Forensics (Standard)

This introductory course will expose students to “real life” applications of the life and physical sciences to criminal investigation. Students will use techniques of biological and chemical tools to analyze evidence found at crime scenes, including the use of DNA analysis. Students will interact with law enforcement officials, crime scene technicians, and court officials to explore career opportunities in forensics. Mock trials will play an important role in this laboratory- based course.

This course is intended for students, primarily sophomores, who find science and mathematics challenging, and who would like an intermediate course to prepare for taking Physics: Systems of Matter, Motion, and Energy. Students who are interested in the topic and have completed Chemistry or Physics, especially at the accelerated level, should take Biotechnical Engineering, which has a forensics unit, instead of this course. Forensics does not qualify as a core course.

Prerequisite: Biology: Living and Chemical Systems (Standard); with departmental approval.