Department website: http://forensics.wvu.edu/
Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Science
Nature of the Program
The Department of Forensic and Investigative Science (FIS) offers a Bachelor of Science degree in three major areas: Forensic Biology, Forensic Chemistry, and Forensic Examiner. All of these majors provide students with a strong background in the fundamental science and applied practice associated with forensic science. The Program is accredited by the Forensic Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC).
Because of the unique nature of the profession of forensic science, students are forewarned that a record of criminal, unethical, or other socially unacceptable behavior (such as illicit drug use or alcohol offenses) could negatively affect their ability to pass a background check, which may in turn make it difficult or impossible and complete the degree. Department guidelines are available from departmental advisers.
Students who earn a degree in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences must complete the University requirements, the College requirements for their specific degree program, and their major requirements.
Minors
All students have the possibility of earning one or more minors; click the following link for a list of all available minors and their requirements. Please note that students may not earn a minor in their major field.
Faculty
Chair
- Casper Venter - Ph.D. (University of South Africa)
Director of Graduate Studies
- Tina Moroose - M.S. (Marshall University)
Director of Undergraduate Studies
- Rachel Mohr - Ph.D. (Texas A&M University)
Professors
- Glen Jackson - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Ming Hsieh Distinguished Professor, Forensic Chemistry, Mass Spectrometry - Keith Morris - Ph.D. (University of Port Elizabeth)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Ming Hsieh Distinguished Professor, Impression Evidence, Evidence Interpretation
Associate Professors
- Luis Arroyo - Ph.D. (Florida International University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Toxicology, Environmental Forensics - Tina Moroose - M.S. (Marshall University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Forensic Biology, Quality Assurance - Jacqueline Speir - Ph.D. (Rochester Institute of Technology)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Forensic Informatics, Microscopy - Tatiana Trejos - Ph.D. (Florida International University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Trace Evidence, Elemental Analysis
Assistant Professors
- Robin Bowen - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Associate Graduate Faculty, Ethics, Bloodstain Pattern Analysis - Tiffany Edwards - M.S. (University of Central Oklahoma)
Criminalistics, Death Investigation - Arati Iyengar - Ph.D. (University of Southampton)
Regular Graduate Faculty, DNA, Forensic Genetics - Roger Jefferys - M.S. (West Virginia University)
Criminalistics - Lisa Licata - M.S. (University of North Texas Health Science Center)
Criminalistics, DNA - Rachel Mohr - Ph.D. (Texas A&M University)
Associate Graduate Faculty, Forensic Entomology - Robert O'Brien - M.S. (St. Joseph's College)
Associate Graduate Faculty, Crime Scene Investigation
Admissions for 2026-2027
- First Time Freshmen with a MATH ACT of 22 or MATH SAT of 540 or with a 3.75 cumulative high school GPA are admitted directly to the major. A minimum ALEKS score of 45 is recommended for the timely completion of the degree.
- Students transferring from another WVU major or from another institution with fewer than 24 credits and at least a 2.0 overall GPA must meet the following requirements: MATH ACT of 22 or MATH SAT of 540 or a 3.75 cumulative high school GPA.
- Students transferring from another WVU major or from another institution with 24 hours or more and at least a 2.0 overall GPA must meet the following requirement prior to being admitted to the major: CHEM 115 or higher with a C-.
Major Code: 14D9
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.
Degree Requirements
Students must complete WVU General Education Foundations requirements, Eberly Edge Progam requirements, major requirements, and electives to total a minimum of 120 hours.
Departmental Requirements for the B.S. in Forensic Biology
-
Calculation of the GPA in the Major: A minimum grade of C- or better in all courses applied to major requirements, including the STEM Foundations. If a course is repeated, all attempts will be included in the calculation of the GPA, unless the course is eligible for a D/F repeat.
-
Writing and Communication Skills Requirement: The Forensic Biology Bachelor of Science is a SpeakWrite Certified ProgramTM. SpeakWrite Certified programs incorporate and develop students' written, verbal, visual, and mediated communication skills across the curriculum.
