500 Introduction to Forensic Science (3:3:0) Prerequisite: graduate standing. Overview of forensic science and related investigative techniques. Includes coverage of crime scene investigation, crime scene procedures, the role of the forensic pathologist, the modern forensic laboratory, DNA analysis techniques, microanalysis, examination of trace evidence, hair and fibers, examination of questioned documents, forensic anthropology, forensic odontology, homicide investigation, and analysis of a mock crime scene.
510 Crime Scene Analysis (3:3:0) Prerequisite: graduate standing. Examines the role of the first officer at the scene, search, seizure and related legal issues, traditional crime scene measurements, photogrammetry, processing latents, crime scene reconstruction methods, 2-D and 3-D impressions, blood spatter analysis, collection of trace evidence, packaging and preserving evidence, outdoor crime scenes, and explosion and fire scenes.
520 Toxicology (3:3:0) Prerequisite: a 400-level course in molecular or cellular biology, or permission of instructor. Examines toxic substances and their effects on human cellular and organ systems. The course focuses on human physiological concepts, the chemistry of toxins, the human enzymatic detoxification processes, and the analytical techniques required for detecting the presence of toxins and their metabolites in human tissue or serum.
530 Criminal Law (3:3:0) Prerequisite: graduate standing. Introduction to the criminal justice process, constitutional overview, the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth amendments, continuation of criminal justice process, exclusionary rule and the Bill of Rights. Search warrants requirements, including probable cause, particularity, and proper execution. Covers warrantless searches and seizures, the plain view doctrine, exigent circumstances, searches incident to an arrest and consent, and challenges to searches, including the exclusionary rule and the concept of standing. Also explores warrant requirements for arrest and interrogation, including the Miranda rule and its limitations; the grand jury process and pretrial discovery issues; trial and the right to counsel; burden of proof, guilty pleas, and plea bargaining; and sentencing issues, including an overview of sentencing guidelines.
540 Chemical Analysis (3:3:0) Prerequisite: undergraduate degree in chemistry or biology, or permission of instructor. Theories and models of separation with applications to analyses of a wide range of chemical, biological, and environmental samples. Topics include high-resolution gas and high-performance liquid chromatography. Emphasizes theory of reverse phase, normal phase, ion exchange, size exclusion, and affinity based separations. Also presents instrumentation such as detectors, pumps, columns, and data acquisition.
550 Issues in Forensic Anthropology (3:3:0) Prerequisite: graduate standing. Examines issues related to skeletal analyses and interpretation of forensic case reports in determining personal identification and cause of death. Discussions include skeletal variation, age criteria, sexing criteria, pathology, trauma, and postmortem damage.
560/BINF 637 Forensic DNA Sciences (3:3:0) Prerequisites: graduate standing or permission of instructor. Intensive introduction to parameters affecting data QC and analysis, including factors arising from biochemistry, chemistry, genetics, statistics, instrumentation, and software.
570 Introduction to Biochemical Forensics (3:3:0) Prerequisites: a course in biochemistry or permission of instructor. Introduces students to the application of standard biochemical techniques and assays to the collection and interpretation of evidence in criminal investigations. Emphasizes sample processing and methodology used in sample analysis. Covers mass spectrometry, DNA chip technology, and bioterrorism as it relates to forensic science and law enforcement. Includes a survey of laboratory methods and instrumentation for testing of drugs and biological samples, as well as a discussion of drug abuse and toxicology from the perspective of forensic analysis. Assignments cover sample preparation, handling, analysis, and data interpretation for samples from simulated crime scenes. Techniques covered include chromatographic and spectroscopic analysis and mass spectrometry. Use and conformity to standard protocols, quality assurance, and quality control methods will be stressed, along with statistical methods for calibration and analysis of data.
590 Forensics Capstone Course (3:3:0) Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Integrates all the various techniques used in the study of forensic science and medicine, and applies them to the interpretation of facts and the reconstruction of the sequence of events at a variety of typical death scenes. Integrates medical, scientific, sociological, and legal methodology as they apply to medicolegal death investigations, using a variety of forensic literature and text resources. Presents an integrative approach to crime scene analysis based on actual case studies, in which students apply theoretical concepts discussed in class to real-world situations. Includes weekly group projects, with students organized in rotating groups and assigned a research topic in forensic medicine. Students discuss, examine, and analyze forensic, medical, and physical elements present at the death scenes, and develop their own hypotheses, which are then evaluated and discussed as the case is reconstructed.