freeman-Joyce Renovation

Pre-College Summer Program: Cybersecurity & Digital Forensics Academy

The Cybersecurity & Digital Forensics Academy offers students an in-depth learning experience in the field of cybersecurity and digital forensics. Students work together to solve real digital forensics problems faced by law enforcement agencies all over America and gain hands-on learning experience from veterans of the cybersecurity industry in this pre-college summer program.

This program is designed for students entering grades 10–12 and recent high school graduates.
Learn More on the Pre-College Summer Program Website

More Inside Digital Forensics Major

Overview

Release your digital investigation skills. Adopt the investigator's mindset, solve mysteries, and master artifact discovery with Digital Forensics at Champlain College.
Curriculum

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

Learn from expert digital forensics instructors who have real-world experience as authors of books, software, and national and international best practices.
Learning Outcomes

A degree in Computer & Digital Forensics provides valuable learning outcomes for aspiring professionals.

Become Champlain Ready

Take the Next Step

Visit Us Request Info

Digital Forensics Major

Nationally Recognized