Forensic and Investigative Sciences - BS, Pre-Law Emphasis
Forensic and Investigative Sciences, an accredited program by the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC), is a major offered by the Department of Entomology and is a growing area of interest for students seeking to gain entry into careers that deal with the collection, preservation, processing and use of evidentiary information to solve problems. A life sciences-based education, which develops skills in problem solving and critical thinking, is essential for career opportunities in this field. Forensic and investigative scientists rely upon state-of-the-art scientific discoveries and technologies as tools to seek answers to critical questions in a variety of settings. Molecular, organismal, environmental, and ecological sources of information are often analyzed and interpreted in industrial, regulatory, legal, medical and associated professions. Graduates will be competitive for employment opportunities in quality assurance laboratories, homeland security and investigative services at local, state and national levels. Graduates will also be well prepared for opportunities to enter post-graduate studies or professional schools including medicine, law, and veterinary medicine.
Interactions with and among plants, animals and microbes occur regularly. These interactions impact public and environmental health and require life science-based forensic and investigative science to improve the quality of life. Homeland security, criminal investigation, environmental quality, agricultural and public health offer careers for students with forensic and investigative skills. Students can also pursue avenues to forensic careers through degree programs in specialty areas such as chemistry, anthropology, physics, computer science and business.
Forensic and investigative sciences also operate at the crossroads of science and the legal profession, and provide opportunities for students to consider pre-law preparation. There are growing demands for attorneys with knowledge and understanding of science and research to address legal issues and cases where the interpretation of science and/or scientific data and analyses are pivotal. Law schools often seek candidates with diverse backgrounds and interests, and they look closely at curricula that stress analytical and problem-solving skills, critical reading abilities, writing skills, oral communication and listening abilities, general research skills, and task organization and management skills. The Forensic and Investigative Sciences program provides students with opportunities to build these essential skills and knowledge areas through a combination of required and elective courses.
Law Emphasis
This track provides pre‐law students with a solid scientific foundation while also preparing them for success in law school. Ultimately, our goal is to empower students to more effectively practice law in arenas where science will play a critical role in the judicial process. We aim to educate and train Texas A&M students as the next generation of lawyers, judges, and policy makers that are best able to critically evaluate scientific research and apply these concepts to the evaluation of evidence, in order to improve the application of justice for all. Students in this major have successfully completed their Juris Doctor (JD) degrees at top law schools.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Semester Credit Hours | |
| AGLS 101 or FIVS 101 | Modern Agricultural Systems and Renewable Natural Resources or Introduction to Academic Success in Forensic and Investigative Sciences | 1 |
| BIOL 111 | Introductory Biology I | 4 |
| CHEM 119 | Fundamentals of Chemistry I | 4 |
| FIVS 205 | Introduction to Forensic and Investigative Sciences | 3 |
| MATH 140 | Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOL 112 | Introductory Biology II | 4 |
| CHEM 120 | Fundamentals of Chemistry II | 4 |
| MATH 142 or PHIL 240 | Business Calculus or Introduction to Logic | 3 |
| Communication | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CHEM 222 | Elements of Organic and Biological Chemistry | 3 |
| PHYS 201 | College Physics | 4 |
| Communication | 3 | |
| Language, philosophy and culture | 3 | |
| Directed elective 1 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| PHYS 202 | College Physics | 4 |
| American history | 3 | |
| Creative arts | 3 | |
| Social and behavioral sciences | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| FIVS 308 | Forensic Implications of Inheritance | 4 |
| FIVS 482 | Occupational and Professional Development | 2 |
| STAT 303 | Statistical Methods | 3 |
| American history | 3 | |
| Directed elective 1 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BICH 303 | Elements of Biological Chemistry | 3 |
| FIVS 422 | Crime Scene Investigation | 2 |
| FIVS 481 | Seminar 2 | 1 |
| Government/Political science | 3 | |
| Directed elective 1 | 3 | |
| Directed elective 1 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| FIVS 316 | Biotechnology and Forensics | 4 |
| FIVS 401/SCSC 401 | Forensic Soil Science | 3 |
| FIVS 484 or FIVS 491 | Professional Internship or Research | 2 |
| Government/Political science | 3 | |
| Directed Elective 1 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| FIVS 415 | Practice and Principles of Science and Law | 3 |
| FIVS 431/ENTO 431 & FIVS 432/ENTO 432 | The Science of Forensic Entomology and Applied Forensic Entomology | 4 |
| FIVS 435 | Case Studies in Problem Solving 2 | 3 |
| Directed Elective 1 | 4 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 | |
| 1 | Students must choose one course (minimum 3 hours) from each of the three categories of pre-law directed electives. The remaining pre-law directed electives must be selected in consultation with the student's advisor based on career and educational goals and from the current list of approved list published by the department. See below the approved list of directed electives. Category 1 - AGEC 105, AGEC 315, AGEC 344, AGEC 350, AGEC 429; ECON 202; ECON 323, ECON 420; ESSM 406; MGMT 209, MGMT 212; PSYC 305; SOCI 211, SOCI 314; URPN 361, URPN 401, URPN 450; WFSC 303. Category 2 - ALED 340; COMM 203, COMM 243, COMM 305, COMM 325, COMM 443; PSYC 354, PSYC 371; SOCI 304. Category 3 - ALED 202, ALED 301, ALED 424, ALED 440; FIVS 289, FIVS 421, FIVS 489; GENE 420; HIST 447; PHIL 111, PHIL 307, PHIL 314, PHIL 315, PHIL 334, PHIL 480; RENR 470; SOCI 445. |
| 2 | This course fulfills a writing requirement. See Requirement for a Baccalaureate Degree section. |
The Forensic and Investigative Sciences program requires students to earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program curriculum.
University Graduation Requirements:
- Foreign Language (two years of the same language in high school OR one year/ two semester sequence in college)
- Writing Intensive courses (two courses designated W in major or one W and one C course in major)
- International and Cultural Diversity courses (three credit hours)
- Cultural Discourse course (three credit hours)