Crime Scene Investigation
Housed under FSU Panama City’s Public Safety & Security program, the CSI major integrates analytic and hands-on skills with the theoretical principles needed to properly identify, document, process, collect, and analyze evidence. All academic coursework is offered online or face-to-face.
The required hands-on labs are offered during the summer semester in accelerated one-week (40 hours) courses. During summer labs students will work on real cold cases and complete mock crime scene scenarios. Labs allow students to learn the proper techniques needed for evidence like blood spatter analysis, processing of fingerprints, bullet trajectories, and recovery of buried bodies and skeletal remains. All CSI specific labs are approved by the International Association of Identification (IAI) as training certification or continuing education hours.
Students can further tailor their education with a certificate in underwater crime scene investigation, and graduates can further advance their career with a master’s level with a graduate certificate or master’s degree in law enforcement intelligence.
Work in a field that makes a difference in people’s lives. Uncovering evidence to be used to help name suspects, solve crimes, and bring justice for victims is both challenging and rewarding.
Florida State University’s Crime Scene Investigation program is ranked #1 by University HQ as Best Online Forensic Science & Crime Scene Investigation Program.
Florida State University graduates can work as crime scene investigators, death investigations, in medical examiner’s offices, in forensic labs, and more.
What can I expect from the Crime Scene Investigation Program?
Students can expect to leave the program with the knowledge, skills and techniques needed to process crime scenes while preventing destruction and contamination of evidence. Students are taught to strive for the highest ethical practices in the field. They graduate with an awareness of the importance of maintaining the validity, reliability, and repeatability required in forensic science. They are professionals who understand the value of teamwork and of service to the profession and the communities they will work in.
What degrees or certifications are offered in this program?
Bachelor of Science
Students graduate with 160 hours of certified International Association for Identification training.
Florida State University has been ranked #1 for the Best Online Bachelor's Degree in CSI.
What types of careers could this program prepare me for?
Career prospects in the field include crime scene investigator, crime scene analysts, forensic science technician, crime laboratory assistant, autopsy technician, death investigator, property and evidence personnel, criminalist, and more.