Forensic science is a field of science dedicated to the methodical gathering and analysis of evidence to establish facts that can be presented in a legal proceeding.
The best online forensic science schools should possess either regional or national accreditation from an accrediting body that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. In addition, you can often recognize top online forensic science schools based on:
The following levels of forensic science degree online programs are available:
The amount of time it takes a student to earn an accredited online forensic science degree depends on the level of forensic science degree being pursued and the pace of the student. Typically, the breakdown is as follows:
Course content in the field of forensic science combine a unique mix of science, law, philosophy, and writing. Advanced reading comprehension skills, critical thinking ability, and a passion for upholding the law are required for students in an accredited online forensic science degree program. Courses include:
While forensic science is typically thought of as involving a crime lab and scientific analysis, the field has many different facets, including:
Graduates of an accredited online degree program in forensic science have many options for future career paths in all areas of crime and law. Some interesting and lucrative careers include:
Forensic scientists work to find, analyze, and present evidence for legal proceedings.
Forensic scientists work with investigators, law enforcement officers, lawyers, and judges to understand and manage forensic data in a criminal investigation. Professional forensic scientists might analyze specimens from a crime scene, present their findings as expert witnesses, and communicate with law enforcement on legal proceedings.
On average, forensic scientists earn $55,070 per year. Job growth is expected at an above-average rate. New technologies create continuing demand for expert forensic science personnel in law enforcement.
The path of how to become a forensic scientist takes dedication, attention to detail, and an accredited degree. Typically, forensic scientists work with advanced professionals in the field to gain practical skills, and start as crime scene technicians or legal aids. Often, states require some testing in order to earn advanced positions, and some positions require union membership.
| School | Certificate | Associates | Bachelors | Masters | PhD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Arizona State University
1151 S Forest Ave
Tempe, AZ, 85287 http://www.asu.edu/
|
X | ||||
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Ohio State University-Main Campus
190 N. Oval Mall
Columbus, OH, 43210 http://www.osu.edu
|
X | ||||
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University of Central Florida
4000 Central Florida Blvd
Orlando, FL, 32816 http://www.ucf.edu/
|
X | X | |||
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University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
100 Church Street SE
Minneapolis, MN, 55455 http://www1.umn.edu/twincities/index.php
|
X | ||||
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University of Florida
355 Tigert Hall
Gainesville, FL, 32611 http://www.ufl.edu/
|
X | X | X | ||
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Michigan State University
100 Library
East Lansing, MI, 48824 http://www.msu.edu
|
X | ||||
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Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
201 Old Main
State College, PA, 16802 http://www.psu.edu/
|
X | X | |||
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University of South Florida-Main Campus
4202 East Fowler Ave
Tampa, FL, 33620 http://www.usf.edu
|
X | X | X | ||
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Florida International University
11200 S. W. 8 Street
Miami, FL, 33199 http://www.fiu.edu
|
X | ||||
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University of Maryland-University College
3501 University Blvd East
Adelphi, MD, 20783 http://www.umuc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of Maryland-College Park
1101 Main Administration BL
College Park, MD, 20742 http://www.umd.edu
|
X | X | X | ||
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Riverside Community College
4800 Magnolia Avenue
Riverside, CA, 92506 http://www.rcc.edu/
|
X | ||||
|
Pima Community College
401 North Bonita Avenue
Tucson, AZ, 85709 http://www.pima.edu
|
X | ||||
|
East Los Angeles College
1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez
Monterey Park, CA, 91754 http://www.elac.edu/index.htm
|
X | ||||
|
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
2101 Hillsborough Street
Raleigh, NC, 27695 http://www.ncsu.edu
|
X | ||||
|
City College of San Francisco
50 Phelan Ave
San Francisco, CA, 94112 http://www.ccsf.edu
|
X | ||||
|
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Dr
San Diego, CA, 92182 http://www.sdsu.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Virginia Commonwealth University
910 W Franklin St
Richmond, VA, 23284 http://www.vcu.edu/
|
X | X | |||
|
Capella University
225 South 6th Street 9th Floor
Minneapolis, MN, 55402 http://www.capella.edu
|
X | X | X | X | |
|
Boston University
One Silber Way
Boston, MA, 2215 http://www.bu.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of California-Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA, 95616 http://www.ucdavis.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis
425 University Blvd
Indianapolis, IN, 46202 http://www.iupui.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of Utah
201 Presidents Circle
Salt Lake City, UT, 84112 http://www.utah.edu
|
X | ||||
|
St Petersburg College
14025 58th Street North
Clearwater, FL, 33760 http://www.spcollege.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of Nevada-Las Vegas
4505 S Maryland Pky
Las Vegas, NV, 89154 http://www.unlv.edu
|
X | ||||
|
West Virginia University
Stewart Hall University Avenue
Morgantown, WV, 26506 http://www.wvu.edu/
|
X | ||||
|
Utah Valley University
800 W University Parkway
Orem, UT, 84058 http://www.uvu.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of South Carolina-Columbia
