Undergraduate Program - Forensic Investigation Major

The Bachelor of Science with a major in Forensic Investigation (FI) consists of two separate tracks that address career interests.  Students interested in pursuing a major in FI must initially declare their major as Forensic Investigation Undecided.  They will be advised to complete the lower division Forensic Investigation core that consists of five classes (15 semester hours).  Upon completion of these lower division courses their coursework will be assessed by their advisor to determine whether they have met the minimum of a 2.5 overall GPA and a 2.5 in FI coursework required to proceed to upper division coursework in one of the two Forensic Investigation tracks.  The minimum of a 2.5 overall GPA is also required to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in FI in either track. 

Academic Tracks

Track One: "Criminal Investigations" is designed for students interested in working in an investigative capacity in the professional field of law enforcement.  It provides insights into basic investigative skills, as well as specialized skills in drugs, homicide, sex offenses, child abuse, and arson investigations.  The main theme for forensic investigation "Track One", however, is crime scene processing, identification and collection of physical evidence, and the presentation of evidence into a court of law. 

Track two: "Forensic Laboratory/Technician"  is designed for students interested in working in a laboratory environment as either a forensic scientist or technician and is a solid foundation for graduate study.  "Track Two" requires a minor or second major in either Biology, Chemistry, or Physics to assist in making our graduates as educated in their chosen area as possible. 

Plan of Study

The Bachelor of Science with a major in Forensic Investigation requires the following, which meets the general academic regulations: a minimum of 120 hours consisting of 50 hours of General Studies courses; 15 hours of Forensic Investigation Lower Division Core courses; 27 hours in a Forensic Investigation track; and 28 hours of minor and elective courses.

Note: Forensic Investigation majors must obtain a minor outside the department.

Forensic Investigation Courses

FI 'Undecided' Core Courses*   (15 hours)

*Students must declare their initial major as "Forensic Investigation Undecided" prior to entering the "FI Undecided - Core".  Upon completion of the FI Undecided - Core, students must meet with their advisor to be "ASSESSED" to determine if they have met the requirements to enter into the appropriate Forensic Investigation track.  Once a student has successfully completed the pre-requisites they MUST then choose a track to complete. 

Track I **  (27 hrs)                                 Track II *** (27 hrs)

Senior Capstone MUST be one of the following: CJ/FI 494-499 or CJ/FI 472.

Minors

The Bachelor of Science in Forensic Investigation majors that have completed the Forensic Investigation Undecided Core Curriculum and a track have met the requirements for a major in Forensic Investigation.  Forensic Investigation majors must obtain a minor outside the department. 

**It is recommended that all FI Track I majors minor in either Spanish, Psychology, Emergency Management, Homeland Security, Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, Accounting, Biology or Chemistry. 

***It is required that all FI Track II majors minor or 2nd major in either Biology, Chemistry, or Physics.

Students who are not majoring in Forensic Investigation or Criminal Justice may minor in Forensic Investigation. 

• A minor in Forensic Investigation consists of CJ 101, CJ 202, FI 204, FI 310, FI 320 and 3 hours of FI electives.

Forensic Investigation Courses (FI)

204. Introduction to Forensic Investigations (3). Prerequisite: CJ 101. Introduction to the development of Forensic Investigations and its contribution to the Criminal Justice System and the applications of the scientific discipline to the examination and analysis of physical evidence.

225. Criminal Courts (3). Prerequisite: CJ 101.  An analysis of the roles of the Criminal Courts in their interactions with the major participants in the Criminal Justice system; the Court structure and functions; selected critical cases and key issues, such as sentencing and plea bargaining. 

310. Criminalistics (3). Prerequisite: FI 204 or CJ 304. Methods of scientific analysis, comparison and identification of physical evidence; blood and body fluids, casts and molds, detective dyes, fingerprints, and trace evidence. 

320. Criminal Investigations (3). Prerequisites: CJ 202, FI 204 or CJ 304. Practical application of investigative techniques for specific crimes, such as sex offenses, murder, robbery, arson, assaults, and fraud cases.

