Masters in Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigation in the UK: Three Courses Compared
A digital forensics master’s is a different course from a general cybersecurity MSc. It trains you to investigate what happened after an incident and to preserve evidence so it can be used by others, rather than mainly to defend systems. This guide sets out what three UK universities publish for their forensics courses.
Three courses side by side
| University and course | Entry | International fee | Other facts published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teesside, Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigation MSc | At least a 2.2 UK honours degree or equivalent; Teesside accepts a broad range of subjects, including sciences, IT, computing, forensics, criminology, law, psychology, policing and engineering | £17,000 a year for 2026-27 entry | 1 year from September, or 16 months from January; part-time study is also listed |
| Teesside, the same course with Advanced Practice | The same entry | £10,000 a year for 2026-27 entry (20 months from September) | Teesside describes it as a version with an industry-practice element; read its page for details |
| Greenwich, Computer Forensics and Cyber Security MSc | A 2:2 or above in computing, computer science, mathematics, physics, engineering, information systems or multimedia, or a relevant numerate subject with software development experience | £19,450 for 2026/27 | Greenwich says applicants with professional qualifications or four years of full-time work experience are considered individually, and lists an International Scholarship Award of up to £3,000 for offer holders for September 2026 |
| De Montfort, Digital Forensics MSc | A 2:1 minimum in a relevant subject; IELTS 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band | £18,100 on the directory entry (year not stated) | 12 months full time, or 24 months with a placement; the entry says it was developed with organisations including Deloitte UK, Airbus and BT |
How to choose, in our reading
Teesside is the most open on degree subject, which makes it the route to consider if your degree is in law, criminology or another non-computing field. Greenwich leans toward a computing background and mentions software development experience. De Montfort asks for a higher grade, a 2:1. Because the courses differ in subject expectation, length and placement, compare them against your own degree first, and our guide to entry requirements shows how other cybersecurity master’s courses set their lines.
Visa funds
Middlesbrough (Teesside) and Leicester (De Montfort) are outside London, so the outside-London living-cost figure applies: £1,171 a month for up to nine months on GOV.UK today, rising to £1,203 for applications from 30 November 2026 under Statement of Changes HC 584, as reported by immigration law firms. Greenwich is in London, and the higher London figure applies if your course is taught there, so check the campus on your offer. Use our calculator.
Correction, November 2026
An earlier version of this guide described each university’s industry links in general terms, listed Portsmouth and a UCL crime science course with grade expectations, and described the pay for analyst roles. We could not support those statements from the sources we read, so Portsmouth, UCL and the career and pay claims were removed. The courses above come from the universities’ own pages, apart from De Montfort.
What we could not confirm
We did not check NCSC status for these courses, 2027 fees, or graduate outcomes, and we found no reliable pay figures for forensic roles, so this guide gives none.
Sources and checks
- Teesside University, Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigation MSc and with Advanced Practice.cfm), read on 5 November 2026
- University of Greenwich, Computer Forensics and Cyber Security MSc, read on 5 November 2026
- De Montfort University, Digital Forensics MSc (a graduate-course directory quoting the university; undated fees), read on 5 November 2026
- GOV.UK, Student visa: money you need, read on 5 November 2026
Figures checked: November 2026. This is general information, not admissions or immigration advice. Fees and entry change each year, so confirm them on each university’s page.