Empowering Justice with Innovative Forensic Science Education

Joint Forensic Science Training Programs with Albany State University, Albany, Georgia

The Nebraska Institute of Forensic Sciences, Inc. will set up a Certificate/Diploma in Forensic Science for African-American students in the healthcare and allied services. Students will be drawn from such areas as police officers, deputy sheriffs, law enforcement, lawyers, nurse, and medical technologists, etc.

The program will enable the student and graduates of the program to develop knowledge and skills in particular components of forensic science. Hence the certificate is a useful starting point for individuals contemplating or considering forensic science career.

To obtain the certificate/diploma in Forensic Science the student should obtain at least fifteen (15) semester hours of College credit and would have attended twelve (12) semester hours of course work and performed at least three (3) semester hours of forensic science internship in the area that meets the student’s desire or interests. For the internship program the student will study and work under the supervision of mentor or in his or her area of intern, such as in an accredited Crime Laboratory, Federal Bureau of Investigation, an approved Medical Examiner’s Office or Coroner’s Office or under a Professor at an accredited College or University.

The coursework will be consist of series of lectures/workshops approved jointly by the Nebraska Institute of Forensic Sciences, Inc. and the Department of Criminal Justice (Forensic Sciences Program).

Course Offerings

MODULE I (FOR. SCI. 101)

1. History of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Sciences.
2. Postmortem Changes and Estimation of Time Since Death.
3. Sudden and Unexpected Natural Deaths.

MODULE II (FOR. SCI. 102)

1. Injury Interpretation.
2. The Use of Forensic Autopsies in Medico-legal Death Investigations.
3. Fingerprints.

MODULE III (FOR. SCI. 103)

1. DNA, Trace, and Physical Evidence.
2. Crime Scene Reconstruction: Bloodstain Pattern Analysis.
3. Traffic Fatalities and Traffic Reconstructions.

MODULE IV (FOR. SCI. 104)

1. Fire and Arson Investigations.
2. Forensic Aspects of Anthropology and Entomology.
3. Sexual Offenses.
4. Forensic Psychology and Forensic Psychiatry.

MODULE V (FOR. SCI. 105)

1. Evidence and Criminal Law.
2. Medico-legal aspects of Alcohol.
3. Toxicology and Drug Analysis.

Currently, Albany State University, Albany, GA has forensic science programs leading to Associate degree or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or Master’s degree (M.S.) in Forensic Science. The students and graduates of these degree programs have never had opportunity to participate in internships which will augment their coursework. They have also never been exposed to the real world of forensic science and forensic medicine. The Nebraska Institute of Forensic Sciences, Inc. in collaboration with the other educational institutions will provide these very much needed internships that will encompass a full semester for the students. Their internship will involve: didactic lectures in forensic science and forensic medicine; rotation at the forensic autopsies; rotation with forensic anthropologist; rotation at the Nebraska State Crime Laboratory in the special areas of ballistics, DNA analysis, toxicology and drug testing, hair and fiber analysis. The students will also have at least two (2) weeks rotation at the Allegheny County Coroner’s Office with Dr. Cyril H. Wecht, and also two (2) weeks of rotation at the State of Connecticut Crime Laboratory, CT under the mentorship of Dr. Henry C. Lee. It is planned that the Nebraska Institute of Forensic Sciences, Inc. will take at least two (2) students per semester for the internship. The Institute will solicit for grants and donations to pay for these students to perform these internships. The students will be fully registered at Albany State University for the entire semester they are training in Lincoln, Nebraska.