330. Forensic Documentation (3). Prerequisite: FI 310 or CJ 430.  The principles and techniques of digital photography as applied to crime scenes, forensic evidence, identification, and court presentation.  Emphasis is on single lens reflex digital camera operation with various types of lighting.  Legal aspects of forensic photography and courtroom presentation.

340.  Homicide Investigations (3). Prerequisite: FI 204 or CJ 304.  Special problems involved in homicide investigation, including the forensic autopsy. (Formerly CJ 456).

350. Crime Scene Processing (3).  Prerequisite: FI 204 or CJ 304.  In-depth and practical look at various types of physical evidence and methods by which evidence is collected and transported to forensic crime laboratories. 

352. Evidence (3). Prerequisite(s): CJ 225, FI 225 or CJ 325. Analysis of the rules of evidence, their origins, and types.  Constitutional limitations upon their use, methods of safeguarding their value.  The trial and techniques for testifying. 

380. Medicolegal Death Investigation (3). Prerequisite(s): FI 330 or FI 340. This course will examine medicolegal systems in the United States contrasting the differences between Medical Examiner and Coroner Systems. Students will be further exposed to the five manners of death and methodologies employed in their classifications. Particular emphasis will be placed upon death causality with an examination of equivocal deaths. Students will engage in analysis of the relationship between the law enforcement and medicolegal communities. Furthermore, participants will spend a substantial portion of time exploring the utility of the measurement of post mortem interval along with the assessment of skeletal remains.

410. Imprint/Impression Evidence (3). Prerequisites: FI 330, FI 340 or CJ 456, or FI 350 or CJ 463. This course presents types of evidence which are the result of objects and materials that have retained the characteristics of other objects or materials through direct physical contract.  Topics will include footwear, tire tracks, bite marks, firearms, tools, pattern injuries and documents.  The themes in this course will differentiate between two dimensional and three-dimensional evidence.

475. Drugs of Abuse (3). Prerequisites: BY 102/104 or CY 106/108 and FI 310 or CJ 430 or NU 306.  Drugs of abuse, their field identification and drug abuse education.  (Formerly CJ 466.)

480. Trace Evidence (3). Prerequisites: BY 102/104 or CY 106/108 and FI 310 or CJ 430.  Review of techniques used in the analysis of hairs, fibers and minute items of evidence related to criminal matters. (Formerly CJ 467). 

Electives in Either Degree Track Must Be Chosen From the Following List:

302. Research Methods (3). Prerequisite: CJ 101.  An introduction to the theory, design, collection, and analysis of data in criminal justice research. 

377. Independent Study (3). Prerequisite: Junior standing with 18 hours in CJ or FI.  An opportunity for the advanced student to explore an area of special interest.  Student must have a supervising criminal justice faculty member agree to a written proposal or outline for an appropriate topic for study and then must secure the approval of the department head.

378, 379. Advanced Seminar in Criminal Justice (3)(3). Prerequisites: Junior standing with 18 hours in Criminal Justice or Forensic Investigation or department head approval.  An in-depth study of current issues in criminal justice. The content will vary each semester.  May be duplicated for a total of six (6) semester hours. 

411. Victimless Crimes (3). Prerequisite: Junior standing with 18 hours in CJ or FI.  Study of controversial area of law that deals with consensual crimes.  Topics to be included for discussion may be drugs; obscenity and pornography; prostitution; gambling.  The history of legislative enactments and judicial decisions will be dealt with, as well as the social and political implications of enforcement to both police agencies and their clients. 

417. Criminal and Deviant Behavior (3). Prerequisite: CJ 300, FI 204 or CJ 304 or SY 320.  An analysis of criminal and deviant behavior systems with an emphasis on classical and contemporary theories of crime causation. 

420 Investigation of Cold Cases (3). Prerequisite(s): FI 320, FI 330, or FI 340. The term "cold case" will be specifically defined as well as the difference between open and closed cases. This course will examine the term, the definition, and the investigation of cold cases with a detailed focus on crimes against persons, (i.e. homicide, sexual assault, and crimes against children). Students will be engaged regarding the use of current technologies and methodologies in order to increase case solvability. Further, the difference between open and closed cases will be explored. Current cold cases will be used as a means to augment the student's understanding of investigative applicability.

