Forensic Science
Learn to improve public safety and protect people from harm by the examination of evidence through scientific means.
Forensic Science, B.S.
The Forensic Science Bachelor of Science degree is accredited by the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) and is offered through the College of Basic and Applied Sciences at MTSU.
Though it may not be as glamorous as shown on film and television, the field and its practitioners are on the front lines in the fight to put "justice" in the justice system.
MTSU's Forensic Science degree program prepares its graduates for advanced study in forensic science or employment in public crime laboratories, specialized private laboratories, and law enforcement agencies. A forensics degree also helps students understand the role of the forensic scientist in the criminal justice systems, preparing them to present oral and written findings to the court.
MTSU's Forensic Science Program Mission Statement
The mission of the Forensic Science Program is to:
- Provide a strong academic foundation through its interdisciplinary curriculum—biology, chemistry, and criminal justice—that will prepare graduates for advanced study in forensic science or professional schools; or employment in public crime laboratories, specialized private laboratories, and law enforcement agencies.
- Provide students with an appropriate curriculum that will ensure an understanding of basic scientific principles and methodologies, as well as the development of analytical skills.
- Promote student understanding of the role of forensic scientist in the criminal justice system and introduce them to the process whereby oral and written findings end up in court. It also preps them for employment in crime laboratories or graduate school.
- Promote student interaction with current forensic practitioners through seminars and internships and pairs them with highly qualified faculty who are active researchers.
If you live in one of these states: GA; you may be able to attend MTSU at in-state rates under the Academic Common Market program.
News Briefs
CSI:MTSU camp allows high schoolers to investigate forensic science field [+VIDEO]
Middle Tennessee State University recently welcomed 35 high school students to campus to learn about forensic science at the CSI:MTSU camp. [ Read More ]
MTSU’s FIRE cosponsors ‘visual man tracking’ course at state park
BURNS, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University’s Forensic Institute for Research and Education, or FIRE, cosponsored a “Visual Man Tracking” course in collaboration with the Mountain Trackers Association in mid-April at Montgomery Bell State Park in Dickson County. Modern visual man-tracking is modeled on the techniques employed by Native Americans and early American pioneers, who relied on it for their [ Read More ]
News Briefs
CSI:MTSU camp allows high schoolers to investigate forensic science field [+VIDEO]
Middle Tennessee State University recently welcomed 35 high school students to campus to learn about forensic science at the CSI:MTSU camp. [ Read More ]
MTSU’s FIRE cosponsors ‘visual man tracking’ course at state park
BURNS, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University’s Forensic Institute for Research and Education, or FIRE, cosponsored a “Visual Man Tracking” course in collaboration with the Mountain Trackers Association in mid-April at Montgomery Bell State Park in Dickson County. Modern visual man-tracking is modeled on the techniques employed by Native Americans and early American pioneers, who relied on it for their [ Read More ]
Forensic Science, B.S.
The continual advance in forensic technologies translates to a corresponding high demand for lab analysts. Career options exist with the federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, forensic laboratories, medical examiner offices, hospitals, military, private firms, and universities.
Forensic Science Degree Student Achievement Information
See information below about graduation numbers for the program, job offers for graduates, advanced degree program acceptance for graduates, as well as internship locations and research projects by academic year.
Forensic Science Degree Enrollment/Graduates Data
| Academic Year 2021-2022: | Academic Year 2022-2023: | Academic Year 2023-2024: | Academic Year 2024-2025: | |
| # of Full Time students enrolled in the Forensic Science Program | 173 | 162 | 147 | 149 |
| # of graduates from the program by year | 15 | 25 | 13 | 27 |
Post-Graduation Survey Data
| Academic Year 2022-2023: | Academic Year 2023-2024: | Academic Year 2024-2025: | |
| # of graduates with job offers | 11 | 5 | 5 |
| # of graduates admitted into an advanced degree program | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| # of graduates unreachable / did not respond | 13 | 4 | 17 |
Internship / Research Project/ Capstone Experience Information
|
Academic Year |
Type of Experience (internship, research, or capstone): |
Title or Topic of project / area of study: |
Location (If applicable): |
|
2022-2023
|
Research Project |
Examining the Utility of Spatial Analysis of Artifact Distribution at a World War II Aircraft Crash Site. |
|
|
Research Project |
Identification of skeletal trauma inflicted by scavengers in Murfreesboro, TN |
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|
Research Project |
Comparative Evaluation of Methods for Fentanyl Analysis Using Colorimetric Tests Based on Eosin Y, GC-MS, and Raman Spectroscopy |
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|
Research Project |
Investigation of the Weathering Effect on the Chemical Profile of Minimally Volatile Components in Ignitable Liquids |
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Research Project |
Coupling Solid-Phase Microextraction With Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry For Ignitable Liquid Analysis |
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Internship |
|
Cannon County Sheriff’s Office |
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Internship |
|
Knoxville Police Department – Forensic Unit |
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Internship |
|
Alcoa Police Department |
|
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Internship |
|
CSL Plasma |
|
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Internship (2 students) |
|
Metro Nashville Police Department Crime Laboratory |
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Internship |
|
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation |
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Internship |
|
Pathgroup |
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Internship |
|
Chattanooga Police Department – Crime Scene Unit |
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Internship |
|
Gallatin Police Department |
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Internship |
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Cobb County Police Department |
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Internship |
|
Knox County Sheriff’s Office |
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Internship |
|
New Jersey Southern Regional Medical Examiner |
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Internship |
|
DNA Labs International |
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Internship (3 students) |
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Murfreesboro Police Department Crime Laboratory |
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Internship |
|
Putman County Sheriff’s Office |
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Internship |
