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Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism.

Types of Degrees Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. Majors Are Earning

Those studying Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	194
Associate’s Degree	379
Bachelor’s Degree	713
Master’s Degree	1,091

What Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Linux	Operating system software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Operating system software	Operating system software	✓
Microsoft Azure software	Development environment software	✓
JavaScript	Web platform development software	✓
Amazon Web Services AWS software	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. graduates include:

• Security Analyst
• Systems Engineer
• Security Consultant
• Investigator
• Security Engineer
• IT Architect (Information Technology Architect)
• Network Engineer
• Cloud Engineer
• Engineer
• Cloud Security Architect
• AI Security Specialist (Artificial Intelligence Security Specialist)
• Cloud Security Engineer
• Cybersecurity Engineer
• Firmware Engineer
• Web Site Project Manager

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	39.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	16.1%
Postsecondary certificate	11.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	10.0%
Some college courses	9.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	6.3%
Master’s degree	4.2%
Post-master’s certificate	1.3%
Less than a high school diploma	0.7%
Doctoral degree	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism.?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 71.1% of Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	686	28.9%
Men	1,691	71.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,145	48.2%
Asian	132	5.6%
Hispanic or Latino	264	11.1%
Black or African American	355	14.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	23	1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	7	0.3%
Two or More Races	135	5.7%
Race Unknown	157	6.6%
International Students	159	6.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$51,422
4 years	$49,125
5 years	$55,237

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $55,237 — roughly 7% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism.. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	10	3
Bachelor’s	11	7
Master’s	25	4
Doctoral (Research)	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. graduates earn a median of $49,125 four years after completion — roughly 29% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Security Science and Technology	43.04
Criminalistics and Criminal Science	43.0402
Cybersecurity Defense Strategy/Policy	43.0404
Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation	43.0405
Forensic Science and Technology	43.0406
Geospatial Intelligence	43.0407
Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysis	43.0408
Security Science and Technology, General	43.0401
Security Science and Technology, Other	43.0499
Criminal Justice/Police Science	43.0107
Cultural/Archaelogical Resources Protection	43.0123
Law Enforcement Record-Keeping and Evidence Management	43.0115

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.