-
Internship Requirement: All students are required to successfully complete the FIS 386 internship course for at least 3 hours of credit.
-
Capstone Requirement: The university requires the successful completion of a Capstone course. Forensic Biology majors must complete FIS 406.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 20 | |
| Eberly Edge Requirements | 9 | |
| Forensic Biology Major Requirements | 91 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7 | 18 | |
| FIS 191 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| General Electives | 1 | |
| Total Hours | 20 | |
Eberly Edge Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDG 1: Data and Society | 3 | |
| EDG 2: Effective and Civil Communication (FIS 406L) | ||
| EDG 3: Ethics and Civil Responsibility (FIS 485) | ||
| EDG 4: Global and Regional Perspectives | 3 | |
| EDG 5: Practicing Arts and Sciences (ARSC 380) | 3 | |
| EDG 6: High Impact Experience (FIS 386) | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Forensic Biology Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| STEM FOUNDATIONS * | 20 | |
| Fundamentals of Chemistry 1 and Fundamentals of Chemistry 1 Laboratory | ||
| Fundamentals of Chemistry 2 and Fundamentals of Chemistry 2 Laboratory | ||
| Calculus 1 | ||
| Introductory Physics 1 and Introductory Physics 1 Laboratory | ||
| General Physics 1 and General Physics 1 Laboratory | ||
| Introductory Physics 2 and Introductory Physics 2 Laboratory | ||
| General Physics 2 and General Physics 2 Laboratory | ||
| QUANTITATIVE REQUIREMENT | 6 | |
| Calculus 2 and Introduction to Probability and Statistics | ||
| Elementary Statistical Inference and Intermediate Statistical Methods | ||
| BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY CORE | 32 | |
| Introductory Biochemistry and Introduction to Biochemistry Laboratory | ||
or BMM 339 | Introduction to Human Biochemistry | |
| Principles of Biology and Principles of Biology Laboratory | ||
| Introductory Physiology and Introductory Physiology Laboratory | ||
| Cellular and Molecular Biology and Cellular & Molecular Biology Laboratory | ||
| Organic Chemistry 1 and Organic Chemistry 1 Laboratory | ||
| Organic Chemistry 2 and Organic Chemistry 2 Laboratory | ||
| Molecular Genetics for Forensic Science and Molecular Genetics for Forensic Science Laboratory | ||
| Forensic Biology and Forensic Biology Laboratory | ||
| FORENSIC SCIENCE CORE | 24 | |
| Introduction to Forensic Identification | ||
| Crime Scene Investigation Overview | ||
| Biological Evidence and Biological Evidence Laboratory | ||
| Applied Forensic Microscopy and Applied Forensic Microscopy Laboratory | ||
| Professional Internship Preparation | ||
| Forensic Identification Internship | ||
| Law and Evidence | ||
| Forensic Quality Assurance | ||
| Professional Ethics in Forensic Science | ||
| UPPER-DIVISION ELECTIVES ** | 6 | |
| Science/Technology of Fingerprint Identification and Science/Technology of Fingerprint Identification Laboratory *** | ||
| Science and Culture of Illicit Drugs | ||
| Principles of Forensic Photography | ||
| Population Genetics for Forensic Science | ||
| Professional Forensic Communication | ||
| Gravesite Forensics and Gravesite Forensics Laboratory | ||
| Medicolegal Forensics and Medicolegal Forensics Laboratory | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Research | ||
| Honors | ||
| CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE | 3 | |
| Capstone: Courtroom Testimony and Laboratory | ||
| Total Hours | 91 | |
- *
STEM foundation courses are common to most STEM majors and excluded from the calculation of the percentage of upper-division courses
- **
A maximum of 3 credits combined may come from FIS 495 or FIS 497. FIS 498C may not be used to fulfill this requirement.
- ***
FIS 301 & FIS 301L are typically reserved for Forensic Examiner majors. Seating is extremely restricted, but if there is a seat available, it will be open to Forensic Biology majors.
