Program Overview

Forensic Science Certificate

Program Overview

The Forensic Science certification program is available to Biology, Biochemistry, or Chemistry majors. It is designed for students who intend to pursue a career in a crime laboratory or federal agency and prepares you for medical school if you want to become a medical examiner. Our strong curriculum follows the recommendations of the National Institute of Justice and primes you for the American Board of Criminalistics certification test.

Program Details

• Certificate Type: Certificate
• Format: On Campus
• Estimated Time to Complete: 2-3 semesters
• Credit Hours: 19

Program Requirements

• A B.S. degree in Biology, Biochemistry, or Chemistry
• A Forensic Science internship
• The Forensic Science Assessment Test

Marketable Skills

• A thorough grounding in the natural sciences
• How to build upon this background through a series of more advanced science classes
• An appreciation of issues specific to forensic science cultivated through course work and laboratory-based instruction

Program Highlights

• UNT has one of only 35 programs accredited by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
• You will receive instruction from nationally certified faculty members who conduct ongoing research in forensic science and have provided expert testimony in high-profile court cases.
• Our strong curriculum follows the recommendations of the National Institute of Justice and primes you for the American Board of Criminalistics certification test.
• Facilities include a criminalistics lab focusing on fingerprint, ballistic, and laser analysis, where students use the same cutting-edge equipment featured in the nation's top crime labs.

Career Outlook

A Certification in Forensic Science at the University of North Texas can lead to careers in:

• Arson investigation
• Ballistics or firearm analysis
• DNA analysis
• Drug and trace analysis

Program Courses

• Principles of Forensic Science (3 hrs) This course is designed to reinforce knowledge of forensic techniques and skills critical to evidence preservation and collection. It will also provide students with an understanding of professional ethics in forensic science and courtroom techniques.
• Criminal Investigations (3 hrs) Study of methods of obtaining and reporting information from the crime scene, victims, witnesses, and suspects. Specific attention is given to investigation of index crimes (homicide, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, arson, motor vehicle theft, and larceny).
• Biomedical Criminalistics (3 hrs) Survey of the various forensic sciences with emphasis on direct examination of human remains and directly related biological evidence; e.g., anthropology, pathology, odontology. Students learn how cases arise, i.e., how remains are located, recovered, and processed. Supporting biological, clinical, and physical sciences will also be covered; e.g., toxicology, entomology, DNA science, forensic geology/palynology, and remote sensing.
• Forensic Microscopy (3 hrs) Introduction to microscopic analysis with emphasis on the fundamentals necessary for identification and characterization of trace evidence materials such as glass, hair, fibers, explosives, soil, paint, and biological samples.
• Forensic Chemistry (3 hrs) Analytical chemistry applied to forensic science. Statistics and error analysis of drugs and physical evidence. Identification and analysis of forensic evidence through absorption and transmission spectroscopy, chromatography (TLC, HPLC, GC), electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, and atomic emission and analysis.
• Instrumental Analysis (3 hrs) Principles and theory of chemical analysis utilizing absorption spectroscopy in ultraviolet, visible, and infrared regions, nuclear and electron spin resonance, mass spectrometry, chromatography, polarography, and other advanced instrumental techniques.