Why study forensic examination at BGSU in Ohio?
- FEPAC accreditation. The BGSU Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science degree program is one of just two in Ohio accredited by the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) – and the only one with specialization tracks for forensic examination and DNA analysis. FEPAC accreditation requires rigorous standards for curriculum, faculty, facilities and academic support.
- Center for the Future of Forensic Science (CFFS). BGSU provides a world-class forensics education and supports groundbreaking forensics research through this unique partnership with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. The CFFS offers exceptional experiential learning, research and networking opportunities.
- Top-rated faculty. Our faculty members are experts in the forensics field with decades of professional crime laboratory experience.
- On-site Ohio BCI crime lab. The on-campus crime lab is staffed by professional forensic scientists and law enforcement agents employed by the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) – including several adjunct professors in the BGSU forensic science program.
- Tailor your study track. Unlike most college forensics studies programs, which only teach generic forensics, BGSU offers accredited specializations in forensic examination, forensic drug analysis and forensic DNA analysis.
- Graduate options. Forensics degree graduates eyeing roles in leadership, research and education can apply to the accredited Master of Science in Forensic Science program. BGSU is one of the only (if not the only) accredited forensic science academic programs in the country with an accelerated bachelor’s to master’s pathway.
The Center for the Future of Forensic Science at BGSU offers unparalleled experiential learning to forensic science students and a gateway to advanced training and cutting-edge forensic science research.
Career – what can you do with a forensic examination degree?
Forensic examination plays a critical role in criminal investigations and prosecutions. A successful forensic examiner is patient, precise – and a bit of a perfectionist.
While some forensic examiners become highly-skilled in a single area, like fingerprint analysis, the BGSU forensic examiner degree program prepares students for a broad diversity of career paths.
BGSU graduates of this program are employed in crime labs, police departments, private labs and government agencies, such as the FBI and Homeland Security. Although not strictly confined to criminal investigations, that is where most forensic examiners work.
Forensic examiner duties can include collecting various types of physical evidence directly from the scene. Examples include ballistics residues, blood spatter or fingerprints. Even in entry level forensic science jobs, following strict protocol for evidence handling, preservation and lab analysis is essential. Test results must be meticulously documented. Analysts may be called upon to testify about their findings in court.
Career paths
- Latent fingerprint examiner
- Firearm and toolmark examiner
- Trace evidence analyst
- Forensic scientist
- Forensic scientist technician
Quick Facts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
BGSU is one of just 10 schools with both undergraduate and graduate accredited forensic science degree programs.
Curriculum
The BSFS forensic examination specialization provides a foundation of the essential scientific and laboratory problem-solving skills necessary for success in a modern forensic science lab.
The forensic science program with a specialization in forensic examination will teach you to:
- Collect, preserve and analyze physical evidence
- Reconstruct events
- Identify or absolve suspects
- Piece together connections that clarify the larger picture
- Give effective courtroom testimony
- Navigate legal and ethical considerations
Forensic examiner graduates are capable of:
- Performing assorted latent print processing and capture techniques
- Understanding microscopic theory and the ability to use a variety of microscope types in the examination of forensic evidence
- Operating all scientific instrumentation typically used by forensic laboratories in the analysis of trace, pattern and impression evidence
- Describing and defending the scientific foundations of the comparative forensic sciences in a fashion consistent with answering legal challenges
Toward the end of the degree program, choose one of three culminating experiences:
- Internship – 200+ hours of experience in a faculty-approved professional setting
- Research project
- Capstone course – concludes with a moot court experience in which students provide expert witness testimony
Undergraduate forensics examination students on the accelerated course to the graduate program can use the research course to plan their master’s thesis project.
Sample courses
- Introduction to Forensic Science
- Latent Prints
- Microscopy, Materials and Trace Evidence Analysis
- Forensic Biology
- Professional Responsibility
Summer Forensic Camp for high school students
BGSU’s virtual summer camp lets you experience what it’s like to be a forensic scientist.
- Classroom, lab and field experiences
- Taught by professionals from our cutting-edge forensic science program (They’ve even been featured on the hit show Forensic Files.)
- A virtual tour through a mock crime scene by a forensic scientist
- Home labs such as fingerprinting, evidence collection, blood typing and more.
The forensic science program is in the BGSU College of Arts and Sciences and affiliated with the Center for the Future for Forensic Science at BGSU.
Updated: 10/31/2024 02:03PM