Our Mission
To develop professional, ethical graduates with the highest quality education in the natural, physical, and forensic sciences, law and criminal justice to successfully prepare students for advanced degrees, employment, and research in forensic science and related fields.
Our Vision
To become a leading forensic science educational program that has regional, national, and international recognition for excellence.
Our Goals
- Generalize the forensic science system in the United States:
- Students will be proficient in analyzing and integrating the multifaceted components of the forensic science system in the United States, spanning crime scene investigation, crime laboratories, organizational structures, specialized disciplines, and the preparation required for a career in forensic science.
- Identify common pattern evidence in forensic science:
- Students will deconstruct and model the examination of patterned evidence, such as fingerprints, tool marks, physical matches, and firearms, showcasing a deep understanding of the appropriate analytical techniques used for these types of evidence.
- Summarize and demonstrate the use of ethics, bias, criminal and civil laws, rules of evidence, and expert testimony:
- Students will evaluate and relate the application of ethics, bias considerations, criminal and civil laws, rules of evidence, and expert testimony in the practice of forensic science, demonstrating their critical understanding of these crucial elements.
- Interpret the use of chemical and instrumental techniques in forensic analysis:
- Students will critically critique and defend the application of chemical and instrumental techniques in forensic analysis, specifically examining common chemical evidence like illicit drugs, fire residue, explosives, inks, and paint.
- Identify and analyze forensic biological evidence:
- Students will engage in a discriminative analysis of diverse biological evidence types, including bodily fluids and blood spatter, and then synthesize and integrate these analyses, culminating in the interpretation of DNA profiles by applying advanced principles of population genetics.
- Conduct a literature review of a current forensic science topic:
- Students will generate and structure a comprehensive literature review on a contemporary forensic science topic and present their findings professionally.