BE THERE. FORENSIC SCIENCE
THE DEPARTMENT OF FORENSIC SCIENCE
As a recognized leader in forensic science education, the Department of Forensic Science at Sam Houston State University is prepared to help you reach your career goals. As one of the first FEPAC-accredited graduate programs in the United States and the first of its kind in Texas, you will see why so many of our graduates go on to pursue successful careers in their chosen forensic discipline. The difference is here.
shsu.edu/forensicscience
DEGREE PROGRAMS OFFERED
Undergraduate Minor in Forensic Science
The Department of Forensic Science offers a flexible minor in forensic science that is geared towards students with diverse backgrounds. The forensic science minor is ideally suited for students who intend to pursue investigative careers within the criminal justice system as well as natural science majors who are interested in more traditional laboratory-based careers in forensic science. The minor can be completed online and covers important topics for mandatory state licensing of forensic analysts and technicians in the State of Texas. Students must complete 18 credit hours of which at least 6 must be 400 <4000> level courses.
Master of Science in Forensic Science
The Master of Science degree is designed to provide students with the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities essential to forensic science. Graduate level topics include forensic biology, forensic toxicology, controlled substances, trace evidence and microscopy, instrumental analysis, crime scene investigation, pattern evidence, law and forensic science, ethics, and quality assurance. These core topics are complemented with advanced discipline-specific coursework and extensive hands-on laboratory instruction in our state-of-the art scientific facility.
The program requires the completion of 44 graduate semester hours that can be fulfilled in two years of full-time study. In addition to core coursework and specialized electives, students must complete an internship and research project.
Doctor of Philosophy in Forensic Science
The Doctor of Philosophy is an interdisciplinary science degree that is designed to provide students with the critical thinking ability, problemsolving skills, and discipline-specific knowledge to allow them to advance into leadership positions. This is accomplished by demonstrating the ability to perform independent, original research, the successful completion of multidisciplinary academic coursework, hands-on experience in the laboratory, and collaboration with accredited forensic laboratories, institutes and partners. The PhD in Forensic Science requires the completion of 86 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. Students are expected to complete the requirements during approximately five years of full-time study.
Those seeking careers in this field should be aware that background checks similar to those required for law enforcement officers are likely to be a condition of employment. Drug testing, history of drug use, criminal background checks and other factors, such as social media use and content may be considered for employment or internship placements. shsu.edu/cjprograms
ACADEMIC INDUSTRIAL PARTNERSHIPS
Institutes of higher education play a critical role advancing the standard and practice of forensic science in the United States. As a recognized leader in forensic science education at the graduate-level within one of the oldest and most well-respected Criminal Justice Colleges in the U.S., Sam Houston State University is committed to academic-industrial partnerships that advance the goals of the profession.
Through collaborative, interdisciplinary, and industrially relevant research and training, the Institute for Forensic Research, Training and Innovation (IFRTI) works to broaden scientific awareness and serve as a vehicle for technology transfer and innovation.
Working together, we advance the practice of forensic science through strategic academic-industrial partnerships, industrially relevant research, and the delivery of highly specialized training to the forensic practitioner and stakeholder communities.
SHSU not only values this type of collaboration within its graduate programs but has embraced it for over a decade. Strong ties with the forensic enterprise, accredited laboratories and the medico-legal community play an important role in education, research and service within the Department of Forensic Science.
Our faculty consist of engaged scholars, many of whom actively participate in forensic reform efforts at the state and national level. Through faculty participation in the OSAC (Organization for Scientific Area Committees) for forensic science and various standards developing organizations (SDOs), our contemporary curriculum exposes students to new and emerging issues so that they are well-prepared for the workplace.
SOUTHEAST TEXAS APPLIED FORENSIC SCIENCE FACILITY
The Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science (STAFS) Facility is a willed-body donor facility, recognized by the Anatomical Board of Texas, accepting human body donations for the purposes of scientific research.
The STAFS Laboratory contains state-of-the-art equipment, including digital imaging, microscopy, necropsy suite and a skeletal collection room for students, researchers, and professionals in physical and forensic anthropology. The STAFS Outdoor Research Facility is located within the Center for Biological Field Studies at Sam Houston State University, a 247 acre parcel of land adjacent to the Sam Houston National Forest.
