Story By: Ljubica Basic
Missouri Western offers a certificate and a Masters of Applied Science in Forensic Investigation.
This program was added in 2010 as an opportunity for individuals who already have their bachelor’s degree in a related field and are looking to further their education and job opportunities.
This program goes above and beyond just basic skills. The Masters of Applied Science in Forensic Investigation focuses strictly on hands-on activities and involvement outside of just books. This is to ensure the individuals taking the courses know exactly how to react to a certain situation based on their prior experience with this applied learning program.
This program was designed by, and is taught by, members of the Southern Institute of Forensic Science. It is designed for working individuals who do not have the time to attend regular classes.
“Most of the students enrolled in this program are currently working full-time jobs,” Dr. Monty Smith, forensics graduate program director, said. “These courses help the students to gain better jobs than they currently have, most of the time as some sort of crime scene investigator.”
Many of the classes required for this degree are week-long, intensive courses provided at different times throughout the semester. Along with these classes, most of the other course work is work that can be done outside of a classroom.
One of the classes offered is a class on facial reconstruction, which was offered over winter break. In this week-long course, students learn how to reconstruct a skull in the hopes of identifying the victim of a crime.
After learning the skills necessary to recreate a skull, each student is tasked with the job of reconstructing a skull. After they complete the reconstruction, they compare their skull to the photo of the person they are recreating to check their handiwork.
“It was amazing to see these things we learn come to life, step-by-step,” Jody Belding, who took the facial reconstruction course, said.
Currently, this program has 14 students enrolled in classes. Although many think that this program is offered only to those students who are currently studying criminal justice, it goes beyond that. The program can be attended by anyone who has an associate or bachelor’s degree.
The program requirements are 90 completed credit hours and a standing overall 3.0 GPA. The students are expected to be in good standing with the university and maintain the 3.0 required GPA throughout the program.