The George Washington University - Columbian College of Arts & Sciences
MFS in Forensic Science
Washington, USA
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2024
TUITION FEES
USD 59,294 / per year
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Introduction
The FEPAC-accredited Master of Forensic Science degree provides an understanding of the integration of forensic disciplines with the investigation of criminal activity, along with an overview of the analytic methods, procedures, equipment and data used by forensic specialists.
Students gain the skills needed to understand and interpret a variety of types of physical evidence, including fingerprints, shoe and tire impressions, firearms, fired bullets, cartridge cases and toolmarks.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS) offers funding opportunities in all doctoral and master's programs. These awards differ by level and by program. PhD students are typically offered full funding packages (full tuition, living stipend, and graduate assistantship). CCAS offers merit-based partial tuition awards to many of the students admitted to our PsyD and master's programs; some of these programs also offer graduate assistantships as well as small stipend awards.
Curriculum
The following requirements must be fulfilled
The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate Programs.
37 credits, including 18 credits in required courses, 19 credits in courses selected in consultation with the advisor, and successful completion of a master's comprehensive examination.
Required
- FORS 6004 Fundamentals of Forensic Science I
- FORS 6005 Fundamentals of Forensic Science II
- FORS 6020 Ethics, Professional Responsibility, and Quality Assurance
- FORS 6224 Criminal Law for Forensic Scientists
- FORS 6225 Statistics for Forensic Scientists
- FORS 6292 Graduate Seminar (taken twice) *
Electives
19 elective credits are selected in consultation with the departmental advisor.
Additional requirements
Successful completion of an independent research project is required.
Successful completion of a master’s comprehensive examination is required.
*Students must register for FORS 6292 in their first semester and again after or during the completion of the required independent research project.
Program Outcome
Students graduate with
- Deep knowledge of variety of forms of physical evidence
- Mastery of fingerprints, shoe and tire impressions and firearms and tool mark identification
- Working knowledge of ethics, criminal law and statistics
- Familiarity with modern instrumental methods used in forensic laboratories, including mass spectrometry, optical spectroscopy, microscopy, chromatographic and electrophoretic separations
- Communication skills necessary to present findings with clarity