B.S. Major Requirements:
Forensic Chemistry Emphasis

Students in the Forensic Chemistry emphasis require and receive a strong background in chemistry, physics, mathematics, and biology. However, the focus of the emphasis involves the identification and quantitative analysis of scientific evidence, both in the environment, and in urban settings, sometimes available only in very trace amounts. The value of such evidence must be determined using a statistical analysis of the strengths of similarities or differences in the results from known and questioned samples. Thus, additional courses in the fields of statistics, environmental toxicology, and environmental science and policy are included as required and elective courses in the emphasis.

The preparatory subject matter for the emphasis includes one year of general chemistry with lab, one year of physics with lab, one year of calculus, one quarter of biology, one quarter of environmental toxicology, and one quarter of statistics. This material should normally be completed before embarking on the depth subject matter.

The minimum depth subject matter includes one year of organic chemistry with lab, two quarters of physical chemistry, two quarters of analytical and physical chemistry lab, one quarter of forensic chemistry and three quarters of environmental toxicology, plus several restricted elective courses chosen from chemistry, environmental toxicology, statistics, and environmental science and policy.