Master of Science, Forensic Science, Elective Course List

Additional Electives

Unless otherwise noted, all courses are for 3 semester hours of credit. Course numbers preceded with an asterisk indicate courses that can be repeated for credit, with stated stipulations.

JS 650 Advanced Questioned-Death Investigation
Examination of forensic pathology as used in/applied by local medical examiners? offices.

JS 656 Forensic Anthropology
Overview of the study of human remains as applied to forensic science. Collection and analysis of bones, including determination of age, sex, and race of subject.

JS 672 Conventional Criminalistics II
Examination of advanced methods for the analysis of trace and transfer evidence including methodologies for examination of firearms, and questioned documents.
Prerequisite: JS 671.

JS 676 Advanced Biological Methods in Forensic Science
Examines current issues and trends in forensic DNA analysis, including STR polymorphisms, stutter analysis, low copy number analysis, and Y-STRs.
Prerequisite: JS 674.

JS 677 Forensic Toxicology
Discussion of relevant analyses conducted for drugs and poisons occurring in biological evidence, including evidence collection and handling, selecting the most appropriate evidence, and the analytical process; examination of the pharmacokinic and pharmacodynamic properties of detected substances.

JS 680 Graduate Internship in Forensic Science
Field experience in forensic science agency. May be repeated for credit. 3-6 hours.

JS 681 Directed Research in Forensic Biology (Non-thesis)
Forensic science problems, issues, and theories. May be repeated for credit. 1-6 hours.

JS 682 Directed Research in Forensic Chemistry (Non-thesis)
Forensic science problems, issues, and theories. Includes laboratory component. May be repeated for credit. 1-6 hours.

JS 684 Thesis Research in Forensic Science
Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy. May be repeated for credit. 1-6 hours.

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Additional Elective Courses

BY 511 Molecular Genetics
Prokaryotic and eukaryotic gene structure and function.
Prerequisites: BY 271 and 330, and CH 232. Independent project required.

BY 629 Evolution and Population Biology
catalog description

BY 633 Advanced Molecular Genetics
Examination of the molecular genetics of eukaryotic organisms, including genomes, nucleosomes, chromosomes, transcription, splicing, transposition and signal transduction. The role of molecular biology in immune diversity and cell growth will also be studied.
Prerequisites: BY 311 and 431.

CH 562 Biochemistry II
Continuation of biochemistry including molecular genetics (replication, transcription, and translation), metabolic pathways, control of gene expression.
Prerequisite: CH 561

CH 564 Physical Biochemistry Laboratory
Physical/analytical approaches toward determination of macromolecular structures, ligand binding, and enzymology.
Prerequisites: CH 325, CH 355, and CH 461 or permission of instructor.

CH 600 Foundations of Physical and Analytical Chemistry
Molecular thermodynamics and molecular reaction dynamics, chemical equilibrium and solubility in aqueous/organic solutions, and ligand binding to macromolecules in aqueous solution.

CH 650 Advanced Analytical Chemistry
Introduction to basic data analysis techniques that include testing hypotheses, establishing tendencies and correlations, experimental design, etc. The course is designed to provide a support to a research chemist in effectively solving everyday problems associated with production and interpretation of experimental data.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.

MSE 565/565L Characterization of Materials - 4 hours
heory and practice of materials characterization, with emphasis on optical metallography, quantitative metallography, scanning electron microscopy, crystallography, and x-ray diffraction. Specific application in metals and ceramics considered.

CLS 690 Biological & Chemical Weapons
Awareness of biological, chemical and social sciences concepts related to biological and chemical weapons. Identification of health care practitioners and researchers competencies required to detect and minimize harm to the public's health caused by biological and chemical weapons.
Prerequisites: Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for information.

BST 611 Intermediate Statistical Analysis I
Students will gain a thorough understanding of basic analysis methods, elementary concepts, statistical models and applications of probability, commonly used sampling distributions, parametric and non-parametric one and two sample tests, confidence intervals, applications of analysis of two-way contingency table data, simple linear regression, and simple analysis of variance. Students are taught to conduct the relevant analysis using current software such as the Statistical Analysis System (SAS).

BST 612 Intermediate Statistical Analysis II
This course will introduce students to the basic principle of tools of simple and multiple regression. A major goal is to establish a firm foundation in the discipline upon which the applications of statistical and epidemiologic inference will be built.
Prerequisite: BST 611 or Permission of Instructor. 3 hours

BST 675 Introduction to Statistical Genetics
This class will introduce students to population genetics, genetic epidemiology, microarray and proteomics analysis, Mendelian laws, inheritance, heritability, test cross linkage analysis, QTL analysis, human linkage and human association methods for discrete and quantitative traits.
Prerequisite: BST 622.

EPI 730 Introduction to Human Genetics
Basic concepts, theory and mathematical principles underlying population genetics, i.e., mechanisms affecting distribution of genes in populations.
Prerequisites: Background in genetics, algebra, and statistics; or permission of instructor.

MGE 700 Advanced Human Genetics
Covers a wide variety of current topics related to human genetics and genomics including (I) Chromosomal dynamics, abnormalities and non-disjunction (II) Structure/Function of the genome and mutational analyses; and (III) Advanced animal model systems.

MGE 701 Advanced Human Genetics
Covers a wide variety of current topics related to human genetics and genomics including (I) Biochemical Genetics; (II) Genetic networks; and (III) Epigenetics.

PHR 701 Graduate Pharmacology I: Introduction to Graduate Pharmacology
Introduction to graduate pharmacology. Dose-response relationships, drug absorption, disposition and metabolism, drug receptors, agonists and antagonists, enzyme receptor binding kinetics, pharmacokinetics, biostatistics.

PHR 702 Graduate Pharmacology II: Neuropharmacology
Drug modulation of neurotransmission; drugs used in diseases of the nervous system; sympathetic agonists and antagonists; cholinergic agents; CNS pharmacology.

TOX 711 Principles of Toxicology
Foundation for understanding the basis of toxicology. Designed for doctoral students pursuing a career in toxicology; also appropriate for doctoral students studying pharmacology, veterinary medicine, pathology, forensic science, neuroscience, environmental health sciences, etc.

TOX 712 Actions and Assessments of Toxicants
Origin, distribution, and mechanistic actions of toxicants on the mammalian system. Designed for doctoral students pursuing a career in toxicology or a related science such as pharmacology, veterinary medicine, pathology, forensic science, neuroscience, environmental health sciences, etc. Prerequisites: A background in chemistry and biology is required. Biochemistry, pharmacology, and an introductory course in toxicology is recommended.

TOX 713 Advanced Topics in Toxicology

Foundation for understanding the basis of toxicology. Designed for doctoral students pursuing a career in toxicology. Exposes students to the most recent advances in contemporary toxicology.

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