Students

  • Application Instructions

    Thank you for your interest in the Forensic Science Masters Program at Michigan State University. Applications are screened for Fall semester only. All application material must be received before January 15 for consideration for the following academic year. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

    Application materials that may be uploaded include:

    • Application for Graduate Study at Michigan State University. May be submitted online here. The major code for the Forensic Science Masters program is 4744. 
    • A statement of your academic and professional goals. This should include information about your motivation to study forensic science, a description of relevant research and/or work experience, and any other information that you would like the admissions committee to know. 
    • Three letters of recommendation from tenure-track faculty who can comment on your ability to perform graduate work. 

    Additional required materials include:

    • ONE set of official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. A transcript of work at MSU is not required.Transcripts from US institutions may be sent electronically, and will be considered official if they are sent directly from the institutions attended to the graduate secretary Mike Chapko via email. If they are mailed by the institution attended, they should be sent to the address that follows. International students must submit official transcripts in both the original language and English translation of transcript and diploma. Hard copies of transcripts should be mailed directly from the institutions attended to:
    Forensic Science Masters Program
    Michigan State University
    Baker Hall
    655 Auditorium Road Room 557
    East Lansing, MI 48824
    • Graduate Record Exam (GRE) general scores from an exam taken within the last five years. Test preparation material and information about test dates can be found at www.ets.org/gre. Please note when scheduling your exam that it may take 4-6 weeks for your scores to be forwarded to the university and this department. The institution code for MSU is 1465.
    • International students must submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam scores from a test taken within the past two years. MSU's score requirement is a minimum average score of 80, with no subscores below 19 for Reading, Listening and Speaking, and no subscore below 22 for Writing. The institution code for MSU is 1465. Students from countries where the primary language is English may have the TOEFL requirement waived with the approval of the department, college, and Graduate School. Please contact the graduate secretary, Mike Chapko, to determine whether the requirement may be waived.
    • International students must also submit a statement of financial proof. Please see the International Student Graduate Admissions page and click on Financial Proof for more information.

    Please note: In order to apply to the program, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in a major appropriate to the area of study, and have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0. You should be aware that the masters program is quite competitive and recent experience has been that successful applicants have undergraduate GPAs of 3.5 or higher.

    Applicants should be aware that they may be required to undergo a background check, drug test, polygraph, or other pre-employment test as a condition of employment with law enforcement or other agencies.

    Questions? Please contact Graduate Secretary Mike Chapko.

  • Description of Courses

    CEM 832 Mass Spectrometry (3 credits) Instrumentation of mass spectrometry. Interpreting mass spectra of organic and inorganic molecules. Applications to analysis of large molecules and chromatography. Learning objectives encompass the development of student understanding of the principles and applications of mass spectrometry, and interpretation of the results, as needed for research in chemistry and related fields. At the end of this course, students will be familiar with each of the objectives listed above.

    Offered: Spring.

    CEM 835 Advanced Analytical Chemistry II (3 credits) Separations, molecular spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Learning objectives encompass increased familiarity and expertise in the following forensic science curricular components: analytical chemistry and instrumental methods. At the end of this course, students will be familiar with each of the objectives listed above.

    Offered: Fall.

    CJ 804 Crime Scene Investigation (1) Introduction to crime scene investigation. Documentation, evidence collection, presumptive chemical and biological tests, and collection and preservation of impression evidence. Learning objectives encompass the development of a practical understanding of crime scene investigation. By the end of the course, students should 1) be familiar with all aspects of crime scene documentation, including sketching, measuring, and photographing the scene, 2) be familiar with aspects of evidence collection, including different methods used according to evidence type, 3) be familiar with presumptive tests used to analyze chemical and biological evidence at the scene, and 4) be proficient in methods used to collect and preserve impression evidence, particularly fingerprints and footwear impressions.

    Offered: Fall of even years.

    CJ 805 Survey in Forensic Science (3 credits) Scientific analysis of physical evidence. The course will cover four major aspects of physical evidence using real criminal and civil cases: generation of physical evidence by criminal activity; collection and preservation of physical evidence; analysis of physical evidence by forensic science laboratory; presentation of scientific expert testimony in court. Learning objectives encompass increased familiarity and expertise in the following forensic science curricular components: crime scene investigation, physical evidence, law/science interface, ethics and professional responsibilities, quality assurance, analytical chemistry and instrumental methods, drug chemistry and toxicology, forensic biology, and pattern analysis. At the end of this course, students will be familiar with each of the objectives listed above.

    Offered: Fall.

