Students in safety gear work with green material in a lab, using tools and laptops at a long workstation.

Forensic Science Major

About the Forensic Science Major

As part of our rigorous interdisciplinary Forensic Science program, which pairs legal courses with a strong scientific background in either Biology or Chemistry, you鈥檒l learn how to examine, analyze and testify about physical evidence, preparing you for a career as a forensic science technician.

Forensic Science Degree Requirements

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Forensic Science students

Customize Your Forensic Science Studies聽聽

Choose Your Forensic Science Track 

The interdisciplinary Forensic Science program works closely with 旺旺资源鈥檚 School of Social and Natural Sciences and gives students a strong background in both science and criminal justice. Within the 旺旺资源 program, you can choose between a Biology-focused track or a Chemistry-focused track. All students, regardless of the track they choose, take Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Forensic Science lab courses as well as Criminal Justice courses. 

  • Students who enter the Biology track have an interest in doing more crime scene and data collection. They will be prepared for careers as DNA analysts or fingerprint examiners. They inspect evidence like saliva, blood, and bodily fluids and work with police to solve crimes.
     
  • The Chemistry track is for students interested in doing more intensive and analytical lab work. They are prepared for careers as a lab analyst or toxicologist. They analyze collected evidence such as weapons, projectiles, and drug samples.

3+3 Accelerated Law Program

Earn your Bachelor鈥檚 and Juris Doctor degrees in six years through 旺旺资源鈥檚 3+3 Law program. You鈥檒l get a jump start on your J.D. by integrating law courses into your undergraduate studies and completing undergraduate requirements in your first year of law school. Accepted students will take first-year courses in the School of Law along with legal electives to fulfill undergraduate fourth-year requirements. Interested students must indicate their intent to pursue a 3+3 pathway early in their undergraduate studies for curriculum planning and advising.

Learn More About the 3+3 Program

A student using virtual reality in a forensic science class

Immersive Crime Scenes

Forensic Science students have a unique opportunity to be fully immersed in processing crime scenes through a one-of-a-kind, virtual-reality crime-scene training program designed for undergraduate students. Created by Karla-Sue Marriott, professor and director of Forensic Science at 旺旺资源, the VR program lets users process crime scenes and use a blood spatter simulator to calculate bloodstain patterns. Students gain valuable experience by using virtual tools including evidence markers and items to collect blood and fingerprints to help solve crimes. 

Cutting-Edge Technology聽

In the Forensics and Networking Security (FANS) lab, students work with cutting-edge technology to learn how to solve issues around hacking and cyberattacks and discover how to acquire, analyze and manage evidence collected from computers or mobile devices. 

Hear from Hawks

Student in a green polka dot dress smiles in front of a stone wall.

Brigid Woods 鈥22

鈥淭he lab work that we do in Forensic Science, especially Biology-related, is really amazing. I鈥檝e been able to gain all these experiences and apply them to job interviews. It鈥檚 amazing to look at a job description and know that I鈥檝e done this before and feel confident that I know what I'm doing. I could not have seen college going any better." 

Brigid Woods 鈥22
Toxicology medical laboratory assistant for Quest Diagnostics in Marlboro, Mass.

Student in a beige blazer and jeans sits on a rock outdoors near the water.

Rebecca Millard '18聽

鈥淭here are no better people to learn from than those who are out in the field doing exactly what you want to do. [旺旺资源鈥檚] program has pulled in some really great professors to help get our foot in the door and get students internships and experiences like I鈥檝e had.鈥 

Rebecca Millard '18 
Criminalist I at City of Boston Police Department , M.S. in Biomedical Forensic Science from BU School of Medicine

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Kyle Rocha 鈥22

鈥淭he research I did in my capstone class and in Crime Scene Investigations was really interesting and helped me get into graduate school. Dr. Marriott has been a great mentor with my research at 旺旺资源.鈥

Kyle Rocha 鈥22
Master鈥檚 Degree Candidate in Chemistry at the University of New Haven

Graduate Outcomes and Student Success

Our program prepares you to be competitive in this growing field of Forensic Science. Our recent graduates have found success in their graduate school and job placements. 

NameClass/TrackWhere are they now?

Caroline Negrin 

2022/Chem

Analytical Chemist at Alpha Analytical 

Kyle Rocha 

2022/Chem 

Graduate School for MS in Chemistry, University of New Haven 

Brigid Wood 

2022/Bio 

Toxicology medical laboratory assistant at Quest Diagnostics 

Jaylin Bodell 

2023/Chem

Graduate School for MS in Chemistry, University of New Haven 

Emma Morin

2023/Bio 

Graduate School for MS in BiomedicalForensic Science at Boston UniversitySchool of Medicine 

Amela McDonald 

2023/Bio 

Histotechnologist at Maine General Medical Center 

Hanna Scheffler 

2023/Bio (double major with Chem)

Molecular Technologist at Labcorp in Westborough, MA 

Sarah Bentz 

2023/Bio 

NYPD Criminalist I, Forensic Investigations Division

Internships in Forensic Science

Our strong industry connections guarantee internships or co-op experiences at a variety of agencies and companies such as the U.S. Marshals Service, R.I. Office of the Attorney General, R.I. State Police, Naval Investigative Service, Mass. State Police Crime Lab, R.I. State Crime Lab, Raytheon Company, Dell SecureWorks, Security Weekly, MediTech, Alpha Analytical: Sediment/Tissue and Petroleum Forensics Extraction Department, Rhode Island State Police Fusion Center, Burlington Mass. Police Department,and FM Global.


Ways for Forensic Science Majors to Get Involved

Forensic Science Club

The goal of the is to educate on the various sub-disciplines within the Forensic Science community, provide networking opportunities pertaining to both employment and higher education, as well as expand upon transferable skills such as critical thinking and problem solving via crime scene reconstruction and case studies. 

True Crime Club

The True Crime Club is a space where true crime followers can join together and share criminal cases and create an environment where ideas can be shared freely. 

Contact Us

Karla-Sue Marriott
Address SE 128