Digital Forensics Graduate Certificate

At a Glance

Completion Time

Months

Credits Required

Tuition

$14,478–$16,230

Part-Time*

*Based on 2025–2026 Boston University tuition and fees.

Certificate Details

The online Graduate Certificate in Digital Forensics at Boston University’s Metropolitan College (MET) is designed to develop proficiency in digital crime scene investigation.

Build Expertise in Evidence Recovery, Investigation, and Digital Security

The fundamental role of digital systems in business—from computers and networks to all manner of smart devices—brings serious security challenges. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), more than $10 billion in losses have been reported since 2015, much of that as a result of hackers, criminals, and other “bad actors” attacking organizations through schemes such as business email compromise (BEC), ransomware, phishing, extortion, and personal data breaches (to name just a few).

To mitigate such risks to valuable information, it is important for IT specialists to obtain a comprehensive overview of digital forensics. The specialized BU MET online certificate program in Digital Forensics provides you with a comprehensive knowledge of digital crime scene investigation and introduces topics such as forensic analysis policy and procedures, forensic analysis tools, data recovery, and investigation, among others.

The Online Digital Forensics Graduate Certificate is also available on campus in Boston. Learn more.

Curriculum

Boston University’s Graduate Certificate in Digital Forensics consists of four required online courses (16 units).

Academic units earned toward the online Graduate Certificate in Digital Forensics may be transferred to the Master of Science degree in Computer Information Systems.

Required Courses

MET CS 625 Business Data Communication and Networks

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: On Campus Prerequisites: MET CS 200 Fundamentals of Information Techno logy. Or instructor^s consent. ; Undergraduate Corequisites: Restrictions: MS CIS only. This course may not be taken in conjunction with CS 425 (undergraduate) or CS 535. Only CS 535 or CS 625 can be c ounted towards degree requirements. - This course presents the foundations of data communications and takes a bottom-up approach to computer networks. The course concludes with an overview of basic network security and management concepts. Prereq: MET CS 200, or instructor's consent. This course may not be taken in conjunction with MET CS 425 (undergraduate) or MET CS 535. Only one of these courses can be counted towards degree requirements.

Section A1, FALL 2025 Sep 2nd to Dec 10th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Arena	Independent	T	12:30:00 PM–03:15:00 PM	CGS 515

Section A2, FALL 2025 Sep 2nd to Dec 10th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Arena	Independent	T	06:00:00 PM–08:45:00 PM	SHA 206

Section O1, FALL 2025 Sep 2nd to Oct 20th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Rizinski	Independent	ARR	12:00:00 AM–12:00:00 AM

Section O2, FALL 2025 Oct 28th to Dec 15th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Rizinski	Independent	ARR	12:00:00 AM–12:00:00 AM

MET CS 693 Digital Forensics and Investigations

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Provides a comprehensive understanding of digital forensics and investigation tools and techniques. Learn what computer forensics and investigation is as a profession and gain an understanding of the overall investigative process. Operating system architectures and disk structures are discussed. Studies how to set up an investigator's office and laboratory, as well as what computer forensic hardware and software tools are available. Other topics covered include importance of digital evidence controls and how to process crime and incident scenes, details of data acquisition, computer forensic analysis, e-mail investigations, image file recovery, investigative report writing, and expert witness requirements. Provides a range of laboratory and hands-on assignments either in solo or in teams. With rapid growth of computer systems and digital data this area has grown in importance. Prereq: Working knowledge of windows computers, including installing and removing software. Access to a PC meeting the minimum system requirements defined in the course syllabus.

