Each student is required to successfully complete the Core Curriculum which provides the student with a broad-based educational experience in forensic science. Courses included in the Core Curriculum are as follows:

Students must submit title, abstract and references to their designated faculty member for “pre-approval”.  Once pre-approved, this information is sent to the Seminar Instructor via email. Final versions of title, abstract and references are due to the Seminar Instructor at a time TBA which allows for timely notification of attendees. No fewer than 5 references are required which should be from the current scientific and/or forensic science literature, i.e. published within the past 5 years. 

Designated Faculty for Seminar Topic Pre-Approval includes:

•             Dr. Fenger, DNA & Crime Scene
•             Dr. Rankin, Forensic Chemistry
•             Dr. Staton, Microbial Forensics
•             Ms. Rushton, Comparative, Microscopy & Trace
•             Mr. Brubaker, Computer Forensics & Digital Evidence

Presentation dates are based on random or voluntary assignment. All changes in the seminar schedule must be approved by the Seminar Instructor. Seminar dress and appearance should be professional. Presentations are formally evaluated by students, faculty and special guests with the results used for grading, as well as to provide feedback to presenters for future improvement. Student presenters are required to complete a self-evaluation after reviewing their taped presentation which is submitted within one week following the presentation. This form can be found in the back of this handbook.Student attendance is mandatory for all regularly scheduled and special seminars. 

Past students have found internships outside the State of West Virginia to “make themselves known” to an agency where they may desire employment following graduation or seeking out an internship that allows them to return to their home town or state. Other out-of-state internships have been sought when the desired forensic science specialty was not available within the state. For those student securing internships with West Virginia-based law enforcement agencies, testing laboratories or other state-related forensic establishments, a stipend may, or may not, be awarded depending on Program funding availability. Paid internships may be available within the MU Forensic Science Center in areas such as CODIS, Computer Forensics, Microbial Forensics, and Forensic Chemistry. Students electing out-of-state internships are ineligible for such stipends.

Students should keep in mind that they are responsible for making internship contacts, entering into internship contracts and any financial responsibility associated with their internship. During their internship, students are required to keep an “internship notebook” documenting daily internship activities and to complete an approved research project. Please refer to your FSC 630 Internship Syllabus for specific requirements. For grading purposes, students are also required to submit a 1) 10-page research paper (double-spaced) in scientific format, 2)  PowerPoint slides of their Research Project , and  3)  Poster of their Research Project. No grades will be issued until the following materials are received.

The Internship Notebook should contain the following:

• Intern’s Name
• Name of Internship Sponsor
• Mailing address, telephone number and Email address of Internship Sponsor
• Internship Supervisor(s) to include name, title, telephone and email address
• Inclusive dates of internship

• Research Paper:  Title and written summary of internship experience (10 page report) written in scientific format, e.g. title, abstract, introduction/purpose, material and methods, findings/data, discussion, conclusion, and references.
• A detailed Activities Log representing a daily log that accounts for student activities by date.
• Copy of your Attendance Log (Note: Please instruct supervisor to send this directly to Dr. Pamela Staton no later than the final day of internship.)
• Copy of your internship Affective Evaluation of Intern signed by you and your supervisor.  Note:  Please instruct your supervisor to send this directly to Dr. Pamela Staton no later than the final day of internship.
• Copy of Intern’s Evaluation of the Internship Experience (Note: Please send this to Dr. Pamela Staton no later than the final day of internship.) 
• Copy of Research Project PowerPoint Slides and Research Poster on CD-ROM.  Note:  Please send this to Dr. Pamela Staton no later than the final day of internship.

The above materials must be received by the Dr. Staton prior to grades being due for Summer Term 1 Session B as stated in the MU Summer Class Schedule Calendar of Events. 

Note: Summer Session B consists of a 12-week session. Forensic science internship consists of a minimum of 10 weeks at 32-hr/week to be spent in an approved forensic science laboratory. It is the responsibility of each student to schedule their internship within this time frame. The two remaining weeks of internship are provided for students to gain additional practice or for relocation for those participating in internships at some distance from the Forensic Science Center.

• Crime Scene and Death Investigation
• Forensic Comparative Science
• Forensic Analytical Chemistry I
• Genetics & DNA Technologies
• Introduction to Forensic Microscopy
• Foundations and Fundamentals in Digital Evidence
• Forensic Science Legal Issues

For the area of emphasis, the Comprehensive Examination may include additional questions from courses specific to the area of emphasis in DNA Analysis, Forensic Chemistry and/or Computer Forensics.

Four weeks prior to the Examination, students will be permitted to review their previous exams. These exams will be on reserve in the Forensic Science Program Office. A designated area will be made available for exam review.  Under no circumstances should these exams be copied nor should these exams be removed from the premises.  Possession of current or past exams outside the Forensic Science Center is prohibited.