New certificate program with digital badges offers students a hands-on pathway into the growing field of cybercrime investigation

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — DeSales University has announced the launch of a new micro-credential certificate program in Digital Forensics, giving students a focused, hands-on foundation in investigating cybercrimes and analyzing electronic evidence. The program is designed to prepare graduates for the rapidly evolving demands of digital investigation of cybercrimes.

The Digital Forensics micro-credential provides students with problem-based training that builds progressively in complexity. Students begin by mastering core digital forensic principles, including incident response, encryption, and the imaging and examination of digital evidence. From there, the curriculum advances into specialized network forensics, covering TCP/IP protocols, log analysis, email tracing, and the collection of evidence from cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud Platform.

“This suite of digital forensics micro-credentials give working professionals and career changers an accessible, flexible way to master high-demand technical skills,” said Dr. Michelle Bolger, director, Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Program. “Whether mastering cloud evidence collection or diving into mobile forensics, students gain practical experience that directly translates to the workforce.”

The components of this program give participants the end-to-end technical expertise needed to trace, analyze, and protect information assets in complex, real-world investigative scenarios.

The new offerings allow learners to build expertise through three distinct Digital Badges or combine them to earn a comprehensive Digital Certificate:

• Network and Cloud Forensics (Digital Badge): Explores the fundamentals of networking, TCP/IP, log analysis, and IP/email tracing, while examining how modern cloud platforms provide new sources of evidence in cyber investigations.
• Forensic Acquisition and Analysis (Digital Badge): Immerses students in the imaging and analysis phases of the digital forensic process, focusing on key data locations and practical technical skills used to solve real-world investigative challenges.
• Digital Investigation and Evidence Collection (Digital Badge): Covers preliminary incident response, forensic tool usage, encryption techniques, web-based investigations, and the methods bad actors use to commit crimes using electronic devices.
• Digital Forensics (Digital Certificate): Offers a comprehensive, practical foundation spanning the entire investigative lifecycle. Students’ progress from core evidence imaging and incident response to advanced topics, including mobile device forensics, database mapping, and cross-platform link analysis.

The stackable digital badges offer graduates a flexible way to showcase their expertise to employers, providing verifiable, skills-based credentials that complement traditional degree pathways. The micro-credential format allows students and working professionals the opportunity to gain specialized, in-demand skills without committing to a full degree program, while still receiving rigorous, university-backed instruction.

“Graduates of the program will develop expertise in a broad range of technical and investigative competencies essential to modern digital forensic investigations, Said Scott McCulloch, instructor, College of Sciences, and director of the Officer David M. Petzold Digital Forensics Laboratory of Lehigh County. “Through this comprehensive training, students will gain the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to investigate cyber incidents, analyze digital evidence, and support cybersecurity and forensic operations across a variety of environments.”

The Digital Forensics micro-credential is now open for enrollment. For more information please visit: Micro-credentials at DeSales | DeSales University or contact the DeSales University

Admissions Department at 610-282-1100 ext. 1277 or admiss@desales.edu.

Information provided to TVL by:
Hayden Rinde