Section E1, FALL 2025 Sep 2nd to Dec 10th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Arena	Independent	S	09:00:00 AM–12:00:00 PM	MET 101

Section O1, FALL 2025 Sep 2nd to Oct 20th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Navarro	Independent	ARR	12:00:00 AM–12:00:00 AM

Plus one of the following:

Elective Courses

MET CS 690 Network and Cloud Security

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METCS535 OR METCS625) or instructor's consent. - This course will cover advanced network security issues and solutions. The main focus on the first part of the course will be on Security basics, i.e. security services, access controls, vulnerabilities, threats and risk, network architectures and attacks. In the second part of the course, particular focus and emphasis will be given to network security capabilities and mechanisms (Access Control on wire-line and wireless networks), IPsec, Firewalls, Deep Packet Inspection and Transport security. The final portion of the course will address Network Application security (Email, Ad-hoc, XML/SAML and Services Oriented Architecture security. As part of our course review we will explore a number of Network Use Cases. Prereq: MET CS 535 or MET CS 625; Familiarity with OSI and TCP/IP protocol stack; Background-familiarity with binary numbers, prime numbers, binary- hexadecimal-decimal conversions, etc; Familiarity with computer programming concepts; or instructor's consent.

MET CS 695 Cybersecurity

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METCS625) or instructor's consent - This course introduces fundamental concepts, principles of cybersecurity and their use in the development of security mechanisms and policies. Topics include basic risk assessment and management; basic legal and ethics issues, various cyber attacks, defense methods and tools; security principles, models and components; different crypto protocols, techniques and tools, including symmetric and asymmetric encryption algorithms, hashing, public key infrastructure, and how they can be used; security threats and defense to hardware, operating systems, networks and applications in modern computing environments. Hands-on labs using current tools are provided and required. Prerequisite: METCS535 or METCS625 or instructor's consent.

Dates & Deadlines

View BU MET’s academic calendar for online programs, including important dates and deadlines.

Application Requirements

Learn about application requirements for BU MET graduate degree and certificate programs.

How You Benefit from a
Boston University Education

A BU credential can help lay the foundation for career advancement and personal success.

Enjoy an average 24:1 student-to-faculty ratio in courses that are 100% online, while tackling complex issues alongside peers with solid academic and practical experience.
Work closely with highly qualified faculty and seasoned industry leaders in a wide range of technology fields who are committed to teaching the latest technologies within the framework of ideas, concepts, and methods that drive innovation.
Boston University is recognized by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security as a Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Defense and Research. BU MET’s information security programs are certified by the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS).
BU MET’s computer science courses ensure you get the attention you need, while introducing case studies and real-world projects that emphasize technical and theoretical knowledge—combining in-depth, practical experience with the critical skills needed to remain on the forefront of the information technology field. In addition, BU’s Center for Reliable Information Systems and Cyber Security (RISCS) offers opportunities to collaborate and participate in research on system reliability and information security.
BU MET’s Department of Computer Science was established in 1979 and is the longest-running computer science department at BU. Over its four decades, the department has played an important role in the emergence of IT at the University and throughout the region.

Rankings & Accreditations

U.S. News & World Report - Best Online Programs - Grad Information Technology 2025

#10, Best Online Master’s in Computer Information Technology Programs

MET’s online master’s degrees in computer information technology are ranked #10 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 2025.

America’s Top Online Colleges

Advance Your Career

BU MET’s Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics prepares you for a wealth of different roles, such as chief medical information officer, clinical application developer, clinical data analyst, EHR application specialist, EHR system integration specialist, health informatics specialist, health information manager/director, health information technician, quality officer, safety/privacy officer, among others.

Take Advantage of Career Resources at BU MET

You will find the support you need in reaching your career goals through MET’s Career Development office, which offers a variety of job-hunting resources, including one-on-one career counseling by appointment for online students. You can also take advantage of tools and resources available online through BU’s Center for Career Development.

Computer Science Faculty

Guanglan Zhang

Associate Professor, Computer Science

Coordinator, Health Informatics Programs

Chair, Computer Science

Yuting Zhang

Assistant Professor, Computer Science

Director, Cybersecurity

Coordinator, Computer Systems & Digital Forensics

Eugene Pinsky

Associate Professor of the Practice, Computer Science

Coordinator, Software Development

View All Faculty

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Computing

Online Digital Forensics Graduate Certificate

At a Glance

Certificate Details

Build Expertise in Evidence Recovery, Investigation, and Digital Security