George Mason University–Office of the Registrar Undergraduate Course Approval Form
Please complete this form and attach a copy of the syllabus and catalog description for new courses. Forward the form and
attachments to your departmental curriculum committee for approval, and then to your College/School curriculum
committee, or Dean’s office, for final approval. The approved form should then be forwarded to the Academic Scheduling
Office, MS 3D1. This is for undergraduate course approval only. Please see the Provost Office/Graduate Council
website to obtain a copy of the Graduate Course Approval Form and for details about the graduate course approval process.
Note: Colleges and Schools are responsible for submitting new or modified catalog descriptions (35 words or less, using
catalog format) to Creative Services by deadlines outlined in the yearly Catalog production calendar.
Please indicate: New__X___
Modify_______
Delete_______
Department/Unit: _COS Dean’s Office__ Course Subject/Number: ____FRSC 440___________________
Submitted by: _______T. Born______________________ Ext: __3-4171____ Email: ___tborn@gmu.edu______
Course Title: ____Forensic Chemistry_______________________________________________________________
Effective Term (New/Modified Courses only): __S2010____
Credit Hours: (Fixed) __3__
(Var.) ______ to ______
Final Term (deleted courses only):____________
Grade Type (check one): _X___
_____
_____
Regular graduate (A, B, C, etc.)
Satisfactory/No Credit only
Special graduate (A, B, C, etc. + IP)
Repeat Status*(check one): _X_ NR-Not repeatable ____ RD-Repeatable within degree ____ RT-Repeatable within term
*Note: Used only for special topics, independent study, or internships courses
Total Number of Hours Allowed: _______
Schedule Type Code(s): 1._LEC_ LEC=Lecture SEM=Seminar STU=Studio INT=Internship IND=Independent Study
2.____ LAB=Lab RCT=Recitation (second code used only for courses with Lab or Rct component)
Prereq _x__ Coreq ___ (Check one):__ Completion of Forensic Science Foundation courses ____________
Note: Modified courses - review prereq or coreq for necessary changes; Deleted courses - review other courses to correct prereqs that list the deleted course.
Description of Modification (for modified courses):____________________________________________________________________
Special Instructions (major/college/class code restrictions, if needed):__________________________________________
Approval Signatures:
Department or Unit: _________________________________________ Date: _____________
(Signature)
College/School Committee: ____________________________________ Date: _____________
(Signature)
George Mason University
Undergraduate Course Coordination Form
Approval from other units:
Please list those units outside of your own which may be affected by this new, modified, or deleted course. Each of these units should
approve this action prior to its being submitted to the COS Curriculum Committee for approval.
Unit:
Head of Unit’s Signature:
Date:
Unit:
Head of Unit’s Signature:
Date:
Unit:
Head of Unit’s Signature:
Date:
Unit:
Head of Unit’s Signature:
Date:
Unit:
Head of Units Signature:
Date:
COS Curriculum Committee approval: ______________________________________________ Date: ____________
Course Proposal Submitted the College of Science
1. COURSE NUMBER AND TITLE: FRSC 440: Forensic Chemistry (3:3:0)
Course Prerequisites: Completion of Forensic Science Foundation courses.
Catalog Description: The principles of forensic chemistry will be addressed in this course, including analytical
chemistry, instrumentation, sample handling, drug chemistry and pharmacology, and analysis of physical
evidence such as papers, inks, paints, and coatings.
2. COURSE JUSTIFICATION:
Course Objectives: The objectives of this course are to introduce the principal areas of forensic chemistry
from the perspective of analytical chemistry, the types of samples and matrices and variety of sample types
encountered, and the extensive use of instrumentation. The course will delve into the aspects of study
unique to forensic chemistry, including: types of samples and how they are prepared; acid/base chemistry
of drugs; solubility; preparations; presumptive testing, and a detailed discussion of microscopy, a
fundamental tool of the forensic chemist. An overview of forensic pharmacology, including physical and
biological evidence, toxicology, and aspects of drug analysis critical to reconstructing a crime scene will be
presented. Finally, the analysis of evidence related to combustion; polymers; paper and inks, and paints and
coatings will be addressed.
Course Necessity: This course will be one of a small suite of courses taught in support of the new minor in
Forensic Science.
Course Relationship to Existing Programs: This will be an elective course in the Forensic Science minor. It
might also be possible for students minoring and majoring in Chemistry to take this course as an elective.
Course Relationship to Existing Courses: This course is similar to FRSC 540, which is taught as part of the
Forensic Science certificate program, and covers the same topics. FRSC 440 will be taught at a more elementary
level since it is geared toward undergraduate rather than graduate students and the prerequisites are not as
extensive.
3. APPROVAL HISTORY: None
4. SCHEDULING AND PROPOSED INSTRUCTORS:
Semester of Initial Offering: The course will be first offered in the Spring or Fall of 2010.
Proposed Instructors: Chemistry Department faculty (Born, Couch, Foster, Honeychuck, Mushrush, Schreifels)
and outside professionals.
5. TENTATIVE SYLLABUS: See attached.
FRSC 440
Forensic Chemistry
-- SYLLABUS -Prerequisites: Completion of Forensic Science Foundation courses.
Credits: 3
Instructors: T. Born, R. Couch, G. Foster, R. Honeychuck, G. Mushrush, J. Schreifels, outside professionals
Textbook: Forensic Chemistry, by Suzanne Bell (2006), Prentice Hall Publishers, ISBN 0131478354
Course objective: The objectives of this course are to introduce the principal areas of forensic chemistry from
the perspective of analytical chemistry, the types of samples and matrices and variety of sample types
encountered, and the extensive use of instrumentation. The course will delve into the aspects of study unique to
forensic chemistry, including: types of samples and how they are prepared; acid/base chemistry of drugs;
solubility; preparations; presumptive testing, and a detailed discussion of microscopy, a fundamental tool of the
forensic chemist. An overview of forensic pharmacology, including physical and biological evidence,
toxicology, and aspects of drug analysis critical to reconstructing a crime scene will be presented. Finally, the
analysis of evidence related to combustion; polymers; paper and inks, and paints and coatings will be addressed.
Course description: The principles of forensic chemistry will be addressed in this course, including analytical
chemistry, instrumentation, sample handling, drug chemistry and pharmacology, and analysis of physical
evidence such as papers, inks, paints, and coatings. The course will be split into three sections. Section one will
be an introduction to forensic chemistry, including the topics of statistics, calibration, quality assurance, sample
preparation, and instrumentation. The focus of section two will be on drug analysis and toxicology and will
include discussions of techniques used for separation and identification of common pharmaceutical drugs. The
final section of the class will focus on the analysis of physical evidence, including gunshot residues, inks and
paints, and various polymers.
Lecture outline:
Weeks 1-4: Introduction, statistics, sampling, data quality, calibration, quality assurance, sample preparation and
chromatography, instrumentation and microscopy; handling and preparation of samples in the laboratory (G.
Foster, J. Schreifels)
Weeks 5-8: Drugs and pharmacology, analysis of acidic drugs, analysis of basic drugs; separation and
identification of common pharmaceutical drugs in the laboratory (T. Born, R. Couch, G. Foster)
Weeks 9-13: Chemistry of combustion, explosives and gunshot residue, inks and paint, fibers, paper, plastics,
adhesives; analysis of fuel, ink, paint, and fiber samples in the laboratory (G. Mushrush, R. Honeychuck)
Grading basis: The students will be graded on exams at the end of each section of the class (33% for each
exam).