FSCI 3010U – Criminalistics I

This course builds upon the techniques learned in FSCI 2010U – Crime Scene Science and expands to take the students on a journey from the crime scene to the laboratory and to court. Students will learn the techniques and standards involved in crime scene management, evidence recovery, detailed documentation techniques, and accurate laboratory analyses of evidence related to crimes such as hit and runs and firearms investigations. Tablet technology and forensic-specific software will assist students in the paperless workflow of information. Laboratory analyses will continue to build upon forensic microscopy techniques using comparison, stereo and compound microscopes. The objective is to identify all the pertinent forensic evidence to support an investigation, carry out the relevant analyses, interpret data and produce a report and presentation appropriate for expert witness testimony in a court of law. The course stresses the multidisciplinary nature of forensic science by integrating legal, practical and scientific aspects of major scene investigations. This course also provides an introduction to miscarriages of justice, as well as key topics of quality assurance, including method validation, which guide the principles of laboratory-based searching, the recovery of evidence at crime scenes, and providing accurate and reliable forensic evidence.
Credit hours: 3
Lecture hours: 3
Laboratory hours: 3
Prerequisite(s): FSCI 2010U and enrolment in third year of the Forensic Science program
Note(s): This course may be offered in a hybrid format with 1.5 hours of lectures and 1.5 hours online lectures and self-learning material.
Experiential learning: Yes