CCJ1401 - 01 - Forensic Studies

The focus of the course is to introduce students to the specialized field of forensic studies, more specifically, how criminal justice professionals and experts respond to a crime scene, gather evidence, and apply forensic evidence to solve crimes. The course takes students through the stages in this process, including crime scene response, securing the scene, gathering physical and testimonial evidence, and the fundamentals of applying scientific and technological principles used to analyze evidence. Also to be discussed will be the scope of expert investigation, the matter of expert qualification, results that may be expected from the forensic laboratory, and the law as it applies to admission of test results in court. The course will examine how biases and discrimination can be identified (and avoided) when interpreting and understanding forensic evidence.