STAFS facilitates and conducts research that benefits the broader forensic and medico-legal communities. In collaboration with law enforcement and forensic practitioners, STAFS simulates forensically relevant scenarios that may be encountered in real-world investigations. These efforts help answer key scientific questions, and may provide supporting data through empirical research. Students at SHSU have the opportunity to participate in these research efforts, assist with training, and intern at the facility.
To find out more about the Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science Facility, please visit us online at www.cjcenter.org/stafs.
INSTITUTE FOR FORENSIC RESEARCH, TRAINING AND INNOVATION
The mission of the Institute for Forensic Research, Training and Innovation is to advance the practice of forensic science through strategic academic-industrial partnerships, industrially relevant research, and to deliver highly specialized training to forensic practitioners and stakeholders.
Through interdisciplinary forensic research and training, we hope to broaden scientific awareness and serve as a vehicle for technology transfer and innovation in a way that advances forensic science and the administration of justice locally, nationally, and globally.
To find out more about the Institute for Forensic Research, Training and Innovation, please visit us online at www.ifrti.org.
MS IN FORENSIC SCIENCE
The Master of Science in Forensic Science program is accredited by the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) and provides a rigorous core curriculum with an integrative approach. This unique and interdisciplinary program was the first of its kind in Texas and allows students the flexibility to tailor their degree to specific needs and goals.
The program maintains strong ties with accredited forensic laboratories in both the private and public sectors. Students will complete an internship in a forensic laboratory, an independent research project, and demonstrate good oral and written skills that will prepare them for future success in both the laboratory and in the courtroom.
Students enrolled in the MS program may apply for the PhD program during their second year of study. Students who successfully pass a qualifying examination at the conclusion of the second year can transfer all eligible credit hours towards the 86 graduate semester requirement for the PhD.
shsu.edu/programs/graduate/forensic-science/
CORE COURSEWORK
Year 1 FORS 5445
FORS 5360
FORS 5117
FORS 5440
FORS 5435
FORS 6446
Summer FORS 6371
Forensic Instrumental Analysis
Pattern and Physical Evidence Concepts
Controlled Substances
Forensic Biology
Trace/Microscopical Analysis
Forensic Toxicology
Forensic Science Internship
Year 2 FORS 5116 Seminar in Forensic Science
FORS 6014
FORS 5226
Forensic Science Research
Law and Forensic Sciences
FORS 6224 Quality Assurance and Ethical Conduct in Forensic Science
PhD Only FORS 7331 Research Methods
FORS 7332
FORS 7390
Scientific Communications
Forensic Laboratory Management
PHD IN FORENSIC SCIENCE
The PhD in Forensic Science requires the completion of rigourous core coursework, dissertation research, and electives.
In order to advance to candidacy students must have successfully completed 44 graduate credit hours of coursework and research, submit a portfolio for review, write a formal research proposal and orally defend the proposal typically by the close of the second year. Once the doctoral program committee determines that the qualifying exam (portfolio, proposal and oeal defense) are satisfactory, the student may enroll in dissertation research.
A minimum of 15 hours of dissertation credits are required and students must maintain continuous enrollment until they graduate. Students must complete and defend a doctoral dissertation, which is the product of original scholarly research of publishable quality to represent a meaningful contribution of knowledge in the field of forensic science.
Students with an MS in Forensic Science
from a FEPAC-accredited institution may be eligible to transfer credit towards the eighty-six credit hour requirement for the PhD in Forensic Science.
