Courses

Forensic and Investigative Sciences

Undergraduate
  • FIS 40100 Forensic Chemistry I (4 cr.) P: FIS 10600, CHEM C342, CHEM C344, CHEM C310, CHEM C311, CHEM C410, CHEM C411. Open only to majors in the FIS program or with consent of the instructor. Fall. Techniques in the analysis of forensic chemical evidence. Topics include chromatography (thin layer, gas, liquid), mass spectrometry, spectroscopy (IR, UV-visible), weighing, and sample preparation.
  • FIS 40200 Forensic Biology I (4 cr.) P: FIS 10600, BIOL K322, BIOL K323, BIOL K338, BIOL K339. Open only to majors in the FIS program or with consent of the instructor. Fall. Analysis of blood and other human and animal bodily fluids, including semen, saliva, and vaginal swabs. Analysis of blood splatter patterns.
  • FIS 40300 Forensic Biology II (4 cr.) P: FIS 40200. Open only to majors in the FIS program or with consent of the instructor. Spring. Continuation of FIS 40200. Forensic analysis of DNA evidence.
  • FIS 40400 Forensic Chemistry II (4 cr.) P: FIS 40100. Spring. Open only to majors in the FIS program or with consent of the instructor. Spring. Continuation of FIS 401. Applications of microscopy, chromatography and spectroscopy to the analysis of real and mock evidence including hairs and fibers, soil and glass, paint, fire residues, drugs, and other chemical evidence.
  • FIS 40900 Forensic Science Research (1-4 cr.) P: junior or senior standing in FIS Program or consent of instructor. Every semester, time arranged. Forensic science or literature research with a report. Can be elected only after consultation with research advisor and approval of program advisor.
  • FIS 41500 Forensic Science and the Law (3 cr.) P: FIS 10600, 21000. Open only to majors in the FIS program or with consent of the instructor. Application of various laws and rules of evidence to the forensic sciences and how the admission of evidence derived from forensic sciences can impact the administration of justice in the United States. Topics include preparation for testimony, expert testimony, subpoenas, basic judicial processes, admissibility of scientific evidence.
  • FIS 49000 Forensic Science Capstone (5 cr.) P: junior or senior standing in FIS Program and program advisor approval. Fall, day, night; Spring, day, night; Summer, day, night. One of the following: Internship at an approved crime laboratory or other organization, or laboratory research supervised by an FIS faculty member. Final paper required in all cases.
  • FIS 10500 Concepts of Forensic Science I (3 cr.) P: None. Fall, Summer. Forensic science and the criminal justice system. Evidence collection and analysis. Fingerprints, firearms, questioned documents, engineering, behavioral forensic sciences, pathology, entomology, anthropology. Forensic science and the law.
  • FIS 10600 Concepts of Forensic Science II (3 cr.) P: FIS 10500, CHEM C101 or CHEM C105. Spring. Continuation of FIS 105. Forensic chemistry and biology; hairs and fibers, fires and explosions, paints and coatings, blood and DNA, drugs, and toxicology.
  • FIS 20100 Professional Issues in Forensic Science (3 cr.) P: FIS 10500, FIS 10600 and junior status required. Spring, day. Open only to majors in the FIS program or with consent of the instructor. Ethical issues in forensic science. History, development, and culture of crime laboratories. Expert testimony, quality assurance, and control in a crime lab. Preparing for employment in a forensic science agency; locating jobs and preparing for interviews.
  • FIS 30600 Forensic Microscopy (3 cr.) P: FIS 10500, FIS 10600 Fall. Students will learn techniques in the analysis of forensic microscopic evidence.  Topics include:  property of light, compound light microscopy, micrometry, refraction, dispersion, stereomicroscopy, sample preparation, polarizing light microscopy, and instrumental microscopy.  Microsopes are used every day in class to handle forensic type of evidence.  The overall goal of this course is to develop techniques to analyze trace evidence.