    CJ 817 Law and Forensic Science (2 credits) Course covers the legal aspects of forensic science including the adjudicative process, admissibility of scientific evidence, laboratory reports, hearsay, relevant case materials and expert testimony. Learning objectives encompass increased familiarity and expertise in the following forensic science curricular components: law/science interface. At the end of this course, students will be familiar with each of the objectives listed above.

    Offered: Fall of even years.

    CJ 819 Forensic Analysis of Drugs and Alcohol (3 credits) Techniques and processes in analysis of physical evidence including spectroscopy, chromatography, microscopy. Emphasis on controlled substances. Learning objectives encompass increased familiarity and expertise in the following forensic science curricular components: physical evidence concepts, law/science interface, ethics and professional responsibilities, quality assurance, analytical chemistry and instrumental methods, and drug chemistry and toxicology. At the end of this course, students will be familiar with each of the objectives listed above.

    Offered: Fall of odd years.

    CJ 820 Forensic Chemistry and Microscopic Evidence (3 credits) Continuation of CJ 819. Analysis of trace evidence including hairs and fibers, paints and coatings, explosives and fire residues, glass and soil. Learning objectives encompass increased familiarity and expertise in the following forensic science curricular components: crime scene investigation, physical evidence, law/science interface, ethics and professional responsibilities, quality assurance, analytical chemistry and instrumental methods, microscopy, and pattern evidence. At the end of this course, students will be familiar with each of the objectives listed above.

    Offered: Spring.

    FRS 899 Master's Thesis Research (6 credits required, may be taken in increments of 1-6) Planned research and writing directed by student's thesis committee.

    Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.

    NSC 820 Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (3 credits) Use of scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis. Machine variables, artifacts, quantitative analysis, specimen preparation, darkroom procedures. Learning objectives encompass increased familiarity and expertise in the following forensic science curricular components: microscopy. At the end of this course, students will be familiar with each of the objectives listed above.

    Offered: Fall, Spring.

    PHM 431 Pharmacology of Drug Addiction (3 credits) Introduction to pharmacology and neuropharmacology. Understanding of the biological basis for drug abuse and addiction. Learning objectives encompass increased familiarity and expertise in the following forensic science curricular components: drug chemistry and toxicology. At the end of this course, students will be familiar with each of the objectives listed above.

    Offered: Fall.

  • Graduate Handbook
    Forensic Science Program Graduate Handbook
  • Joint Ph.D. With Affiliated Departments

    Michigan State University offers a number of unique programs that allow a student to pursue both a Master of Science in Forensic Science and a Ph.D. in a related field at the same time. This plan allows a tremendous amount of flexibility in career options. You can practice forensic science from the bench, the research lab, or the classroom. You can also pursue a career in the Ph.D. field.

    We presently have a number of students pursuing their Ph.D. in Chemistry, while also pursuing their M.S. in Forensic Science with a concentration in forensic chemistry.

    The joint program works as follows:

    The student must apply to both programs. Admission to one program does not guarantee admission to the other. The student will usually have a faculty advisor in each program, who coordinate with each other and the student to plan the program. The student has to write and defend both a masters thesis and a doctoral dissertation.

    The student's academic program is generally front-loaded with courses and requirements in the Ph.D. granting department so the student may devote most of his or her time to completing the course requirements, passing qualifying exams, selecting a mentor and dissertation project, etc. The student will typically begin work on the forensic science courses during the middle of his or her program.

    Experience has shown that students in both programs can finish all of the requirements in about the same amount of time that a Ph.D would normally take to complete.

    The joint degree program is also open to students who begin studying in one program and then wish to add the other the following year. Students should keep in mind that they must still apply to the second program at the appropriate time, and that in these cases, it is unlikely that both degrees will be finished in the minimum amount of time.

  • Program Requirements

    The Master of Science program in Forensic Science with a concentration in forensic chemistry is available only under Plan A (with thesis).

    • CEM 832 Mass Spectrometry (3 credits)
    • CEM 835 Advanced Analytical Chemistry II (3 credits)
    • CJ 804 Crime Scene Investigation (1 credit)
    • CJ 805 Survey in Forensic Science (3 credits)
    • CJ 817 Law and Forensic Science (2 credits)
    • CJ 819 Forensic Analysis of Drugs and Alcohol (3 credits)
    • CJ 820 Forensic Chemistry and Microscopic Evidence (3 credits)
    • NSC 820 Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-Ray Microanalysis (3 credits)
    • PHM 431 Pharmacology of Drug Addiction (3 credits)
    • Approved electives (8 credits)
    • FRS 899 Masters Thesis Research (6 credits)
    • Attend at least one Masters Seminar Series Lecture per semester
    • Pass an oral examination in defense of the thesis.

Forensic Science