shsu.edu/programs/doctorate/forensic-science/
SPECIALIZED ELECTIVES
FORS 5310
FORS 5333
FORS 6315
FORS 6333
FORS 6337
FORS 6361
FORS 7315
BIOL 5305
BIOL 5363
BIOL 5391
FORS 5119
FORS 6319
FORS 6335
FORS 6345
FORS 7345
FORS 7346
FORS 7381
BIOL 5394
CHEM 5372
CHEM 5373
CHEM 5368
PSYC 5360
PSYC 5361
FORS 5114
FORS 5118
FORS 5362
Forensic Molecular Biology
Forensic Anthropology
Forensic Population Genetics
Behavioral Genetics
Forensic Medicine
Advanced Forensic DNA
Advanced DNA Mixture Interpretation
Medical/Criminal Entomology
Genomics and Bioinformatics
Advanced Genetics
Fire Debris
Controlled Substance Analysis
Advanced Forensic Chemistry
Advanced Instrumental Analysis
Advanced Mass Spectrometry
Advanced Forensic Toxicology
Explosive Analysis and Detection
Electron Microscopy
Advanced Biochemistry I
Drug and Toxin Biochemistry
Analytical Spectroscopy
Advanced Physiological Psychology
Neuropsychopharmacology
Firearms and Toolmarks
Questioned Documents
Techniques for Crime Scene Investigation
FORS 6111
FORS 6317
FORS 7089
FORS 7394
Fundamentals of Research Methods
Forensic Statistics
Practicum
Doctoral Seminar
FACULTY & RESEARCH
Our dedicated forensic faculty have terminal degrees in their respective disciplines and real-world experience working in local, state, and federal laboratories and organizations. Our core faculty have experience in forensic biology, controlled substances, forensic toxicology, forensic anthropology, crime scene investigation, pattern evidence, forensic microscopy, trace evidence, quality assurance, crime laboratory management, and more.
Forensic science research at SHSU is highly interdisciplinary in nature and has attracted significant external funding. Our researchers have a wide range of interests with research programs covering a broad range of chemical, biological and physical forensic sciences: massively parallel sequencing (MPS), mixture interpretation, highly degraded DNA, touch DNA, forensic botany, forensic taphonomy, postmortem forensic toxicology and medico-legal death investigation, behavioral toxicology, novel psychoactive substances (NPS), metabolomics, chemical profiling, chemometrics, informatics, pattern and impression evidence, questioned document examination, trace materials, evidence interpretation, gunshot residue analysis, nanotechnology and sensors, and novel instrumental techniques.
Dr. Patrick Buzzini Associate Professor of Forensic Science
Dr. Patrick Buzzini is an Associate Professor of Forensic Science where he has established his research agenda in the fields of trace evidence and questioned documents. He obtained a fouryear degree (eq. BS+MS) and PhD, both in forensic science, from the oldest forensic science academic institution in the world, the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. He has organized workshops, training sessions, and continuing education courses for practioners in the field including the legal community both nationally and internationally. Dr. Buzzini’s research interests include the forensic applications of microscopical and spectroscopic methods (i.e., Raman spectroscopy) to various types of trace evidence and questioned documents as well as problems of physical evidence interpretation. Dr. Buzzini is a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) and serves on the Trace Materials Subcommittee within OSAC. He is an appointee of the Texas Forensic Science Commission, and a consulting forensic scientist.
Dr. J. Tyler Davidson Assistant Professor of Forensic Science
Dr. J. Tyler Davidson joined the Department of Forensic Science as an Assistant Professor in 2020. He obtained a BS in Chemistry from Shippensburg University and a PhD in Forensic Science from West Virginia University. Dr. Davidson publishes his research in journals such as Forensic Chemistry, Drug Testing and Analysis, and the International Journal of Mass Spectrometry He also presents his research at national conferences such as the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the American Society for Mass Spectrometry. His research focuses on methodologies for the differentiation of hemp and marijuana, forensic applications of ambient ionization mass spectrometry, novel substance identification through underlying fragmentation mechanisms, alternative toxicological matrices, and field-portable instrumentation. Dr. Davidson was a recipient of the 2020 Emerging Forensic Scientist Award from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
Dr. Rachel Houston is an Assistant Professor of Forensic Science. She obtained a PhD in Forensic Science in the area of forensic genetics. Her Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Institute of Justice focused on developing genetic assays to aid in the individualization and origin determination of marijuana samples. She has authored and co-authored several publications that have been published in top Forensic Science journals. Her research interests include a variety of topics that range from innovative techniques applied to human identification and to nonhuman forensic genetics. Dr. Houston’s research goals include evaluating front end processing of evidence, the applicability of direct PCR, and exploring the use of next generation sequencing (NGS) for forensic and intelligence purposes.
Dr. Rachel Houston Assistant Professor of Forensic ScienceDr. Sheree Hughes is the Chair of the Department of Forensic Science and Director of the Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science (STAFS) Facility at SHSU. She completed her PhD in Health Sciences (Forensic Genetics) at Bond University in Australia, and has over 15 years teaching experience in the fields of human anatomy and dissection, histology, and forensic anthropology across various universities. Dr. Hughes assisted law enforcement with cases involving the recovery of skeletal remains in her home state of Queensland, and served on the Texas Forensic Science Commission, and working groups in the U.S. She actively combines her research interests of DNA typing and forensic anthropology by investigating highly degraded and challenging biological samples for human identification and forensic intelligence purposes.
