Degree Offered
- Associate of Science
Nature of the Program
The associate degree program in pre-forensic and investigative science fulfills the first two years of undergraduate study required for admittance into the West Virginia University Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Forensic and Investigative Science program. Once admitted into the bachelor's program on the Morgantown campus, students select an emphasis in one of the following: Forensic Biology, Forensic Chemistry, or Forensic Examiner. Students interested in applying to a forensic science program at another institution should communicate that with their advisor and learn the requirements for that program.
Courses within the associate's program provide a foundation in biology, chemistry, physics, math, and statistics needed to be successful in the Forensic and Investigative Science bachelor program.
Career Opportunities
A bachelor’s degree in Forensic Science & Investigation prepares students for opportunities in fields such as Forensic Biology, Forensic Chemistry, or Forensic Examiner. Forensic examiners can be crime scene analysts, latent fingerprint examiners, forensic photographers, evidence technicians, investigators, and law enforcement officers and agents. Working conditions are typically field and/or office-based rather than laboratory-based. Crime scene analysts are often part of major crime scene squads that collect and document evidence, but they rarely participate in the scientific examination of the evidence in the laboratory. Forensic biologists become DNA analysts or enter into graduate work. Forensic DNA work is a laboratory-based profession with employment opportunities in local, state, federal, and private laboratories. Forensic chemists can work in crime labs and/or as an arson analyst and investigators, forensic toxicologists, and trace evidence examiners. Like forensic biologists, forensic chemists may work immediately in a laboratory-based profession with employment opportunities in local, state, federal, and private laboratories or enter into graduate studies. Forensic biologists and chemists typically do not do crime scene work on a routine basis, but may occasionally be called to a scene.
Faculty
Chair
- Erin Cunningham - M.S. Biology
Year @ PSC 2007
Advisor
- Erin Cunningham - M.S. Biology
Year @ PSC 2007
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 101 & ENGL 102 | Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research (GEF 1) | 6 |
| MATH 155 | Calculus 1 (GEF 3) | 4 |
| MATH 156 | Calculus 2 (GEF 8) | 4 |
| STAT 215 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics | 3 |
| WVUE 191 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| MDS 270 & 270S | Effective Public Speaking and Effective Public Speaking Studio | 3 |
| BIOL 115 & 115L | Principles of Biology and Principles of Biology Laboratory (GEF 8) | 4 |
| BIOL 117 & 117L | Introductory Physiology and Introductory Physiology Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 219 & 219L | Cellular and Molecular Biology and Cellular & Molecular Biology Laboratory | 4 |
| CHEM 115 & 115L | Fundamentals of Chemistry 1 and Fundamentals of Chemistry 1 Laboratory (GEF 2) | 4 |
| CHEM 116 & 116L | Fundamentals of Chemistry 2 and Fundamentals of Chemistry 2 Laboratory (GEF 8) | 4 |
| CHEM 233 & 233L | Organic Chemistry 1 and Organic Chemistry 1 Laboratory | 4 |
| CHEM 234 & 234L | Organic Chemistry 2 and Organic Chemistry 2 Laboratory | 4 |
| Select one of the following pairs: | 4 | |
| Introductory Physics 1 and Introductory Physics 1 Laboratory | ||
| General Physics 1 and General Physics 1 Laboratory | ||
| Select one of the following pairs: | 4 | |
| Introductory Physics 2 and Introductory Physics 2 Laboratory | ||
| General Physics 2 and General Physics 2 Laboratory | ||
| FIS 201 | Introduction to Forensic Identification | 3 |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| BIOL 115 & 115L (GEF 8) | 4 | BIOL 117 & 117L | 4 | STAT 215 | 3 |
| CHEM 115 & 115L (GEF 2) | 4 | CHEM 116 & 116L (GEF 8) | 4 | ||
| MATH 155 (GEF 3) | 4 | ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | ||
| MDS 270 & 270S (GEF 4) | 3 | MATH 156 (GEF 8) | 4 | ||
| WVUE 191 | 1 | ||||
| 16 | 15 | 3 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| BIOL 219 & 219L | 4 | CHEM 234 & 234L | 4 | ||
| CHEM 233 & 233L | 4 | FIS 201 | 3 | ||
| Select one of the following pairs: | 4 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | ||
| Select one of the following pairs: | 4 | ||||
| 12 | 14 | ||||
| Total credit hours: 60 | |||||
Major Learning Outcomes
Pre-Forensic and Investigative Science
Upon completion of the associates in pre-forensic and investigative science program, students will be able to:
- Apply the scientific method to solving problem by formulating a hypothesis, design effective laboratory experiments, perform laboratory experiments, collect and analyze data statistically and graphically, interpret data, arrive at a conclusion, and report their results utilizing scientific writing.
- Describe the relationship between the structure and function of cells and investigate cellular properties through various laboratory techniques.
- Use chemical principles and laboratory techniques to describe and analyze the chemical structure and reactivity of organic molecules.
- Apply for admission into the forensic and investigative science program on the Morgantown campus or an equivalent program.