Computer Forensics with Professional Placement Year MSci (Hons)

Overview

Join us at Birmingham City University and study Computer Forensics in the UK. Our MSci Computer Forensics course gives you access to study in our specialist Digital Forensics labs, all equipped to industry standards and run the latest software, meaning you can experience the most current technology and prepare yourself for the working world.

With digital forensics playing a critical role in the world of modern criminal investigations, studying Computer Forensics with us will help you develop the practical and professional skills needed by employers in the digital forensics, cyber security and law enforcement sectors.

The course covers the acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data recovered from computers and digital devices to establish factual evidence. Our dedicated specialist Digital Forensics Laboratory hosts professional digital forensics tools, including EnCase, FTK, XRY, Cellebrite and other industry standard tools. You will also develop the necessary legal, expert witness and professional skills required by employers.

What's covered in the course?

This course is for you if you want to combine a highly rigorous academic qualification with real life practical work experience that will prepare you to apply your knowledge as a computer forensics expert or forensic investigator. You’ll be joining a well established course, with a proven track record of producing skilled and confident graduates who are ready to meet the demands of the digital forensics industry. To ensure the course meets the knowledge and skill requirements for conducting professional digital forensic investigations, the course curriculum has been designed in close consultation with digital forensics experts from the private sector as well as from a number of UK police constabularies.

The multidisciplinary nature of our course will foster the essential skills you require in computer networking, ethical hacking, computer programming, and legal and expert witness roles complementary to digital forensic investigations. These attributes are not only essential to employers in law enforcement and the digital forensics industry but also serve as broader employability skills. On graduation, you will be capable of managing a digital forensic case and conducting technical examination and interpretation of digital-based evidence. You will develop as a confident, highly skilled and professional graduate with a meticulous and methodological approach to problem solving, whether working individually or as part of a professional team.

Enhancing your employability skills

Our course has been designed with graduate employability at its heart. Throughout invite speakers from industry to share their valuable knowledge and experience in guest lectures and seminars. This provides an invaluable opportunity to network with the experts. At various stages the course, we host specialist boot-camps delivered by digital forensics practitioners as well as provide opportunities to obtain vendor qualifications to enhance your career prospects.

Because we have close links with business and industry – with our academic team having worked in the sector – we know that your studies are always relevant, up-to-date and meet the exact needs of the current marketplace.

Placements

We aim to have you employer-ready by the time you graduate and as part of your course, you have the option of undertaking an industrial placement after the second year of study. Placements will also provide you with an opportunity to develop your practical expertise, earn money and try out a potential career path. It may not always be possible to get a placement in the digital forensic industry, so we actively encourage you to broaden your interests to allied sectors, for example, cyber security, data recovery companies as well as law enforcement agencies.