Dr. Tim Kalafut joined the Department of Forensic Science at Sam Houston State University as an Associate Professor in 2020. Dr. Kalafut earned a PhD in Toxicology in 1999 from Texas A&M University. He was a practicing Forensic DNA scientist at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences (SWIFS) in Dallas, Texas, for three years before joining the United States Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory (USACIL). Over the course of almost twenty years at USACIL, he performed DNA testing on thousands of samples from hundreds of cases and testified as an expert witness at numerous state trials and military courts at Department of Defense installations worldwide. He has delivered advanced training in DNA mixtures to practitioners at federal, state, and local crime labs and has published several papers in the field of Forensic DNA. He is especially interested in the Hierarchy of Propositions and how this relates to effective laboratory examinations, and the communication of these results to investigators, attorneys, judges, and jury members. An ongoing research theme will be focusing on the evaluation of data given activity level propositions.
Dr. Sarah Kerrigan is the Director of the Institute for Forensic Research, Training and Innovation at Sam Houston State University. She received her initial training as a forensic toxicologist at the Scotland Yard Forensic Science Laboratory in London, England. Over a period of fifteen years Dr. Kerrigan has served as a forensic scientist, quality assurance manager, as well as regional and state laboratory director in accredited crime laboratories in the United States. She is Past President of the Society of Forensic Toxicologists, served on the Forensic Science Standards Board of the OSAC for seven years, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. She has served on numerous national and statewide boards and commissions, is actively engaged in forensic science reform efforts, and maintains an active research agenda in forensic toxicology. Dr. Kerrigan serves on many editorial advisory boards and has been a contributing author in numerous forensic science textbooks. She was the recipient of the Irving Sunshine Toxicology Award from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in 2002, and the Rolla N. Harger Award for outstanding contributions in forensic toxicology and advancement of the profession in 2018. Dr. Kerrigan serves as an appointee of the Texas Forensic Science Commission.
Dr. Tim Kalafut
Associate Professor of Forensic Science
Dr. Sarah Kerrigan Professor of Forensic Science
Dr. Sheree Hughes Associate Professor of Forensic Science
Dr. Geraldine Monjardez
Professor of Forensic Science
Dr. Geraldine Monjardez joined the Department of Forensic Science in 2019 as an Assistant Professor. She obtained an MSc in Forensic Engineering from Cranfield University and a PhD in Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom. Before joining SHSU, she worked as a research scientist and adjunct faculty member in the Chemistry Department at Western Carolina University. Dr. Monjardez has presented and co-authored several oral and poster presentations given at national and international conferences. Her research interests include forensic applications of spectroscopic techniques, the development of nanomaterials for the field detection of trace chemicals and assessing the evidential value of vehicular fluids. Dr. Monjardez is an associate member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and a member of the American Society of Trace Evidence Examiners, the American Chemical Society and the Texas Society for Microscopy.
Dr. Madeleine Swortwood is an Associate Professor in the Department of Forensic Science. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Duquesne University and a PhD in Chemistry from Florida International University. She was previously a forensic toxicologist at the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Her prior research experience includes synthetic cathinones, drug metabolism, marijuana oral fluid testing, and in utero drug exposure. She has authored and co-authored more than forty manuscripts in journals such as Forensic Toxicology, Drug Testing and Analysis, Journal of Chromatography, and many others. She continues her toxicology research in the analysis and detection of drugs of abuse (specifically synthetic drugs) in alternative matrices, such as oral fluids. She is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the Society of Forensic Toxicologists, and serves on the Toxicology Subcommittee of the OSAC.
Dr. Yu is a Professor in the Department of Forensic Science at Sam Houston State University. He is an analytical chemist, specializing in forensic science. He obtained his BS and MS degrees both in Forensic Science from Central Police University in Taiwan. From 1994 to 2002, he worked as a forensic scientist at the Forensic Science Center in Taipei, Taiwan. Dr. Yu was hired as a tenure-track assistant professor after he received his PhD in Chemistry from Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, in 2006. Dr. Yu was promoted to Fellow with the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in 2014. He also holds a forensic certificate (Diplomat-ABC) with the American Board of Criminalistics in the certification area of comprehensive criminalistics. His research interest is in the areas of trace evidence examination and crime scene reconstruction. The ultimate goal in his research laboratory is to develop investigative intelligence by forensic analysis of physical evidence.
