The new Master of Forensic Science (MFS) program accepted its first class in September 2005. The program is designed to allow the student exposure to both the intricacies of problem solving as well as an exposure to the real-world application of the related disciplines within the field of forensic science. The curriculum is designed to provide the student with a solid foundation within the forensic sciences, while at the same time encouraging growth and leadership in new and emerging applications within the field. A collaborative network of municipal agencies, private enterprise and allied professional programs within the University has been built to prepare professionals who can confront the forensic challenges of the new millennium.
The program is not limited to only those students with undergraduate degrees in criminal justice and topic-related fields. The MFS program is designed to attract students at a multidisciplinary level. Students with coursework in the natural sciences, pre-medicine, engineering, computer science, psychology and the social sciences are just a few of the many who will find this program beneficial. In the past few years, film and television has introduced our entire society to the once closed world of forensic science. One of the elements that the entertainment industry has correctly identified as shedding light into the field is that a multidisciplinary approach is necessary to allow our criminal justice system to run properly.
Admission Requirements
Admission into the program requires that the student have a strong background in the sciences. Students are required to have an academic year in each of the following sciences: biology, chemistry, organic chemistry and physics. A minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA is desired, however, all supplemental materials and overall experience will be factored into the acceptance process. Additional coursework to strengthen areas of weakness will be reviewed. The following submissions will be necessary for admission to the program:
- An application along with $45.00 fee
- Official transcripts from every college or university attended
- Three letters of reference
- MCAT and/or GRE test scores
The MFS program is designed as an eighteen month curriculum completed in six ten-week quarters. This coursework introduces the student to the physical, biological and legal applications of the forensic sciences within the context of our criminal justice system. Specific coursework currently allows the student the opportunity to choose between two areas of concentration: molecular biology and criminalistics. A variety of summer internships encompassing the public, private and academic domains are available to allow the student to both experience and network within the forensic community
The first quarter is designed as an introduction to the physical, biological and legal application aspects of forensic science. The second quarter provides the student with a background in anatomy, physiology, pathology, toxicology, anthropology and criminal law. The third quarter continues with more advanced topics of these disciplines. The fourth or summer quarter allows the student the freedom to take an internship along with statistics, cybercrime, and an ethics course. The fifth and sixth quarters allow the student to choose from two concentrations: criminalistics or molecular biology.
The criminalistics concentration offers courses in fingerprint science, forensic engineering, motor vehicle crash reconstruction, firearms and tool mark analysis, fire and explosion analysis, footwear and tire track analysis, bloodstain pattern analysis, trace materials and forensic geology and botany, and nuclear, biological, chemical terrorism/mass disaster management.
The molecular biology concentration offers courses in biochemistry, cell biology, medical microbiology, immunology, forensic DNA analysis, and histology.
Most program courses are offered at the Drexel University College of Medicine's Health Science Campus (located in Center City Philadelphia). However, during the second year, some courses may be held at Drexel University’s Main Campus located in West Philadelphia.
Link to MFS Application Page
Drexel University College of Medicine
Medical Science Programs
245 North 15th Street, Mail Stop 344
Room 4104 NCB
Philadelphia, PA 19102-1192
Telephone: 215-762-4692
E-mail: preprof@drexel.edu
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