Overview

Alright, so technically, it may be impossible to speak with the dead, but as anybody who’s ever seen a couple of episodes of NYPD Blue or Law and Order will tell you, the dead can speak, we just have to know how to listen.


Forensic Science teaches us how to listen to the dead and to everything and everyone in any way connected to a crime. It is the eyes and ears behind the dead and the missing. It picks up where the crystal ball and the candles leave off, and—with a little molecular and biological testing, perhaps a pattern analysis or two—it can reveal the past to us.


Forensic Science is aptly named because in order to uncover the missing links of crimes, forensic scientists need a working knowledge of almost every science. They’re not just trying to figure out what happened, but also how, when, why, and by whom. They are one part pathologist, one part dentist, one part psychologist, one part chemist, one part anthropologist, and one part criminologist. They get to show up at crime scenes in their own vans, and you can bet that when they speak, everyone listens. An easy major/profession? Not a chance. But rest assured that the work you do will be invaluable and possibly very lucrative.

SAMPLE CURRICULUM

  • Biochemistry

  • Calculus

  • Concepts of Bioscience

  • Crime Scene Investigation

  • Criminal Justice and Community Law

  • Criminology

  • Forensic Anthropology

  • Genetics

  • Human Physiology

  • Molecular Genetics

  • Organic Chemistry

  • Social Psychology


HIGH SCHOOl PREPARATION

Science, science, and if you have time, a little more science. Think hard about biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy, advanced algebra, and if you can, take calculus and A.P. science courses to help prepare you for the rigors of this major.