Assistant
Dr. Madeleine Swortwood
Associate Professor of Forensic Science
Dr. Jorn Yu Professor of Forensic Science
STATE-OF-THE-ART
EQUIPMENT
■ Accurate-Mass Quadrupole Time-of-Flight (Q-TOF) LC/MS
■ Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS-MS)
■ Direct Analysis in Real Time-Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS)
■ Liquid Chromatography (Diode Array Detection)
■ Gas Chromatography (GC)
■ Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)
■ Chemical Ionization GC-MS
■ Pyrolysis GC-MS
■ Solid Phase Micro Extraction (SPME) GC-MS
■ Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
■ DNA Analyzers/Sequencers
■ Thermal Cyclers
■ Gradient PCR Thermal Cycler
■ Real-Time PCR Thermal Cyclers
■ Fast Real-Time PCR Thermal Cyclers
■ Bioanalyzer
■ Ion Mobility Spectrometer (IMS)
■ Massive Parallel Sequencing / Next Generation DNA Sequencers and automation platforms
■ DNA Extraction Robotics
■ Fluorometry
■ Scanning Electron Microscopy – X-ray Energy Dispersion Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS)
■ Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM)
■ Comparison Microscopy
■ Digital Microscopy
■ Stereomicroscopy
■ Visual Spectral Comparator (VSC)
■ Micro-Raman Spectroscopy
■ Portable Raman Spectroscopy
■ Fluorescence Microscopy
■ Electrostatic Detection Apparatus (ESDA)
■ Glass Refractive Index Measurement (GRIM 3) System
■ UV-Visible Microspectrophotometry (UV-Vis MSP)
POST GRADUATE SUCCESS
Our mission is to provide SHSU graduates the knowledge, skills and abilities to prepare them for successful careers in forensic science. This mission is accomplished through academic coursework, hands-on experience in the laboratory, research and the completion of an internship in a forensic science laboratory. Each year graduates from the Department of Forensic Science at Sam Houston State University go on to pursue exciting and rewarding careers in forensic science. Our graduate success speaks for itself.
“During my time in the Forensic Science program at SHSU, I was provided with opportunities that built my confidence and leadership skills, professionally and academically, which has allowed me to be successful in my career. The relationships I built with fellow students and professors has left me with life-long friends and mentors.”
— Lindsay Glicksberg, PhD Technical Manager, Forensic Chemistry SouthwesternInstitute of Forensic Sciences
Recipient of the 2017 Emerging Forensic Scientist Award from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, SHSU PhD graduate 2017
EMPLOYMENT IN FORENSIC SCIENCE
The interdisciplinary curriculum at SHSU prepares students for a wide variety of forensic science disciplines. Despite the competitive nature of the field, employment and postgraduate success rates have averaged 96% over the past ten years. Our graduate success speaks for itself. Most of our graduates accept employment in DNA, Toxicology, Controlled Substances, Trace Evidence and Firearms. The majority are employed in the public sector, working in government forensic laboratories at the federal, state, county or city levels. Since 2006, employer satisfaction surveys have indicated satisfaction rates of 100%.
THE DIFFERENCE IS HERE.
FORENSIC SCIENCE GRADUATE EMPLOYERS
Abbott Toxicology | Baylor College of Medicine | Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office
Bode Technology | Dallas County Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences
Defense Forensic Science Center | Federal Bureau of Investigation
Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences | Houston Forensic Science Center
Los Angeles County Medical Examiner – Coroner | National Medical Services Labs | Orchid Cellmark
Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office | Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
San Diego Police Department Crime Laboratory | San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Signature Science | Quest Diagnostics | U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory
Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory | Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office
U.S. Army Medical Institute of Chemical Defense | U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency
Virginia Department of Forensic Science | Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory | And more...
REQUEST INFORMATION
shsu.edu/cj
1.866.BEARKAT | shsu.edu
SHSU Box 2525
1003 Bowers Blvd., Huntsville, TX 77341
forensics.shsu.edu | 936.294.2517 | forensics@shsu.edu
