Course Description & Syllabus

FS101 Introduction to Forensic Science

Note: Brent E. Turvey, MS is a full partner of Forensic Solutions LLC.
He can be reached for comment or consultation by contacting:
Forensic Solutions; 329 Harbor Dr., Suite 211, Sitka, AK 99835; 
Phone (907) 747-5121; Email: bturvey@corpus-delicti.com

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Purposes and Objectives:

Forensic Solutions is pleased to be offering FS101, An Introduction tp Forensic Science. 

The objective of FS101 is to give students a very basic understanding of forensic science and how it is used in criminal cases, by using published works and case examples.

FS101 will also serve the secondary goal of assisting students and professionals who wish to further learn and use forensic science techniques in their current or developing careers, by informing them to the point where they can make decisions on how to pursue more advanced levels of education to fulfill those goals. Professionals, as well, will become attenuated to the relevance and saliency of applying forensic science in their own particular fields.

Maximum course size:	50 students
Time Commitment:	3 + hours / week

Please note: Due to the nature of our online courses, course materials and the discussion forum are available 24 hours a day and can be accessed according to the student's individual schedule. Thus, the time commitment can only be an estimate on our part and will vary from student to student.

Syllabus

Week 1 - An Introduction to Forensic Science 

• Terms & Definitions
• History
• The role of the crime lab
• The role of the forensic scientist
• The role of physical evidence

Week 2 - The Crime Scene 

• Locard's Exchange Principle

• Crime scene processing

• Chain of custody

• Evidence collection

Week 3 - The Crime Lab 

• The Crime Lab System
• Types of Evidence
• Forensic testing
• Individual & Class characteristics

Week 4 - The Courtroom

• The Adversarial Process
• Crime Reconstruction
• Expert testimony

Final exam will comprise 100% of students final grade.

Instructors:

Brent E. Turvey, MS

To learn more about Brent, please click on his name to be taken to the Instructors page.

Textbook:

Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Science 8th Edition, by Richard Saferstein, is the required textbook for this course.

This book can be easily purchased through our online Forensic Science Bookstore. Just click on the book link above.

Prerequisites:

This course is open to the general public. However, college students and professionals in law enforcement and the forensic sciences are given preference. It is designed to be instructed at the college level, and given primarily at the senior/ graduate level.

People who will directly benefit from this course are:

• Students of Criminal Justice, Psychology, Sociology, Forensic Science, and many others of varying levels
• University professors who teach Criminal Justice and/ or Forensic Science
• Law enforcement - police officers, crime scene techs, sex crimes and homicide detectives, investigators, and others
• Private Investigators
• Psychologists and Psychiatrists from varying specialties
• Attorneys

Requirements:

1. The following are required for successful completion of this course:

• A basic understanding of the Internet and how to access its resources.
• Competency with and access to Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer or another forms capable browser, with the ability to view both text and images.
• A valid email address and familiarity with sending and receiving email.

2. For those students who would like a certificate of completion for the course, an open-book, online final exam will be administered in which the student must demonstrate knowledge of particular tenets of criminal profiling in application.
   
   Certificates of completion are given to those who have taken the final exam and passed.

Cost:

Total registration fee per student is $125.00. This does not include the price of the textbook.

Registration:

To register, please click here: FS101.

A $20.00 late fee may apply to registrations received after the course has begun.

Lesson Plan:

The course consists of weekly online lesson plans in the form of web pages. The weekly lessons plans will follow the syllabus in structure, but will include lecture materials, reading assignments, and discussion topics for the web-based discussion forum, etc.

The instructor is always available by email.

For more information about how a Forensic Solutions course works, please consult the FAQ. Or, contact us.

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