At the IU Indianapolis School of Science, you’ll study with nationally recognized faculty in forensic chemistry and biology, supported by one of the largest medical schools and one of the top law schools in the United States.
Forensic science is the application of scientific methods and processes to matters that involve crime or the public. You’ll get a strong foundation in chemistry, biology, physics, math, statistics, law, and criminal justice as you earn your degree.
Description of the video:
So the forensic science program here at IUPUI is the only accredited program in the state. It goes through this rigorous process of review every five years, and there are certain standards that every program has to adhere to that ensures a strong scientific background for a forensic scientist. We want to make sure that the training that you get here as a student is going to actually translate into what you would actually be doing as a forensic scientist as a career, and so we spend a lot of time and effort making sure you get those experiences as part of this program. We have alumni that are at the FBI. We have alumni that are in many of the local labs. We have somebody who just started at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, so a recent graduate, and our students have been very successful in obtaining employment in part because of the curriculum we have here. The forensic science program is a professional program. When you leave our program, you are equipped to get a job in this field. Just being part of a research group is really valuable to be able to learn how other people think, how other people arrive at some of these questions that they get to, and how they design experiments in order to be able to answer those questions. The challenges are really good for you, and it will set you up for the future and prepare you for what real life looks like, right. Real life is not what’s in a lab manual where everything works out perfectly. Real life is where something may have gone wrong and you need to figure out what that was, and you need to be able to apply those critical thinking skills, and you can hone those doing research. The IUPUI community as a whole is built upon people coming together. We’ve made that abundantly clear and successful through this current pandemic. We have done a really good job of being able to continue our research through these trying times, and that’s a function of the resiliency of the students, and the resiliency of the faculty and the staff, and everyone that’s able to do all of this. I would ask you to consider IUPUI and to reach out to myself and or to anyone else that you are interested in hearing more. We might not be able to do an in-person visit because of some of the safety concerns, but rest assured, we are ready for you, and we are anxious for you.Onlyaccredited forensics program in Indiana
Learn more about accreditation14%expected growth in career opportunities, 2018–28
Read the occupational outlookBecause we’re in downtown Indianapolis, we’re close to state and local crime labs, courts, state police, and other law enforcement agencies. You’ll be using the most modern, state-of-the-art instrumentation to learn how evidence is analyzed. You can perform cutting-edge research, do an internship at a real crime laboratory, and get credit for all of it. Come to IU Indianapolis and be a part of one of the leading forensic science programs anywhere in the world.
Many forensic scientists work in crime labs. As a forensic scientist, you may analyze evidence, write reports, or testify in court as an expert witness. In some cases, you may attend crime scenes to help reconstruct the crime or to collect evidence. Most crime labs employ scientists in the areas of forensic chemistry (drugs, toxicology, trace evidence, explosives, fires, etc.), forensic biology (mainly DNA and body fluids and tissues), and criminalistics (fingerprints, questioned documents, firearms, and toolmarks).
With your degree from the IU Indianapolis School of Science, you’ll also be well qualified to work as a biologist or chemist in a private or public sector lab. The problem-solving, creativity, openness to new ideas and reasoning skills you develop will be a great foundation for any career you choose.
What’s neat about forensics is that everything is tightly controlled and regimented—you have to be clean with it. Instead of finding whose DNA is this, you’re looking for spoilage organisms in your product.
Kevin Smolar, alumnus and quality control director for Sun King Brewery