Forensic Science

The forensic science program is designed for you to learn scientific principles and methods that apply to criminal and civil investigations and litigations. This program places an emphasis on the disciplines of chemistry, biology and physics. By completing the Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science, you can seek professional employment positions in forensic science and commercial and industrial laboratories. Moreover, you’ll graduate from this program with the prerequisites to apply to graduate school in the sciences and health professions. Our program has been endorsed as sufficient preparation for application to medical school as well.

Professional Forensic Science Training

• Our rigorous program covers all aspects related to forensic science – 96 credit hours in biology, chemistry, math and physics. No other program in the country can match it.
• We do not force you to choose between a “Bio” Track and a “Chem” Track like most other programs do. Chemistry is the evidence, Biology is the victim – you need both.
• The program is essentially a double major in chemistry and biology, and as a result, you’ll have many choices after graduation. You can go to graduate school or get jobs in chemistry, biology or the health fields, as well as the forensic science field.
• Graduates from the program over the past 5 years are getting STEM jobs in less than six months after graduation.
• Graduates from the program over the past 5 years are graduating in 4 years or less.

Forensic science faculty are academic leaders in their respective fields of biology, chemistry, forensic science and law. They are also experienced professionals, who bring real-world experience to the classroom, providing you with a practical, in-depth view of real-life forensic science and other related scientific fields.

You’ll also learn about the forensic science field from working professionals who visit our classrooms. These experts share their real-world knowledge and lead hands-on labs as well. All of the information shared by these professionals regarding crime scenes is current – within the past 12 months – because they share their most recent cases. You’ll meet and talk with these experts, which can often lead to an internship and/or permanent hire.

A Practical, Professional Education

• You’ll acquire the most current, relevant knowledge, starting from basic theory to the latest ideas and procedures.
• You’ll gain firsthand experience in the field and interact with professionals in the field.
• You’ll acquire career-ready skills, including: analytical chemistry, instrumental analysis, biochemical synthesis and analysis, genetics, toxicology, analytical skills, skills in instrumentations, experimentation, how to do research, how to write scientifically and work with others.

Solving a crime needs to be experienced, not just read about. In our program, each forensic topic has a lab associated with it, whether it’s interpreting real blood spatter from recent crime scenes, fire investigations, engineering disasters, uncovering mass graves with real bones, witnessing real autopsies up close or our students recreating their own crime scenes. All of these experiences will help to confirm whether you have chosen the right field or not.

Visiting forensic science experts will often lead classes in hands-on labs, including: fire forensics, blood spatter, explosives, ballistics, forensic engineering, forensic entomology, real autopsies in actual morgues, body decomposition, forensic anthropology and more.

Solving a crime requires a team – laws must be followed, evidence collected, analyzed and then determined how this evidence impacted the victim. In our hands-on, immersive program, you’ll soon realize that you cannot be an expert in every field, so you’ll learn how to collaborate and cooperate with other experts – to determine what actually happened, the level/direction of guilt and how not to project the outcome before all the evidence is collected and analyzed by all of the experts involved.

Bringing Knowledge to Practice

• You’ll acquire knowledge through discussions, presentations and interaction with people in the field.
• All of our courses come with laboratory experience.
• All of the labs are hands-on, including explosives.
• You’ll engage in research in the field from reputed scientific journals and learning to comprehend and be able to write in scientific language.
• You’ll gain an important cultural awareness, as we analyze crimes and crime scenes involving all races, cultures and creeds – from uncovering mass graves in Sarajevo to determine if war crimes have been committed, to suburban and inner city murders, to mass shooters over the past three years.

CURRICULUM

Core Curriculum of the School of Arts & Sciences – 37 hours

Forensic Science Major – 90 hours

Students majoring in Forensic Science must earn a minimum of a 2.5 GPA at the completion of either the BIO210/BIO210Lab/BIO211/BIO211 Lab course sequence or the CHM131/CHM131Lab/CHM132/CHM132Lab course sequence, in order to continue in the major.

