Mention the word “forensics” to someone and it likely conjures up images of beautiful people miraculously solving crimes in convenient 60 minute time periods while driving fast cars and removing their sunglasses at particularly dramatic moments. The latest technology is always available in the lab and the resulting data provide iron-clad proof of guilt. If you go and talk to the professionals, however, you get a very different picture of what it is like to work in the field of forensics.

The College of Science recently approved a new Graduate Certificate in Forensics (FRSC).  This certificate was created partially in response to the growing national student interest in forensics fostered by popular TV shows such as CSI, Cold Case, Bones, and many others, but it was also created in response to the substantial local and regional demand for graduates trained in the technical and legal aspects of forensic science.  For example, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for forensic science technicians are predicted to grow much faster than the average from 2006 to 2016. The College is working closely with forensics agencies at the local, state, and federal level to ensure that students will receive up-to-date instruction that includes regular interaction with, and instruction from, current forensic practitioners. Students who complete this program should be well prepared for jobs in forensic science.

The FRSC certificate requires students to complete 18 credit hours of graduate courses and will be offered in two concentrations, one in Forensic Science and the other in General Forensics. Students applying for admission into the Forensic Science concentration should have an undergraduate degree in biology or chemistry, whereas those applying to the General Forensics concentration may hold a bachelor’s degree in any field. A unique element of the proposed certificate is the “Forensics Capstone Course,” which is shared by the two concentrations. In this class, students from the two concentrations will combine their skills as members of interdisciplinary investigation teams as they analyze a “real world” crime scene.  By utilizing the expertise of individuals currently employed in forensics as guest instructors, students completing the FRSC certificate program will receive the most up-to-date, advanced forensics training available in the region. Completion of the certificate will enhance the careers of students who are already working in this area, and can also serve as a useful intermediate step towards later enrollment in a graduate degree program in forensics.

Although this is the first program in Forensics within the College, there are plans for additional programs in the near future. A minor in Forensic Science is currently in development at the undergraduate level and a MS program is being considered, depending on the success of the certificate program.

More information about the Graduate Certificate in Forensics can be found here. Interested students are encouraged to contact the program director, Dr. Timothy Born, if they have questions.