Survey of Forensic Science

Helpful Resources

Forensic Organizations

Course Description

Forensic science is a broad term that encompasses any scientific inquiry that is applied to the legal system. This course is designed to familiarize the student with the most common forensic disciplines including, but not limited to, criminalists, forensic biology, forensic chemistry, and death investigation. Students will learn about the types of evidence each discipline is responsible for as well as common methods of evidence analysis and interpretation. This course will also discuss current research in forensic science as well as the challenges that modern forensic investigators face in the crime scene, laboratory, and courtroom settings.

Course Textbook

This textbook provides you with an overview of the entire forensic science discipline. The text explores forensic evidence collection at the crime scene, analysis in the laboratory, and admission into the courtroom We will jump right into this textbook starting week one, so make sure you purchase your copy early!

Bell, S. (2019). Forensic Science: An Introduction to Scientific and Investigative Techniques (5^th ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.