514 Main St
Columbia, SC, 29208 http://www.sc.edu/
|
X | ||||
|
Palm Beach State College
4200 Congress Ave
Lake Worth, FL, 33461 http://www.palmbeachstate.edu/
|
X | ||||
|
Long Beach City College
4901 E. Carson St.
Long Beach, CA, 90808 http://www.lbcc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Northeastern University
360 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA, 2115 http://www.northeastern.edu
|
X | X | X | ||
|
Palomar College
1140 W. Mission
San Marcos, CA, 92069 http://WWW.PALOMAR.EDU
|
X | ||||
|
University of California-Irvine
204 Administration
Irvine, CA, 92697 http://www.uci.edu/
|
X | X | X | ||
|
Hillsborough Community College
39 Columbia Drive
Tampa, FL, 33606 http://www.hccfl.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of Illinois at Chicago
601 S Morgan
Chicago, IL, 60607 http://www.uic.edu/index.html/
|
X | ||||
|
Mesa Community College
1833 W Southern Ave
Mesa, AZ, 85202 http://www.mc.maricopa.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of Akron Main Campus
302 Buchtel Common
Akron, OH, 44325 http://www.uakron.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Fresno City College
1101 E. University Ave
Fresno, CA, 93741 http://www.fresnocitycollege.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Gallaudet University
800 Florida Ave NE
Washington, DC, 20002 http://www.gwu.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Auburn University Main Campus
Auburn Alabama
Auburn, AL, 36849 http://www.auburn.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of Pennsylvania
1 College Hall 34th and Spruce Sts
Philadelphia, PA, 19104 http://www.upenn.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Western Michigan University
1903 West Michigan Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI, 49008 http://www.wmich.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
14th and R St
Lincoln, NE, 68588 http://www.unl.edu/
|
X | ||||
|
Old Dominion University
5115 Hampton Blvd
Norfolk, VA, 23529 http://www.odu.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Northern Arizona University
Knoles Drive Babbitt Administrative Center
Flagstaff, AZ, 86011 http://home.nau.edu/
|
X | X | |||
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Weber State University
3848 Harrison Blvd
Ogden, UT, 84408 http://www.weber.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Eastern Michigan University
1000 College Pl
Ypsilanti, MI, 48197 http://www.emich.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Ohio University-Main Campus
E Mulberry
Athens, OH, 45701 http://www.ohio.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Drexel University
3141 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA, 19104 http://www.drexel.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Fullerton College
321 E Chapman Avenue
Fullerton, CA, 92832 http://www.fullcoll.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Rio Hondo College
3600 Workman Mill Rd
Whittier, CA, 90601 http://www.riohondo.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Diablo Valley College
321 Golf Club Rd
Pleasant Hill, CA, 94523 http://www.dvc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Southwestern College
900 Otay Lakes Rd
Chula Vista, CA, 91910 http://www.swccd.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
California State University-Fresno
5241 N Maple Ave
Fresno, CA, 93740 http://www.csufresno.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Towson University
8000 York Rd
Towson, MD, 21252 http://www.towson.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
University of Delaware
46 E Delaware Ave
Newark, DE, 19716 http://www.udel.edu/
|
X | X | X | ||
|
California State University-Los Angeles
5151 State University Dr
Los Angeles, CA, 90032 http://www.calstatela.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Missouri State University
901 S National
Springfield, MO, 65897 http://www.missouristate.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
St. John's University-New York
8000 Utopia Pky
New York, NY, 11439 http://www.stjohns.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Grossmont College
8800 Grossmont College Dr
El Cajon, CA, 92020 http://www.grossmont.edu/
|
X | X | |||
|
Los Angeles City College
855 N Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA, 90029 http://www.lacitycollege.edu/
|
X | ||||
|
Brevard Community College
1519 Clearlake Rd
Cocoa, FL, 32922 http://www.brevardcc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Wright State University-Main Campus
3640 Colonel Glenn Highway
Dayton, OH, 45435 http://www.wright.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of Nevada-Reno
