sorry again for posting about education but you guys seem to know the best routes. My question now lies with the topic of a masters. Is a masters something that is going to greatly improve job oppourtunities? I know it demonstartes the ability to study at a higher level but does job experiance rise above this? is it worth the extra cash?
Thanks
A suggestion might be that a number of major companies sponsor their students to do a MSc - I would think that this would suggest that they see it as a worthwhile use of resources. This is often done on a part time basis. Some UK Police forces do it as well …
However, to paraphrase a well known advert …
An MSc you can get for £10k. Experience and a MSc … Priceless ? -P
The first semester of the Masters in Digital Forensics at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, Florida, USA, just began. I am enrolled and am really getting a lot out of the classes. The entire program can be taken online, and I believe they've made some arrangements to reduce out-of-state tuition (I am a Florida resident, so doesn't apply to me).
I am a UCF grad and previously completed the Graduate Certificate in Computer Forensics (which is the first half of the now Masters program). I think it is an excellent, well organized program. The program has close ties with the county sheriff's office and to
This Masters program is the first in the U.S. to my knowledge.
The website is http//msdf.ucf.edu/
Aaron
Sorry to resurrect this thread, but now that I've finished my CCE I was thinking about doing a part-time MSc (in the UK). I was wondering if anyone here can recommend a good place to do a forensics-based masters degree.
I have heard that there is possibility of doing such a course where they look at your previous work in the field and that can go towards your qualification.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Cranfield/Shrivenham has an excellent reputation, and, although some criticism has been levelled at it for teaching everything from the ground up, I personally feel that getting such a grasp of the fundamentals at a low level is an excellent foundation that is developed later in the MSc.
The course focuses on teaching an approach to Forensics, rather than teaching specific skills, and it is taught by practitioners who are also academics, not academics, or academics who occasionally practice.
In criticism, the University administration side of it is pants (not the department, that's great, but the rest of the University process - registry, online learning system etc. - the library is pretty good though ) - and it ain't cheap either, although it is improving !
The students are a pretty good mix, some commercial & self funded, significant Police, but also RAF, Army, HMRC and other UK Govt. Departments.
The obligations of the course are ( for a MSc ) 8 modules, 4 compulsory and 4 choice, and a dissertation. Of the compulsory modules, 3 are residential - one for two weeks ( Foundation 1 ) the others for 1 week ( Legal Aspects and Corporate Security ) - the other is entirely coursework ( Foundation 2 ). All MSc modules have a coursework component, this is assigned after the residential week ( which ends with an exam or two by the way … ). The optional courses include
- Programming ( C the last time I looked )
- Internet Forensics
- Network Forensics
- Advanced Forensics
- Internet Investigation
- E-Crime
- Using Linux for Forensics
I leave it as an exercise to the reader to determine the exact content of these …
(http//
I'd be happy to answer any questions that I can with regard to the course and my experience of it so far - PM me -)
( As an aside, it's a pretty interesting campus http//
At the Canadian Police College (RCMP) tech crime institute I've heard the odd explosion (although the explosives guys are kept at the far end of campus), had people rappel past the bathroom window while I was indisposed, and regularly seen troops of horsemen ride past with lances… D D
I'm actually quite interested in taking the Cranfield MSc. Roughly what is the cost?
For UK students it is
PG Certificate (normally one years part-time study) - £4,800 (£1,200 per module) was £8,000
PG Diploma (normally two years part-time study) - £7,800 (£1,200 per module in year 1 and then £750 per module in year 2) was £12,000
MSc (normally three years part-time study) - £8,500 (£1,200 per module in year 1, £750 per module in year 2 and then £700 for the dissertation phase (year 3)) was £15,000
I don't know if the old prices for UK Students (represented by "was") are still what is expected from overseas students, as the reduction was owing to
at long last we have been able to attract external funding (for UK students) for our postgraduate courses.
Contact Lindy Sheppard at the Centre for Forensic Computing - she'll be able to give you definitive prices.
( I like the idea of the Horsemen with Lances - that's a winner 😉 )
If I'm completely honest about it, I have to say that OMFG how much? If that's the case I think its going on the back burner for now. That's over half my annual salary |
Unfortunately, I think that you'll find that's pretty much average (now … not before - that was expensive ! ) for any Masters level qualification, only MBAs are consistently more expensive (£15K+ - rising to over £30k with Oxford …).
The upside of Shrivenham is that you pay on a course by course basis, and you can actually stretch it over quite a substantial period of time.
As a vauge comparison, if you look at the distance learning from Royal Holloway for the MSc in Information Security ( a well regarded InfoSec course ) that rocks in at £12,530 …
If you can find a course that offers you exemptions from modules because of previous experience, then you may be able to reduce this - although, the only one that I am aware of that does this at all is the OU on some of their MSc courses, and those _aren't_ ones in Forensics … ( They do do a MSc level Forensics Course, and an InfoSec one, and a Programming one, but you'll end up with an MSc in "Information Systems" or "Software Development" or the like … )
I guess that it depends really _why_ you want to study, it strikes me that, given your apparent level of competence, knowledge and experience that doing an MSc in Forensics would do little more than rubber stamp what you allready know - in which case, I'd suggest that £8.5k is a little steep. If you are looking to improve your knowledge, then perhaps short courses, (Shrivenham again amongst many others) in specific areas would be a better investment.
If on the other hand your desire is to get an "MSc" or other additional set of initials to add after your name ( nothing wrong with that I hasten to add - I currently run in at 22 odd if I put them all in & I'm working on more - seems to add a level of credibility ! ), then perhaps you might like to consider doing either a subject that you are just interested in ( I'd like to study Oceanography when I get a chance … ) or perhaps consider a research degree with the OU - you can do a Masters by Research, or a PhD even, in a specific area of Forensics that interests you & will, around here anyway, get you quite a lot of kudos, or perhaps ( expensive as they are ) do an MBA - these are very well regarded by employers, especially as you move up the management chain.
Ah well, I'm writing tonnes, because I don't want to do this document on my desk, so I better go now …
Azrael
DipHE CISSP OPSA CITP MBCS -P
Thankyou for that information, I really do appreciate it. The research option does look like a good idea. My previous university has suggested that this is certainly an option so I'm talking to them about it now. Hopefully this is what I'm looking for.