Applied Forensic Sciences
Forensic Science involves the utilization of the natural, physical and social sciences in the multidisciplinary investigation of matters related to society and the law. Activities of relevance to forensic scientists range from locating, documenting and collecting physical evidence at the crime scene to the analysis and interpretation of that evidence in the laboratory.
The development of the Applied Forensic Sciences Program represents the first truly multidisciplinary major at Mercyhurst that incorporates all of the major natural sciences disciplines in the core curriculum. Because of the nationally recognized undergraduate program in forensic anthropology and forensic geoarchaeology already in place at the college, the strength of the program will continue to reside in the recognition and documentation of physical evidence at the crime scene, whether that crime scene involves a surface scatter of human remains, a buried body feature, a fatal fire site or a large-scale mass fatality incident. The applied forensics sciences undergraduate program curriculum consists of a core spanning biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics that is embellished by four specialized concentrations (forensic anthropology, criminalistics, forensic wildlife investigation, and forensic chemistry) that meet student interests while reflecting the changing face of forensic science.
The program and curriculum focus on presenting state-of-the-art techniques in forensic science and crime scene recovery in the classroom while providing a variety of practical, hands-on opportunities both in the field and in the laboratory.