|
La Vergne Police Department – Crime Scene Unit |
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Internship |
|
Smyrna Criminal Justice Center |
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Internship |
|
Coweta County Sheriff’s Department |
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|
Capstone (19 senior students) |
Mock trial expert witness testimony |
Rutherford County Courthouse |
|
Academic Year |
Type of Experience (internship, research, or capstone): |
Title or Topic of project / area of study: |
Location (If applicable): |
|
2023-2024
|
Research Project |
DNA analysis in E. coli |
|
|
Research Project |
Exploring scavenging behavior of bobcats, Lynx rufus, in Middle Tennessee and its forensic implications |
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Internship |
|
Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences – Auburn Laboratory |
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Internship (5 students) |
|
Metro Nashville Police Department Crime Laboratory |
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Internship |
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Coffee County Sheriff’s Office |
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Internship |
|
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation |
|
|
Internship (2 students) |
|
Murfreesboro Police Department Crime Laboratory |
|
|
Capstone (21 senior students) |
Mock trial expert witness testimony |
Rutherford County Courthouse |
|
Academic Year |
Type of Experience (internship, research, or capstone): |
Title or Topic of project / area of study: |
Location (If applicable): |
|
2024-2025
|
Internship (2 students) |
|
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation |
|
Internship (10 students) |
|
Metro Nashville Police Department |
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Internship (2 students) |
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Murfreesboro Police Department |
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Internship |
|
Ascension St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital |
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Internship (2 students) |
|
Smyrna Police Department (TN) |
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Internship |
|
Smyrna Criminal Justice Center (TN) |
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Internship |
|
Champaign County IL Coroner’s Office |
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Internship |
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Anderson Cnty (TN) Sherriff’s Department CSI |
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Internship |
|
Maury Cnty (TN) Sherriff’s Office |
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Internship |
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Lebanon (TN) Police Department |
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Internship |
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Shelby Cnty (TN) Sherriff’s Department |
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Internship |
|
General Sessions Court Lebanon, TN |
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Internship |
|
19th District Public Defenders Office (TN) |
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Internship |
|
Any Lab Test Now |
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Internship |
|
12th Judicial District Attorney’s Office (TN) |
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Internship |
|
The Washington Experience (Washington DC) |
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|
Research Project |
Nutrient Analysis of Soil under Row Crop and Perennial Management Systems (baseline study for evaluation of forensic signatures in soil) |
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Capstone (25 senior students) |
Mock Trial Expert Witness Testimony |
Rutherford County Courthouse |
Careers in Forensic Science Include
- Crime lab technician
- Crime scene manager
- Criminalist
- Evidence custodian
- Firearms/Toolmark analyst
- Forensic anthropologist
- Forensic biologist
- Forensic chemist
- Forensic investigator (medical examiners’ offices)
- Forensic nurse/physician’s assistant investigator
- Forensic pathologist
- Forensic photographer
- Forensic scientist
- Intelligence officer/analyst
- Laboratory manager
- Latent fingerprint examiner
- Microanalysis
- Police services support technician
- Quality assurance director
- Toxicologist
Employers of MTSU Forensic Science Degree Alumni Include
- Aegis Sciences Corporation
- Arkansas State Crime Laboratory
- Covenant Pathology Services Laboratory (CPS)
- District 4 Medical Examiner’s Office (Jacksonville, FL)
- Georgia Bureau of Investigation
- Houston Forensic Science Center
- Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp)
- Metro Nashville Police Department Crime Laboratory
- PathGroup
- Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI)
- TestAmerica
- Underwriters Laboratories
- Vi-Jon
MTSU’s Career Development Center
MTSU offers a comprehensive Career Development Center that serves students throughout the full student experience and beyond. They collaborate with faculty and staff to equip students with the tools to be marketable to the world of work and continuing education.
Students can schedule an appointment or check online resources and job boards at mtsu.edu/career.
Students can find current internship opportunities by talking to faculty and visiting the University job and internship board called Handshake.
Wondering what you can do with your major? Check out our What Can I Do with A Major In guides.
Laura Cole Memorial Best Mock Trial Performance Award
Laura Cole was a Special Agent Forensic Scientist with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, serving as a Drug Chemist in the Nashville laboratory until her death in summer 2023. Laura taught the Forensic Senior Seminar course in the MTSU Forensic Science Program curriculum as an adjunct professor. From its inception, Laura was a mainstay in the program and was indispensable to the success and ultimate accreditation of the program in 2022. Her connections to the Forensic community allowed her to provide our students with opportunities to meet and learn from practicing Forensic Science professionals from various disciplines within the field.
One aspect of the program curriculum dear to Laura was the required mock trial for our seniors in which they testify in a mock setting as an expert witness in a discipline of Forensic Science. In her honor, we have posthumously created the Laura Cole Memorial Best Mock Trial Performance Award to be presented each year to one senior who performs in an outstanding manner at the mock trial. The winners of the award are listed below by year.
2023 – Heather Duffy
2024 – Camile Phillips
Forensic Science Handbook 2021
Forms
Links
- American Academy of Forensic Sciences
- Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
Complaints and Concerns
If a student has a complaint or concern about the forensics degree program, we suggest the following steps be followed:
- Address the issue with the other party involved, if appropriate.
- Reach out to a contact within the Forensic Science program.
Forensic Science Program Director
Dr. Frank Bailey
[email protected]
615-898-5483 - If a student does not feel their issue has been resolved after completing steps 1 and 2 – or does not feel comfortable discussing their situation within the Program, he/she is encouraged to contact the Dean of Basic and Applied Sciences.
Dr. Greg Van Patten
[email protected]
615-898-2613
CONTACT US
