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The massive volume of electronic data being produced and stored every second has created new and exciting career opportunities in emerging fields like cybersecurity and computer forensics.
Electronic discovery (eDiscovery), a specialization of computer forensics, is defined as the “electronic aspect of identifying, collecting, and producing electronically stored information [ESI] in response to a request for production in a lawsuit or investigation.”
“ESI includes, but is not limited to, emails, documents, presentations, databases, voicemail, audio and video files, social media, and websites.” EDiscovery technicians retrieve ESI from sources such as cell phones, digital cameras, and video recorders, all while ensuring the data is not altered or destroyed.
Cybercrime can be criminal activity targeting computers or criminal activity using computers to commit other crimes. Cybersecurity, then, is “the art of protecting networks, devices, and data from unauthorized access or criminal use and the practice of ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.” While cybersecurity strives to protect electronic data, eDiscovery focuses on retrieving data and metadata intact. Computer forensic experts dig even deeper to recover inaccessible files.
Companies are increasingly employing professionals to help prevent data breaches and/or retrieve data. Accordingly, pursuing a degree or certificate from an excellent cybersecurity or eDiscovery program can be a fantastic career choice. Graduates with industry certifications in addition to specific academic training in cybercrime and cybersecurity are in high demand.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS May 2025) reports that information security analysts can expect a median annual income of around $125,000. The BLS also expects the field to grow 29 percent between 2024 and 2034, nearly 10 times the 3 percent growth rate for all occupations that decade. That growth translates to 52,100 new positions.
EDiscovery and cybersecurity training runs the gamut from brief overviews to certificates to degrees and can lead to certifications that increase job opportunities and pay. A sample of certifications is available on the Everlaw site. The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (NICCS) has information on certifications.
EDiscovery and Cybersecurity Training
The type of training one chooses depends on personal and career goals. Most training includes legal concepts, data management, and software proficiency. Below is a sampling of schools and programs.
University of California at San Diego Extension
UC San Diego offers several cybersecurity certificate programs online. Students who already have some knowledge might find the cybersecurity specialty certificate program a good fit, as they are allowed to pick and choose courses to fill gaps in their knowledge without completing the entire program.
Other programs of interest include cybersecurity fundamentals, penetration testing, and information security management, among others. The programs are of varying lengths.
Chestnut Hill College, located in Philadelphia, PA, offers cybersecurity studies as a minor alongside other degrees, as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees in cybersecurity. Internships give students real-world experience that enhances their theoretical knowledge. Coursework includes topics such as digital forensics, data communications, legal issues in cybersecurity, human factors impacting cybersecurity, cyberwarfare and cyberterrorism, cybersecurity risk management, and vulnerability assessment. The programs are online.
The graduate certificate offered by American Public University requires 18 semester hours to complete. It’s available online, with multiple start dates. The curriculum includes computer forensics, advanced cybercrime analysis, cyber ethics, intrusion detection and incident handling, advanced digital forensics, and advanced eDiscovery. APU, based in James Town, WV, also offers an MS degree in cybersecurity studies, an MS degree in information technology, and an MA degree in intelligence studies.
Located in Tampa, the University of South Florida offers a full range of cybersecurity programs, starting with graduate certificates that include Cyber Intelligence, Digital Forensics, Information Assurance, and Cyber Awareness and Education.
Students can also earn undergraduate degrees that include an information sciences BS, information assurance and cyber management, and cybersecurity. Those wishing to advance their education may find graduate degrees such as cyber intelligence and information security MS, cybercrime MS, information assurance and cyber management MS, or cybersecurity MS helpful.
Georgia Southern University offers a graduate certificate in cybercrime, available both online and at the Savannah Campus. The 18-hour program includes digital forensics, internet-related laws, and cyber ethics. GSU also offers a bachelor’s in criminal justice and criminology, which includes an emphasis on cybercrime. The program requires 124 credit-hours and is available online and at the Statesboro and Savannah campuses. The criminal justice and criminology master’s program also emphasizes cybercrime. The MS program requires 30 to 36 hours, and is also available online and at the Statesboro and Savannah campuses.