430. Arson and Fire Scene Investigation (3). Prerequisite: FI 350 or CJ 463.  The techniques of crime scene documentation and investigation as they relate to fire and explosion scenes.  Evidence recognition and collection, along with a basic understanding of accelerant and explosive residues.  Basic principles of reconstruction of the scene, including fire behavior, fire pattern analysis, ignition mechanisms, interpretation of human behavior and fire scene analysis. 

450. Advanced Crime Scene Processing Techniques (3). Prerequisite: FI 350 or CJ 463.  This course will build upon those techniques and procedures learned in Crime Scene Processing FI 350/CJ 463 as they relate to crime scene reconstruction.  An in-depth study of specialized techniques such as bloodstain pattern analysis, bullet trajectory analysis, and fire scene reconstruction.  Students will then apply this knowledge during practical exercises that will emphasize current techniques and procedures.

465. Interviews and Interrogations (3).  Prerequisite: CJ 200 or CJ 202 or CJ 304 or FI 204.  Discussions and practical exercises covering the various techniques used by criminal justice practitioners to elicit information from witnesses and criminal suspects .  (Formerly CJ 464.)

471. Internship in Criminal Justice (3).  Prerequisites: Junior standing, consent of internship director, and only for students majoring in Criminal Justice or Forensic Investigation.  Students must also possess an overall 2.5 GPA to participate with a municipal or county agency and a 3.0 overall GPA to participate with a state or federal agency.  Supervised work experience in an approved criminal justice agency.  The student is required to attend a pre-announced orientation meeting prior to beginning internship.  (Not open to in-service personnel or those with prior CJ work experience unless approved by internship director.)

Senior Capstone Course Options:

472. Senior Internship in Criminal Justice (3). Prerequisites: Senior standing, consent of internship director, and only for students majoring in Criminal Justice or Forensic Investigation.  Students must also possess an overall 2.5 GPA to participate with a municipal or county agency and a 3.0 overall GPA to participate with a state or federal agency.  Supervised work experience in an approved criminal justice agency.  The student is required to attend a pre-announced orientation meeting prior to beginning internship and additional scheduled meetings with the internship director.  (Not open to in-service personnel or those with prior CJ work experience unless approved by internship director.)  This is a Senior Capstone course, and satisfactory work requires completing the EPP and other senior exit requirements. 

497. Senior Seminar I (3).  Prerequisites: Senior standing in the Criminal Justice or Forensic Investigation major and completion of all other criminal justice or forensic investigation core requirements.  Capstone course which utilizes the student's knowledge and academic skills, including pursuing archival research, journal keeping, note taking and report writing to address a topic or issue of contemporary interest in criminal justice or one of its sub-fields.  While the topic or issue may change with each offering, the skills exercised will be those needed to prepare the senior for careers in criminal justice professions.  (Formerly CJ 494.)

498. Senior Seminar II (3).  Prerequisites: Senior standing in the Criminal Justice or Forensic Investigation and completion of all other criminal justice or forensic investigation core requirements.  Capstone course which utilizes the student's knowledge and academic skills, including pursuing archival research, journal keeping, note taking and report writing to address a topic or issue of contemporary interest in criminal justice or one of its sub-fields.  While the topic or issues may change with each offering, the skills exercised will be those needed to prepare the senior for careers in criminal justice professions. (Formerly CJ 495.)

499. Senior Seminar III (3). Prerequisites: Senior standing in the Criminal Justice or Forensic Investigation major and completion of all other criminal justice or forensic investigation core requirements.  Capstone course which utilizes the student's knowledge and academic skills, including pursuing archival research, journal keeping, note taking and report writing to address a topic or issue of contemporary interest in criminal justice or one of its sub-fields.  While the topic or issue may change with each offering, the skills exercised will be those needed to prepare the senior for careers in criminal justice professions. (Formerly CJ 496.)