FRNSC 100Introduction to Forensic Science

3 credits · Forensic Science · Penn State

This course is designed for students to step into the role of a criminalist ¿ one who performs the scientific examination of evidence - as they process a case from start to finish over the semester. Students begin by learning a scientific approach to crime scene investigation, evidence collection, and transport. They then follow the collected evidence as it is disseminated throughout the crime lab for examination and analysis. Disciplines such as forensic serology, trace evidence, impression evidence, drug chemistry, toxicology, and DNA will be discussed. Students will learn about the examinations performed by crime lab professionals; the application of scientific principles from disciplines such biology, chemistry, physics, and math to those exams; and the instrumentation commonly used in the lab to complete those examinations and analyses. Once the evidence has been processed, students will use critical thinking skills to interpret the evidence within the context of the case. They will reconstruct the crime as it could have occurred guided by the results and conclusions generated from their analyses. Students will also explore the role of various scientific disciplines outside of criminalistics (anthropology, entomology, pathology, etc.) as they are used in modern forensics, as well as the role of forensic science in society and the criminal justice system.