Program highlights
- Unique partnerships. Our students have the rare opportunity to study on a campus with an Ohio BCI crime lab and investigation facility. BGSU also houses the Center for the Future of Forensic Science, which conducts cutting-edge forensic science research.
- Real-world crime scenarios. A “crime house” on campus gives students the ability to practice skills in an environment that mimics a real crime scene.
- Expert faculty. All our faculty members are accomplished forensic and CSI professionals.
- State-of-the-art facilities. Practice your skills with instrumentation used in real crime laboratories.
- Accelerated master’s program. BGSU undergraduates pursuing a bachelor’s degree in forensic science can apply for the accelerated master’s program.
- Active student organization. Students in the BGSU chapter of Delta Delta Epsilon – an international forensic science honors society – network, learn and work to advance the field of forensic science.
Career opportunities
Graduates of our master’s program become forensic scientists with the current knowledge and skills coveted by employers across the country and around the world.
You will be prepared to assume leadership positions in local, state and federal government agencies and in private organizations as forensic scientists.
Career paths
- Crime scene response
- Drug chemistry
- Toxicology
- Forensic biology
- DNA analysis
- Trace evidence examination
- Latent prints
Quick Facts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Curriculum
The Master of Science in forensic science typically requires two full years of study (5 semesters), including one summer semester. You will learn advanced practical and theoretical aspects of forensic investigation. The curriculum combines classroom instruction, laboratory exercises and hands-on simulated forensic investigation.
If you plan to be a DNA analyst, you have the opportunity to take coursework in genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry and statistics. Note: credits for these classes do not count toward a MSFS degree.
Thesis and project options
All master’s degree programs at BGSU must include a culminating experience that provides students an opportunity to synthesize knowledge and experiences gained throughout the master’s program.
This program requires you to complete a Plan I Thesis Research Project.
The Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) further requires that each master’s student complete an independent research or capstone project. The research/capstone project must culminate in a thesis or written report of publishable quality and an oral presentation.
Sample courses
- Principles of Crime Scene Investigation
- Forensic Biology
- Pharmacology/Toxicology of Drug Addiction
- Professional Responsibility – Interface of Law, Science and Ethics in Forensic Science
- Microscopy, Materials Analysis and Pattern Evidence
- Forensic DNA Analysis
- Forensic Applications of Analytical Chemistry and Instrumental Methods of
- Analysis
- Forensic Laboratory Management
Virtual lab tour
Take a guided video tour of the Center for the Future of Forensic Science Lab, Life Sciences 133 on our Ohio campus and see the tools we use in the lab:
- Ductless cyanoacrylate cabinet
- Gas and liquid chromatography mass spectrometers
- DNA analysis process
- Microscopes and ballistics tools
The forensic science master’s program is in the BGSU College of Arts and Sciences and is affiliated with the Center for the Future of Forensic Science at BGSU.
Updated: 11/28/2023 02:26PM