TOWARD CRIMINAL JUSTICE SOLUTIONS

SHORT www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij

U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

National Institute of Justice 

IN 

NCJ 216886 

MAY 07 

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

National Institute of Justice

TOWARD CRIMINAL JUSTICE SOLUTIONS 

Addressing Shortfalls in Forensic 

Science Education 

SHORT 

NCJ 216886

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij 

THE PROBLEM 

Increasing interest in forensic science has led to 

a proliferation of academic programs in the United 

States and abroad. Unfortunately, the field of 

forensic science lacks a standard academic curriculum, an issue that creates problems for students 

and future employers. 

“Students completing these programs expect to 

find employment in crime labs but are surprised 

to learn that lab management is not impressed by 

the curriculum,” according to the Council of 

Forensic Science Education.1 

Students who enter forensic science programs 

often expect to work in conditions similar to the 

television crime shows they watch. Many find they 

are unprepared for the reality of a career in the 

field. “A lot of new students come to our programs 

looking for an exciting career. Unfortunately, they 

often come with unrealistic expectations,” says 

Charles Tindall, director of forensic science at the 

Metropolitan State College of Denver. 

Worse, many students find that their undergraduate degrees in forensic science leave them unprepared to work in a crime lab. 

BACKGROUND 

Most employers who run forensic science laboratories generally require analysts to have a bachelor’s 

degree in a natural science or forensic science, but 

no nationally recognized standards exist for forensic science programs. Earl Wells, president of the 

American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors 

(ASCLD), noted in 2005 that employers often look 

for applicants with a degree in chemistry and find 

that many “do not have a strong enough science 

background.” 

The lack of competent applicants means crime 

laboratories spend too much time and too many 

resources training new hires. If standardized forensic science education and training were applied to 

all new programs, laboratories could shorten training and conserve resources. As the number of new 

hires increases, reducing the drain on resources 

becomes more critical. 

“One way to do that,” says Jay Siegel, head of 

the forensic science program at Indiana–Purdue 

University in Indianapolis, “is to have a course of 

study that includes quality assurance, validations, 

and other topics essential for quality forensic 

science.” 

In short, educators need a mechanism for evaluating their forensic science programs. In 2001, the 

National Institute of Justice (NIJ) took steps to 

address this problem. 

THE SOLUTION 

NIJ asked a panel of 47 experts to develop a guide 

for educating and training forensic scientists. The 

guide was published in 2004 and addressed problems such as the qualifications for a career in the 

forensic sciences, undergraduate and graduate 

curriculums, and training and continuing education 

for forensic science practitioners.2 

Office of Justice Programs ■ Innovation • Partnerships • Safer Neighborhoods ■ www.ojp.usdoj.gov 
2 

After the guide was published, the American 

Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), a professional association devoted to improving and 

achieving justice through science, stepped forward 

to develop an academic accreditation program for 

forensic science. The association created a committee on forensic science education, headed by 

Jose Almirall of Florida International University in 

Miami. The committee established the Forensic 

Educational Programs Accreditation Commission 

(FEPAC). 

With financial assistance from both AAFS and NIJ, 

the committee developed standards and requirements for a formal evaluation and accreditation 

system for college-level academic programs that 

lead to a baccalaureate or graduate degree in 

forensic science. FEPAC accredited its first university program in 2004. By the end of its third accreditation cycle in February 2006, 11 programs had 

earned accreditation. With an estimated 140 

forensic science programs across the Nation as 

of September 2005,3 more work is needed. 

THE IMPACT 

The accreditation process established by FEPAC 

brings “the seal of quality to an institution,” 

according to Max Houck, Director of the Forensic 

Science Initiative at West Virginia University and 

current FEPAC chair. 

The accreditation process has helped faculty 

nationwide improve their curriculums. Siegel says 

FEPAC’s greatest contribution has been the creation of a standard for measuring the quality of 

forensic science educational programs. Lawrence 

Quarino, who directs the program at Cedar Crest 

College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, says that 

Cedar Crest, which has traditionally drawn mostly 

local students, started receiving inquiries and students from all over the country after it was accredited in 2005. 