1664 N Virginia St
Reno, NV, 89557 http://www.unr.edu/home/
|
X | X | |||
|
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Administration Bldg Suite 1070
Birmingham, AL, 35294 http://www.uab.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of Missouri-St Louis
One University Boulevard
St. Louis, MO, 63121 http://www.umsl.edu/
|
X | X | X | ||
|
University of Rhode Island
8 Ranger Road
Kingston, RI, 2881 http://www.uri.edu/
|
X | ||||
|
Eastern Kentucky University
521 Lancaster Ave
Richmond, KY, 40475 http://www.eku.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Cleveland State University
2121 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH, 44115 http://www.csuohio.edu/
|
X | ||||
|
Universidad Del Turabo
Carr. # 189 Km 3.1
Queensbury, PR, 778 http://www.suagm.edu
|
X | X | X | ||
|
University of Central Oklahoma
100 N University Dr
Edmond, OK, 73034 http://www.uco.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Edison State College
8099 College Pky SW
Fort Myers, FL, 33919 http://www.edison.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of Mississippi Main Campus
Oxford Mississippi
Oxford, MS, 38677 http://www.olemiss.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Loyola University Chicago
1032 W. Sheridan Rd
Chicago, IL, 60660 http://www.luc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
The University of Texas at Dallas
800 West Campbell Road
Richardson, TX, 75080 http://www.utdallas.edu
|
X | X | X | X | |
|
Harper College
1200 W Algonquin Rd
Palatine, IL, 60067 http://www.harpercollege.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Camden County College
College Drive
Blackwood, NJ, 8012 http://www.camdencc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of Miami
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL, 33124 http://www.miami.edu/
|
X | ||||
|
Columbia College
1001 Rogers Street
Columbia, MO, 65216 http://www.ccis.edu
|
X | ||||
|
National University
11255 North Torrey Pines Road
San Diego, CA, 92037 http://www.nu.edu
|
X | ||||
|
CUNY John Jay College Criminal Justice
899 Tenth Ave
New York, NY, 10019 http://www.jjay.cuny.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
University of Southern Mississippi
118 College Drive # 0001
Hattiesburg, MS, 39406 http://WWW.USM.EDU
|
X | X | |||
|
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
105 Main St. Thompson Hall
Durham, NH, 3824 http://www.unh.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
San Bernardino Valley College
701 South Mount Vernon Avenue
San Bernardino, CA, 92410 http://www.valleycollege.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of Massachusetts-Boston
100 Morrissey Blvd
Boston, MA, 2125 http://www.umb.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Erie Community College
121 Ellicott St
Buffalo, NY, 14203 http://www.ecc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Youngstown State University
One University Plaza
Youngstown, OH, 44555 http://www.ysu.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus
1011 South Dr 201 Sutton Hall
Indiana, PA, 15705 http://www.iup.edu
|
X | X | X | X | |
|
Baylor University
500 Speight Ave.
Waco, TX, 76798 http://www.baylor.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Wichita State University
1845 Fairmount
Wichita, KS, 67260 http://www.wichita.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Tallahassee Community College
444 Appleyard Dr
Tallahassee, FL, 32304 http://www.tcc.fl.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Golden West College
15744 Goldenwest St.
Huntington Beach, CA, 92647 http://www.goldenwestcollege.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Marshall University
1 John Marshall Dr
Huntington, WV, 25755 http://www.marshall.edu/
|
X | ||||
|
Prince George's Community College
301 Largo Rd
Largo, MD, 20774 http://WWW.PGCC.EDU
|
X | ||||
|
Victor Valley College
18422 Bear Valley Rd
Victorville, CA, 92395 http://www.vvc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Hudson Valley Community College
80 Vandenburgh Ave
Troy, NY, 12180 http://www.hvcc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Universidad Del Este
Carr. # 190 Esq. Calle 220 Bo. Sabana Abajo
Ludlow, PR, 985 http://www.suagm.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of Northern Iowa
1222 W 27th St
Cedar Falls, IA, 50614 http://www.uni.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of North Dakota
University Station
Grand Forks, ND, 58202 http://www.und.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Illinois Central College
One College Drive
East Peoria, IL, 61635 http://www.icc.edu
|
X | X |