The Master of Science degree in Criminalistics (MSC) is a broad master’s program that will provide students with the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to apply analytical and scientific methods to criminal investigation. The curriculum offers exposure to crime scene investigation and evidence techniques, as well as legal issues, expert testimony, trace evidence, physical evidence, crime mapping and current topics within the field of crime scene investigation. It is our goal to take students from the crime scene, to the forensic laboratory and finally to providing expert testimony in a court of law.
The program provides advanced, discipline-specific knowledge for those wishing to enter or advance in the field of Criminal Justice, with emphasis placed on the analytical and scientific methods associated with criminal investigations. Given the flexibility of the program, the graduate degree is easily obtainable for working as well as traditional students who have recently graduated from a 4-year university.
Graduate students will typically take two courses per semester, each of which is 7 weeks, allowing students to focus on a single course at a time. This immersion into a topic, in addition to the dispersion of courses, allows you not only to fully grasp the information, but also to continue to actively participate in the workforce.
Leading the Way
The primary goal of the MSC program is to provide students with a theoretical foundation, emphasizing criminal investigative techniques and practical application. With a focus on hands-on experience, students will be able to apply terms, skills and techniques utilized in the field of Criminal Justice.
There are currently 1.5 million full-time law enforcement officers in the United States. With the increased professionalization of the Criminal Justice field, many state and local police departments are beginning to require bachelor degrees, with graduate degrees being crucial to promotion. Furthermore, to be competitive, federal agents are increasingly in need of a graduate degree. Popular career paths include local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
Given the extensive background of our full-time faculty, students will be learning from leading experts in the field who have worked on numerous high-profile cases. Primary faculty includes:
- Jerry Clark, PhD. | Retired FBI Special Agent | 27 years with FBI, DEA, NCIS & Parole
- Jason Wick, MS. | Retired ATF Special Agent | 25 years with ATF
- Ted Yeshion, PhD | 40 years–Forensic Biologist/Crime Lab Director|Special Agent (Ret.)|Consultant
In addition to the expert full-time faculty members, the program also consists of outstanding adjunct faculty who teach specialized courses in their fields of expertise.
What Makes Us Different
- Expert faculty who are nationally respected FBI, DEA, ATF, NCIS, FDLE, and NCSBI agents, with over 90 years of law enforcement experience
- A 36-credit, primarily on-line program that can be completed in two years
- A one week summer residency capstone experience is completed on the GU campus at our state-of-the-art Forensic Investigation Center (FIC).
- The FIC is a unique training facility that utilizes hands-on practical experience to teach and test students’ knowledge of CSI techniques
- Learn state-of-the-art investigative techniques from 1 of only 7 graduate criminalistics programs in the nation
- Rolling admission allows for multiple program start dates