The accreditation program also benefits laboratories. Directors now have criteria for assessing 

applicants. Because academic programs are more 

relevant, in-house training programs can be shortened. As the number of graduates from accredited 

programs increases, more job applicants will meet 

laboratory standards. 

Getting accredited is difficult, but program administrators believe the effort pays off in the end. 

Houck, whose program at West Virginia University 

was accredited in 2005, says accreditation allows 

students to pick universities with substantive 

forensic programs. “[They] now have criteria by 

which to judge a forensic science program.” 

FOR MORE INFORMATION 

■ Visit FEPAC’s Web site: www.aafs.org. Click 

“AAFS,” then click “Committees,” then click 

“FEPAC.” 

■ National Institute of Justice, Forensic Sciences: 

Review of Status and Needs, Issues and 

Practices, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of 

Justice, National Institute of Justice, February 

1999, NCJ 173412, available at 

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/173412.htm. 

■ Peterson, Joseph L., and Matthew J. Hickman, 

Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime 

Laboratories, 2002, Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice 

Statistics, February 2005, NCJ 207205, available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/ 

cpffcl02.htm. 

■ Technical Working Group for Education and 

Training in Forensic Science, Education and 

Training in Forensic Science: A Guide for 

Forensic Science Laboratories, Educational 

Institutions, and Students, Special Report, 

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 

National Institute of Justice, June 2004, NCJ 

203099, available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/ 

pubs-sum/203099.htm. 

NOTES 

1. Source: www.criminology.fsu.edu/COFSE/ 

default.html. 

2. Technical Working Group for Education and 

Training in Forensic Science, Education and 

Training in Forensic Science: A Guide for Forensic 

Science Laboratories, Educational Institutions, and 

Students, Special Report, Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Justice, National Institute of 

Justice, June 2004, NCJ 203099, available at 

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/203099.htm. 

3. Source: Carl Selavka, Director of the 

Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory, 

personal communication. 
Further Reading 

FORENSIC EDUCATION 

Technical Working Group on Crime Scene Investigation, Crime Scene Investigation: A Reference 

for Law Enforcement Training, Special Report, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 

National Institute of Justice, June 2004, NCJ 200160, available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/ 

pubs-sum/200160.htm. 

Technical Working Group on Education and Training in Forensic Science, Education and Training 

in Forensic Science: A Guide for Forensic Science Laboratories, Educational Institutions, and 

Students, Special Report, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of 

Justice, June 2004, NCJ 203099, available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/203099.htm. 

GENERAL FORENSICS 

National Institute of Justice, DNA in “Minor” Crimes Yields Major Benefits in Public Safety, 

InShort, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, November 

2004, NCJ 207203, available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/207203.htm. 

National Institute of Justice, Forensic Sciences Web page, available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/ 

topics/forensics/welcome.html. 

National Institute of Justice, Status and Needs of Forensic Science Service Providers: A Report to 

Congress, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, March 2006, 

NCJ 213420, available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/213420.htm. 

Peterson, Joseph L., and Matthew J. Hickman, Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime 

Laboratories, 2002, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2002, 

NCJ 207205, available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cpffcl02.htm. 

Ritter, Nancy, “Preparing for the Future, Criminal Justice in 2040,” NIJ Journal 255 (November 

2006): 8–11, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, NCJ 215456. 

available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/journals/255/2040.html. 

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ADDRESSING SHORTFALLS IN FORENSIC SCIENCE EDUCATION 

Rising public interest in forensics has led to a sharp increase in students entering the field. Crime laboratories say many students with a degree in forensic science are not prepared for the workforce. To counter this 

problem, NIJ sponsored a committee that created educational standards for the field. 

This document is not intended to create, does not create, and may not be relied upon to create any rights, substantive or procedural, enforceable at 

law by any party in any matter civil or criminal. Opinions or points of view expressed in this document represent a consensus of the authors and do not 

represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. The products and manufacturers discussed in this document are presented 

for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or enforcement by the U.S. Department of Justice. 

NCJ 216886