MAJOR COURSES

• FSC115 Introduction to Forensic Science and FSC115L Lab – 4 hours
• FSC215 Evidence Law and Ethics – 3 hours
• BIO210 General Biology I and BIO210L Lab – 4 hours
• BIO211 General Biology II with BIO211L Lab – 4 hours
• BIO311 Human Anatomy and Physiology (w) and BIO311L Lab – 4 hours
• BIO312 Human Anatomy and Physiology (w) and BIO312L Lab – 4 hours
• BIO333 Genetics and BIO333L Lab – 4 hours
• BIO373 Microbiology and BIO373L Lab – 4 hours
• BIO445 Cellular and Molecular Biology and BIO445L Lab – 4 hours
• CHM131 General Chemistry I with CHM131L Lab – 4 hours
• CHM132 General Chemistry II with CHM132L Lab – 4 hours
• CHM281 Analytical Chemistry and CHM281L Lab – 4 hours
• CHM331 Organic Chemistry I with CHM331L Lab – 4 hours
• CHM332 Organic Chemistry II with CHM332L Lab – 4 hours
• CHM411 Biochemistry and CHM411L Lab – 4 hours
• CHM435 Inorganic Chemistry and CHM435L Lab – 4 hours
• CHM450 Physical Chemistry and CHM450L Lab – 4 hours
• CHM481 Instrumental Analysis and CHM481L Lab – 4 hours
• MAT285 Calculus II – 5 hours
• PHY211 General Physics I and PHY211L Lab – 4 hours
• PHY212 Physics II and PHY212L Lab – 4 hours
• PSY101 Introduction to Psychology – 3 hours
• One of the following: 3 hours
  • SAS470 Internship
  • CHM370 Experimental Research Design

Total = 90 hours

Total Bachelor of Science hours 127-135 hours

This is a sample course sequence to illustrate course offerings for this major. Consult the official Academic Bulletin for detailed registration and advising information.

SAMPLE COURSES

Introduction to Forensic Science (FSC115) – This course will provide a general introduction to the field of forensic science and its various functions and specialties from the crime scene to the laboratory.

Evidence Law and Ethics (FSC215) – An examination of the principal rules of evidence applicable in the federal and states courts, and ethical considerations as applying to the collection, processing, analysis, evaluation and interpretation of evidence. Analysis of the relevant rules of evidence will be made alongside a broad overview of forensic science in the courtroom. This course will explore case law and ethical case studies as they apply to admissible evidence, how a forensic expert should testify to juries, and the extent to which the admission of forensic evidence assists juries. This is a writing intensive course.

General Physics I (PHY211) – The course will serve as an introduction into the basic concepts of general physics and will serve as the physical requirement for the advanced forensic science major, for the middle school certification program and for the general science program. Students will be expected to apply these concepts in the required lab.

General Physics I Lab (PHY211L) – This course represents the laboratory section of the first half of a two-semester Physics sequence. The laboratory section provides a practicum to experience concepts, theories, and laws of classical physics. This first semester laboratory section will cover mechanics and thermodynamics.

Physics II (PHY212) – This course represents the second half of a two-semester physics sequence providing a quantitative problem-based coverage of classical physics. This second semester course will cover electromagnetism, light and optics, and modern physics. The course includes a laboratory component to provide hands-on experience with the topics covered.

FORMAT

On Campus – Offered in a 15-week semester format with a start date of January and August

The demand for forensic science professionals is rapidly growing as the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a growth rate of 16%, much faster than average. There are two reasons for this rapid growth: one, in this country, violence will not decrease; and two, in this country, we will never outsource a crime scene to another country.

Forensic science is a challenging field, but our students get jobs soon after graduating and are also able to pursue graduate studies and further studies in the medical field. Our country will always need people in STEM fields.

CAREERS

• Allied Health
• Chemist
• Clinical Laboratory Technologist
• CSI Units
• Forensic Laboratories
• Forensic Science Technician
• Forensic Scientist
• Lawyer
• Law Enforcement Agencies
• Medical Examiner
• Medical School
• Medicine
• Private Detective and Investigator
• Toxicology Lab Scientist

WHERE TU GRADS HAVE WORKED

• Alloway Labs
• Charles River Laboratories
• Chemical Solutions
• Commercial Laboratories
• Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner
• Forensic Science Labs
• Industrial laboratories
• Merieux Nutrisciences Corporation
• Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation
• Ohio Department Of Agriculture – Toxicology Lab
• POET Biorefinery
• UIC Animal Forensic Toxicology Laboratory