INTRODUCTION TO FORENSIC SCIENCE
SUMMER 2016
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will give you an overview of the crime scene investigation process and the issues involved in
presenting forensic evidence in court. We will learn about the identification, documentation, and
collection of physical evidence, including fingerprints, shoe impressions, hair and fibers, firearms
evidence and questioned documents. We will also discuss the impact of television and other media on the
field of forensic science. This course is designed to provide a basic foundation in the field of
criminalistics to students who are interested in the use of science to solve crime.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course will provide students with knowledge of:
General principles of forensic science.
Definitions of key terms used in the field of forensic science.
Crime scene protocol & processing.
Recognizing evidence and its value.
How police and the courts utilize forensic evidence.
The principles of scientific testimony.
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS (Assignments will vary, depending on instructor.)
All assignments are due 30 days after returning home.
Final grades will be determined as follows:
The assignments for this class will be as follows:
1. Online homework assignments: 30%
a. A total of 4 short online discussion assignments--students must respond to a prompt with
a relevant news/media post.
2. Case Study: 50%
a. An “A” paper offers a thorough description of the forensics used in your case study,
provides a detailed analysis of said forensics, including whether or not they were
appropriate and/or carried out properly, is properly formatted, and has few to no
grammar/syntax/spelling errors; see detailed explanation of assignment below for more
details.
3. Participation: 20%
a. Each class period counts for 5% of your total grade; you must ask multiple
questions/make multiple comments during each class period to earn the full 5%.