Mt. SAC in Walnut, CA, offers an eDiscovery and litigation Support certificate that may be taken on campus or 100 percent online. The 12-unit certificate includes four courses: litigation practice and eDiscovery; project management principles of eDiscovery; litigation support and technology from data collection to trial; and litigation support applications. The courses focus on the changes wrought by technology and provide practical skills in eDiscovery platforms and databases.
Paralegals may find the CLS course eDiscovery for Paralegals helpful in broadening their knowledge of the eDiscovery process. The seven-week course is fully online in asynchronous format and is based on the eDiscovery for Paralegals Manual e-book provided with the course. Topics include legal framework, organizing, technology and processing, review, and production, ethics, and international discovery.
NC State University in Raleigh, NC, offers an online course titled advanced paralegal: eDiscovery. It’s an introductory course for individuals new to the field of eDiscovery and for other professionals who wish to increase their knowledge. Enrollees must have already completed the paralegal certificate course. It is also a seven-week course based on the eDiscovery for Paralegals Manual e-book. Students learn about the basics of eDiscovery preparation, best practices for ESI collection, and the review process.
The Association of Certified eDiscovery Specialists (ACEDS) offers a complimentary course, Introduction to eDiscovery, for those new to the field. It’s self-study and covers subjects that include the legal framework for the eDiscovery process, information governance, the obligation to identify and preserve data, how to collect ESI, the mechanics of processing ESI, tools and methods for document review, and how to produce ESI for others.
For individuals who want to continue their studies, ACEDS offers certificate programs that include eDiscovery executive certificate, eDiscovery technology certificate, eDiscovery advanced certificate, and eDiscovery specialist certificate. These are all fully online.
University of Southern California Gould School of Law
USCGould offers a course titled eDiscovery Law. The two-unit course focuses on ESI and how it works in the litigation discovery process. The course is open to USCGould law students. The coursework includes fundamentals of ESI, federal rules of civil procedure, privilege and ethics, and advanced technology, among others. USC is located in Los Angeles, CA.
Bryan University
Bryan University Online, based in Tempe, AZ, offers several eDiscovery courses. Each is a three-credit course. Each can be taken as stand-alone courses, or as part of a legal degree program. They include foundations of eDiscovery and EPI skill-building; eDiscovery information governance, processing, and software; eDiscovery simulation and application; eDiscovery paralegal; and eDiscovery project management. Depending on course(s) taken, students learn forms and phases of general discovery, discovery procedures, communication, and documentation, management of discovery projects, eDiscovery workflow, and the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM).
Methodology
The following criteria were used in compiling this list. Although the criteria may not apply to all schools, all of the schools meet at least three of the four criteria.
1. Programs in eDiscovery, Cybercrime or Cybersecurity: All schools offer programs in eDiscovery, cybercrime, or cybersecurity. Some schools also offer further specialization and industry certification.
2. Notable Faculty: The faculty is highly qualified in their respective fields. They range from well-published scholars to well-known industry experts, and come from diverse backgrounds like litigation, technology, business, and law enforcement.
3. Learning Experiences and Support: These schools provide hands-on learning experiences with labs, externships, clinics and research opportunities. In addition, many offer job placement opportunities and post-graduate support for job-seekers.
4. Accessibility and Ease of Learning: Many of the schools offer programs geared towards working professionals, offering evening classes and virtual learning options. Some schools also offer special scholarships and programs geared towards diverse learners, such as veterans, low-income students, or minorities.
Willow Dawn Becker
WriterWillow is a blogger, parent, former educator and regular contributor to www.forensicscolleges.com/. When she's not writing about forensic science, you'll find her blogging about education online, or enjoying the beauty of Oregon.