The Science of Crime and Justice

If you are interested in crime solving and courtroom drama, this course provides the opportunity for you to live in the roles of crime scene investigators and forensic scientists who have worked on historical criminal cases ranging from violent crimes to art forgery. In class hands-on activities allow you to learn and apply the rules and modern scientific techniques of crime scene processing and forensic science.

The research project starts with you selecting a real life criminal case and then researching important aspects involved in the investigation and trial of the case. An important component of your work will be an assessment of the integrity of the work related to the crime scene processing and forensic analysis, how effectively the forensic evidence was presented to the jury, and whether or not the jurors understood what was presented to them. At the end of the semester, as an expert on this case you will present highlights of your research findings to the class. This course also counts as CHEM 107 and fulfills the NSC requirement.