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.

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