PLO-Forensic Science

The expected Program Learning Outcomes for this major are:

• Students will understand the harmony between science and Christianity and be able to defend evidences for God as the creator.
• Students will apply professional and ethical principles and the Christian worldview in the practice of forensic science. 
• Students will be able to communicate scientific information effectively through writing and oral presentations. 
• Students will demonstrate a mastery of the fundamental principles and concepts of the field of forensic science, including an understanding of the scientific principles of crime scene investigation and reconstruction, and evidence collection, preservation, and analysis.
• Students will analyze data and scientific arguments in order to develop explanations to new situations.  
• Students will be able to work productively with a team of peers.
• Students will be able to use appropriate databases and other resources to locate scientific information in the primary literature to learn new concepts and apply this knowledge to further their scientific understanding. 
• Students will be able to critically analyze the primary literature.
• Students will be able to identify a forensic science problem, formulate a hypothesis, design an experimental procedure, and test their hypothesis with appropriate experiments. 
• Students will be able to operate and interpret data from instrumentation commonly used in the field of forensic science.
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of the Globally Harmonized System through safe-handling of chemical compounds and preparing waste for proper disposal.
• Students will recognize key historical moments that drove the development of forensic science and its role in the modern world.
• Students will understand the legal requirements that govern the investigation and collection of evidence.
• Students will be able to articulate the foundational requirements for having a forensic science witness qualified to testify in a legal proceeding.
• Students will demonstrate the skills necessary to establish the admissibility of forensic evidence in a legal proceeding.