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| BIOL 115 & 115L (GEF 2) | 4 | BIOL 117 & 117L (GEF 8 course 2) | 4 | ||
| CHEM 115 & 115L (GEF 8 course 1) | 4 | CHEM 116 & 116L (GEF 8 course 3) | 4 | ||
| FIS 191 | 1 | ENGL 101 (GEF 1 Course 1) | 3 | ||
| FIS 201 | 3 | MATH 156 | 4 | ||
| MATH 155 (GEF 3) | 4 | ||||
| 16 | 15 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| BIOL 219 & 219L | 4 | CHEM 234 & 234L | 4 | ||
| CHEM 233 & 233L | 4 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1 Course 2) | 3 | ||
| PHYS 101 & 101L | 4 | FIS 202 | 3 | ||
| STAT 215 | 3 | PHYS 102 & 102L | 4 | ||
| GEF 4 | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 17 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| FIS 305 & 305L | 3 | ARSC 380 (EDG 5) | 3 | FIS 386 (EDG 6) | 3-6 |
| FIS 324 & 324L | 4 | AGBI 410 & 410L | 4 | ||
| FIS 385 | 1 | FIS 312 & 312L | 3 | ||
| FIS 480 | 2 | FIS 432 & 432L | 4 | ||
| EDG 1: Data and Society | 3 | ||||
| 13 | 14 | 3 | |||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| FIS 404 | 3 | FIS 485 (EDG 3) | 3 | ||
| FIS 406L (Capstone (EDG 2)) | 3 | EDG 4: Global and Regional Perspectives | 3 | ||
| Forensic Biology Elective 1 | 3 | GEF 7 | 3 | ||
| GEF 5 | 3 | Forensic Biology Elective 2 | 3 | ||
| GEF 6 | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 12 | ||||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||||
Degree Progress
- All majors must meet with a FIS adviser each semester.
- By the start of the third regular semester (Fall or Spring) in the major, students must be enrolled in or have successfully completed and with a C-.
- Beyond the fifth regular semester, all students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 in all courses applied to major requirements with a minimum grade requirement of C- in all courses applied to major requirements.
- If students do not begin upper-level FIS courses in their third year, they must complete the foundational courses listed below by the end of their sixth regular semester.
- Students who do not meet major benchmarks may be removed from the major.
Upper Level Qualification
During their first four semesters, students are expected to complete their foundational biology, chemistry, math, and physics courses. These fundamentals must be completed prior to taking upper-level FIS courses. Many of these courses will satisfy the GEF 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 requirements, as well as the College B.S. requirements. Students interested in the forensic chemistry major are strongly encouraged to take PHYS 111/PHYS 112 if they qualify.
To begin taking upper-level FIS courses, typically in the fifth semester/fall of the junior year, students must have completed the courses listed below with a grade of C- or better. If students are deficient in a single course requirement but can complete it in the fall semester, they may be permitted to enroll in upper-division FIS courses alongside the deficient course, based on availability of seats and compatibility of scheduling.
- BIOL 117 & BIOL 117L
- CHEM 234 & CHEM 234L
- MATH 154 or MATH 155 (Forensic Biology and Forensic Examiner) or MATH 156 (Forensic Chemistry)
- PHYS 102 & PHYS 102L or PHYS 112 & PHYS 112L
- STAT 215 or STAT 312
Calculation of GPA
All students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 in all courses applied to major requirements with a minimum grade requirement of C- in selected courses. Selected courses are: all courses applied to major requirements.
Major Learning Outcomes
Forensic Biology
Upon graduation from the Forensic Biology major, students will be able to:
- Apply scientific methodology and evaluate techniques in the collection, processing, analysis, and evaluation of forensic evidence.
- Assess and defend data generated during forensic investigations
- Present scientific data in written, verbal, and visual formats.
- Demonstrate the professionalism and high ethical standards demanded by the justice system and the forensic science community.