Why study criminal justice with a specialization in forensic investigations at BGSU in Ohio?
- Most extensive internship program in U.S. You are required to complete 400 hours – essentially 40 hours a week for 10 weeks – with an approved criminal justice organization. The goal? To bring what you learn in the classroom into the real world. Internships also allow you to explore different jobs in the field.
- Highly qualified faculty who are well-respected nationally and who have decades of professional crime laboratory work experience.
- Active student organization. The Justice Student Association is open to all students with an interest in the criminal justice system.
- Graduate options. The nationally ranked Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) program at BGSU prepares you for leadership positions in criminal justice agencies, law school or a doctoral program.
- Criminal Justice Learning Community. This community for criminal justice majorsprovides projects and experiences beyond the traditional classroom: early internships, trips and tours, service learning opportunities and more. You can choose to be a member or a resident of the learning community.
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Career – what can you do with a criminal justice degree with a forensic investigations specialization?
You will be prepared for a variety of careers in criminal justice, including law enforcement positions with local, state and federal agencies. Our graduates also go on to graduate or law school.
Your internships and interactions with professionals in the field while you’re at BGSU will help you pinpoint kind of forensic investigations career you’d like to pursue.
Career paths
- Local, state and federal law enforcement
- Commercial loss prevention
- Private investigation
- Environmental protection
- Pretrial services
- Defense investigation
- Homeland security
- Undercover investigations
Quick Facts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Internships
The BGSU criminal justice degree has the most extensive, required internship program of any criminal justice program in the country. You are required to complete 400 hours, essentially 40 hours a week for 10 weeks, with an approved criminal justice organization.
Curriculum
The course curriculum features an introduction to the types of crimes you will be investigating and the fundamental techniques you will employ as an investigator.
Crime scene procedures like rolling fingerprints, bagging evidence and recording gunshot trajectories are a part of the curriculum. The curriculum also focuses on social and behavioral sciences, with core courses in law, government, sociology and psychology.
The core courses also emphasize oral and written communication, necessary skills for the dedicated teamwork that it takes to solve a crime.
The criminal justice forensic investigation specialization requires you to take two forensic investigation elective courses. Your electives allow you to tailor your education toward your intended career and include skills-based areas like forensic chemistry, forensic accounting, digital forensics and photography skills.
You will have the chance to meet and question a wide variety of law enforcement and forensic professionals to help you make informed decisions about your career path.
You also will choose four criminal justice core electives. Elective subjects focus on psychology, management, government, child development, drug and alcohol use and related subjects that broaden your understanding of the social and legal environment of your work.
Sample courses
- Law, Evidence and Legal Issues in Forensic Science
- Digital Crime and Criminal Justice
- Human Anatomy and Physiology
- Forensic Neuroscience
- Psychology of Abnormal Behavior
- Pharmacology and Toxicology of Drugs of Abuse
- Computer and Mobile Forensics
- Criminal Justice Ethics
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The bachelor’s program in criminal justice with a specialization in forensic investigations is in the Department of Human Services in the College of Health and Human Services.
Updated: 04/28/2025 10:44AM