Digital Forensics
Investigate cyber breaches by gathering and examining digital evidence and preparing evidence for court following forensic processes.
Learn about:

Skills
- Ethics
- Hacking
- Digital analysis
- Investigation techniques
- Forensic report writing
Careers
- Consultant
- Cyber investigator
- Incident response analyst
Requirements
- All minors at USC need 16 units that only meet minor requirements and do not meet any other major, minor, or GE requirement.
- All TAC specializations need at least 4 TAC units that only meet specialization requirements and do not meet any other major, minor, or GE requirement.
- All courses completed for your minor or specialization must be completed for a letter grade.
- You must earn a 2.0 minimum cumulative GPA in the courses completed for your minor or specialization.
Minor (18 units)
Core requirements (10 units):
- TAC-125L “From Hackers to CEOs: Introduction to Information Security” (2 units)
- TAC-375 “Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity Investigations” (4 units) [prerequisite: TAC-125]
Electives (8 units):
- TAC-443 “Malware Analysis and Reverse Engineering” (4 units) [prerequisite: TAC-325 and TAC-375] Spring only
- TAC-445 “Apple Forensics and Security (macOS and iOS)” (4 units) [prerequisite: TAC-375] Fall only
- TAC-447 “Mobile Device Forensics and Security” (4 units) [prerequisite: TAC-375]
- TAC-458 “Defending and Investigating Compromised Networks” [Capstone] (4 units) [prerequisite: at least 2 of the following: TAC-325, TAC-357, TAC-370, TAC-375] Fall only
- TAC-475 “Advanced Digital Forensics and Incident Response” (4 units) [prerequisite: TAC-375] Spring only
- TAC-479 “Cyber Law and Privacy” (4 units)
Substitutions:
INCO BA Students: A minor requires 16 unique units. You can earn the Digital Forensics minor by substituting TAC 375 for an additional elective. Please email our academic advisors so that they can update your STARS report. Substitution courses are not automatically applied to your minor requirements, so you will need to ask our academic advisors to make the change for you.
Specialization (10 units)
Core requirements (10 units):
- TAC-125L “From Hackers to CEOs: Introduction to Information Security” (2 units)
- TAC-375 “Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity Investigations” (4 units) [prerequisite: TAC-125]
- and any 4 unit course from the Minor elective list
Course Plan
Use the chart below to plan your course schedule to complete your minor. Pay careful attention to prerequisites. Make sure you consult with your major advisor about how best to incorporate the requirements for your minor with your major and general education requirements.
Please contact our academic advisors with questions about course sequencing, departmental clearance and course substitutions.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Semester 4
Next steps
How can I add this program?
Apply online
Current USC students can use our online application to declare a minor or specialization. Your application will be processed within 4 to 9 business days, and you will be notified at your official USC email address of your admission to the program of your choice.
Contact us with questions
If you have a question about the program, you're welcome to write to us or schedule an advisement appointment. We can help you navigate our program requirements and resources and refer you to other offices as needed.
Resources
Advisement
Minors & Specializations
Other Resources
Minors and Specializations
Blockchain
Video Game Production

