Master of Science in Forensic Computing Program

The Challenge of Cybercrime

John Jay's Forensic Computing program began in 2003 at the urging of the U.S. Secret Service as a response to the ever growing forensic challenges of the digital age. The Master of Science in Forensic Computing was the first graduate degree program in digital forensics in the U.S and continues to be unique in its blend of study and research in computer science, digital forensics and criminal justice.

Interesting careers ahead

Career prospects in digital forensics and computer security appear very promising. The demand for skilled digital forensic examiners can only increase as more and more digital devices become part of everyday life and business. Likewise the need for computer security experts can only grow.

So how can you advance or begin a career in digital forensics and assure you have the tools to be on the cutting edge? One way is to get a Master of Science in Forensic Computing from John Jay.

Digital forensics work can be exacting and exciting at the same time, sometimes very much like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack or an encrypted image buried somewhere on a terabyte hard drive or in a network cloud. Your search must follow all the same rules of evidence that apply to traditional physical evidence, from gloves to DNA.

Our Program Goals

A small and vivacious academic community of faculty and students, we are centered around high technology crime, digital forensics and computer security. We look for our graduates to do far more than conduct and lead digital forensic investigations. We seek people with a background in computing and interest in digital forensics and then give them the graduate education and career boost they need to become leaders in the field. We also expect them to solve forensic and computer security problems as technology emerges, to train others, participate in research, and to develop and manage cyber-forensics labs and teams.

Education vs. Training

Why a graduate degree in forensic computing? That's a good question for, indeed, there is plenty of corporate and agency training in digital forensics available. You can also find certificate programs at colleges and universities. Moreover, most people working in the field do not have an academic background in forensic computer science.

But we have a good answer. The rub with the training and certification route is as soon as a new product or problem emerges it's time to get more training and another certification. A graduate degree in forensic computer science will set you apart and give you an edge in solving problems because you will have a solid technical education based on computer science. That means you have the theoretical background to usually figure things out for yourself and solve problems as they emerge. With your masters degree we want to make it more likely that you will be teaching that course to deal with a fresh problem than taking it.

Moreover, with our unique hybrid program of study we also complement your technical education with legal and social science perspectives to prepare you to intelligently discuss and write about the important policy questions in the field. When you go to a conference we expect to see you on the dais and not in the audience.

Our graduates

You will find our graduates working for county prosecutor's offices (e.g., New York, Brooklyn), as federal agents (e.g., US Secret Service, Heath and Human Services), with leading forensics firms (e.g., BIA, Guidance Software, Kroll), and pursuing doctoral degrees (e.g., UC/Berkeley, CUNY).