Graduate
  • FIS 69800 Research M.S. Thesis (pending approval) (1-10 cr.) P: Consent of instructor. Credit hours arranged.
  • FIS 50500 Seminar in Forensic Science (3 cr.) P: Open only to majors admitted to B.S. or M.S. program. Fall. Development of Forensic Science. Ethics and quality assurance and control. Laboratory management, use of scientific evidence in criminal justice system.
  • FIS 51100 Forensic Chemistry I (4 cr.) P or C: 50500. Fall. Open only to majors admitted into the B.S. or M.S. program. This course covers major techniques used in the analysis of chemical evidence commonly encountered at crime scenes. Various instrumental methods of analysis will be used. There are lecture and laboratory components for each type of evidence covered.
  • FIS 51200 Forensic Chemistry II (4 cr.) P or C: 50500; P: 51100. Spring. Open only to majors admitted into the B.S. or M.S. program. Continuation of 51100. This course covers major techniques used in the analysis of chemical evidence commonly encountered at crime scenes. Various instrumental methods of analysis will be used. There are lecture and laboratory components for each type of evidence covered.
  • FIS 51500 Forensic Science and the Law (3 cr.) P: Open only to students enrolled in the Master of Science in Forensic Science program or students enrolled in the IU School of Law or with consent of the instructor. Fall. Application of various laws and rules of evidence to the forensic sciences and how the admission of evidence derived from forensic sciences can impact the administration of justice in the United States. Topics include preparation for testimony, expert testimony, subpoenas, basic judicial processes, admissibility of scientific evidence.
  • FIS 52100 Forensic Biology I (4 cr.) P or C: FIS 50500. Fall. Open only to majors in B.S. or M.S. program. Forensic identification of biological evidence including blood and other body fluids. Blood spatter analysis.
  • FIS 52200 Forensic Biology II (4 cr.) P or C: FIS 50500, 52100. Spring. Open only to majors in B.S. or M.S. program. Continuation of FIS 52100. Extraction and analysis of DNA evidence by PCR based methods including STR and SNP. Determination of sex. Interpretation of DNA evidence. Quality assurance and control.
  • FIS 53100 Forensic Toxicology I (pending approval) (4 cr.) P or C: 50500; P: 51100. Fall. Open only to FIS majors admitted into the B.S. or M.S. program. Analysis of forensic chemical and trace evidence. Includes hairs and fibers, paints and coatings, glass and soil, inks, fingerprints, and fire and explosive residues.
  • FIS 53200 Forensic Toxicology II (pending approval) (4 cr.) P or C: 50500; P: 53100. Spring. Open only to FIS majors admitted into the B.S. or M.S. program. Continuation of FIS 53100. The course covers the issue of ethyl alcohol intoxication and drunk driving laws and the analysis of alcohol. In addition, illicit drugs and their fate in the body will be surveyed, including methods of analysis. There will be lectures and laboratories.
  • FIS 69500 Seminar (0-1 cr.) Fall, Spring. Group meetings for review and discussion of current topics in forensic and investigative sciences. All graduate students are required to attend.
  • FIS 69600 Special Topics in Forensic and Investigative Sciences (pending approval) (1-4 cr.) P or C: FIS 50500 and consent of instructor. Fall, Spring. Selected research and topics of current interest to the field of forensic and investigative sciences. May be repeated for credit provided that the topic is different.
  • FIS 59000 Special Topics: Forensic and Investigative Sciences (3 cr.) Lecture or lecture/lab courses offered on topic areas that are not part of the regular M.S. ‎curriculum. These topics may include: firearms and tool marks, questioned documents, forensic ‎pathology, fingerprints, and others. They are electives in the M.S. in Forensic Science Progra
  • FIS 50600 Forensic Microscopy (3 cr.) Learn techniques in the analysis of forensic microscopic evidence.  Topics include property of light, compound microscopy, micrometry, refraction, dispersion, stereomicroscopy, sample preparation, polarizing light microscopy, and instrumental microscopy.