Undergraduate
Student Learning Outcomes
Forensic and Investigative Sciences
Students who graduate from the Forensic and Investigative Sciences program will learn:
1. General Forensic Science System
- Explain and describe areas in forensic science
- Understanding the fundamentals of crime laboratory culture and organization
- Understanding the role of forensic science in crime scene investigation
- Explain and be able to classify evidence
- Explain and describe quality assurance and control used in forensic science laboratories
- Describe the possible job functions of a chemist in a forensic science laboratory
- Understanding of the application of firearm and toolmark analysis used in forensic science
- Describe forensic techniques used on questioned documents
- Understanding of the application of impression evidence such as firearms, toolmarks, tire treads and footwear
- Ability to define ethics
- Describe how ethics are applied in the analysis of forensic evidence
- Describe how the criminal and civil laws govern the collection, preservation and admissibility of evidence
- Describe how the rules of evidence have affected the admissibility of scientific and technical evidence historically
- Describe the possible job functions of a forensic biologist in a forensic science laboratory
- Describe how to recognize, collect and preserve biological evidence
- Describe the principles and techniques of blood spatter pattern analysis
- Describe the principles and techniques of identification of body fluids
- Describe the principles and techniques of DNA isolation from various biological evidence
- Explain the principles, instrumentation and applications of DNA typing techniques
- Explain the principles, instrumentation and applications of microscopic techniques such as light microscopy, polarized light microscopy, hot stage microscopy and microspectrophotometry
2. Forensic Chemistry
- Explain the possible job functions of a chemist in a forensic science laboratory
- Understanding of how statistical techniques can be used to describe the quality of data, classify samples or determine proper sampling protocol
- Explain the chemical principles behind acid-base, liquid-liquid, liquid-solid and solid-vapor extractions
- Explain and describe the principles, instrumentation and applications of chromatographic techniques such as TLC, HPLC, and GC
- Explain and describe the principles, instrumentation and applications of spectroscopic techniques such as UV/VIS, FTIR and microspectrophotometry
- Explain and describe the principles, instrumentation and applications of mass spectrometry using EI and ESI ionization
- Explain and describe the chemical structures, properties and origins of the most commonly encountered illicit drugs
- Explain and describe the chemical composition, origins and significance of the most commonly encountered types of trace evidence such as ink, paint, fibers, explosives, accelerants, soil glass and hairs
- Understanding of the application of firearm toolmark, tiretread, and footwear analysis used in forensic science
- Explain and describe forensic techniques on questioned documents
- Demonstrate the ability to prepare and examine samples using analytical techniques such as TLC, GC/MS, Pyrolysis-GC/FID, LC/MS, FTIR, Raman, and UV/VIS/fluorescence Spectroscopy
- Determine the appropriate chemical analytical scheme to be used on physical evidence
- Successfully apply the chemical and instrumental techniques described above on mock case work
- Explain, evaluate, and identify characteristics of fingerprints
3. Forensic Biology
- Describe the possible job functions of a forensic biologist in a forensic science laboratory
- Describe how to recognize, collect and preserve biological evidence
- Describe the principles and techniques of identification of body fluids
- Describe the principles and techniques of DNA Extraction
- Describe the principles and techniques of the amplification of human DNA for the purposes of forensic identification
- Describe the principles and techniques of DNA isolation from various biological evidence
- Explain the principles, instrumentation and applications of DNA typing techniques
- Describe how statistics and population genetics can be used for data interpretation
4. Forensic Microscopy
- Prepare and examine samples using techniques such as stereomicroscopy, compound light microscopy, and polarized light microscopy
- Explain the principles and applications of microscopic techniques such as stereomicroscopy, compound light microscopy, and polarized light microscopy on forensic trace evidence
- Demonstrate the ability to prepare and examine samples using microscopic techniques, stereomicroscopy, compound light microscopy, and polarized light microscopy; samples should include: physical matches, fibers, hairs, glass, spermatozoa, minerals, microcrystals, and impressions
5. Law and Ethics in Forensic Science
- Understand the fundamentals of crime laboratory culture and organization
- Explain and describe quality assurance and control used in forensic science laboratories
- Define ethics
- Describe how ethics are applied in the analysis of forensic evidence.
- Describe how ethics are applied to the presentation of expert testimony in court
- Describe the major features of the Code of Ethics of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and of other major forensic science organizations
- Apply the evidentiary rules and law of evidence in collection of evidence, examination of the evidence, and preparation of scientific reports and testimony
- Describe the kinds of evidence that require a scientific foundation for its admission
- Demonstrate the ability to conduct accurate, comprehensive ad focused scientific investigations and apply appropriate rules of evidence
- Interpret and implement standards of forensic practice as established by the rules of evidence
- Apply knowledge of forensic science to case scenarios
6. Capstone in Forensic Science
- Conduct literature search on a forensic science research project
- Effectively communicate research through written, oral and visual presentation
- List the expectations of employers when conducting the hiring process
- Name ways to professionally network and look for jobs
- Prepare a resume and cover letter for a job in forensic science
- Demonstrate proper interviewing skills for a job in forensic science
- General knowledge of forensic science concepts
