Digital Forensics and Incident Response

The program follows Keiser University's one-class-at-a-time model, with each course delivered in a focused four-week term and new classes starting every month. The degree totals 120 credit hours across roughly 38 required courses and takes approximately 40 months to complete; length varies for students who transfer in eligible credits.

The program is offered online in a flexible format. Coursework includes hands-on virtual labs in digital-evidence collection, malware analysis, and network forensics. Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress to advance through the major sequence, which builds from foundational networking and security courses toward advanced forensics, incident response, and cloud/mobile examination.

The 120-credit curriculum combines general education with a major concentration in cyber-forensics and information security, covering computer and network forensics, malware analysis, mobile and cloud examination, network defense, and criminal evidence and procedure. Representative courses appear below.

Required Courses

Tuition is charged per 16-week semester based on scheduled credit hours. At full-time enrollment (12 to 17.99 credits), tuition is approximately $12,408 per semester (Keiser Undergraduate Tuition & Fee Disclosure; subject to annual review). Across a 120-credit program completed at a full-time pace of about 15 credits per semester (roughly eight semesters), estimated total tuition is approximately $99,264. Enrollment also includes a one-time $55 application fee and a one-time $145 registration fee. Actual cost varies with transfer credits, pace, and any applicable course resource or lab fees; use the Net Price Calculator at https://www.keiseruniversity.edu/NPC-index.html for a personalized estimate.

Financial aid is available to those who qualify and may include federal Pell Grants, FSEOG, Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, Direct PLUS Loans, and Federal Work-Study; Florida programs such as the Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG) and EASE; institutional scholarships; and veterans and military education benefits. Students should complete the FAFSA (School Code 015159) each year.

Estimated total program tuition of about $99,264 (full-time semesters at ~$12,408/semester); actual cost varies with pace and transfer credit.

Graduates are prepared for roles in cybersecurity, digital investigation, and incident response across private industry, government, and law enforcement, including:

• Digital forensics analyst / computer forensics examiner
• Incident response specialist
• Cybersecurity investigator
• Network security analyst
• Malware analyst
• Threat intelligence analyst / threat hunter
• Law-enforcement cybercrime investigator

The program's hands-on training with industry-standard forensic tools also helps build the practical foundation students may use when pursuing widely recognized industry certifications in digital forensics, incident response, and cybersecurity. The degree does not by itself confer a professional license; certification requirements are set by the issuing bodies.

Expect a technical, lab-intensive program taught one course at a time in four-week terms. You will work hands-on with industry-standard tools to acquire, preserve, and analyze digital evidence from computers, networks, mobile devices, and cloud environments, and you will practice reconstructing how and when incidents occurred while protecting evidence integrity.

Coursework pairs technical skill-building with the legal and procedural context of investigations, so you will study criminal evidence and procedure alongside malware analysis, network defense, and forensic methodology. As an online program, it rewards self-direction and steady time management; small classes and expert faculty provide close support, and you can typically begin within a month given the monthly start schedule.