August 22, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR LEE PELLEGRINO-GENSEY IN NJ
For all the mentees who ask about colleges that offer forensic science
majors, here is information from an Associated Press article. They list
several colleges that offer majors and minors, and state that although there
is a "dire need" for forensic scientists, most state or local budgets will
not allow hiring, so people who graduate with this training might have a
tough time finding jobs. Classes will most likely include chemistry and
physics, but could also include criminal justice and investigational methods
or other law-related classes. Towson University has a new forensic
chemistry program. Mansfield University in Mansfield, PA offers a forensic
science minor. Baylor, Pace, and West Virginia Universities have forensic
sciences programs. The U. of Baltimore has a forensic sciences major, and
Saint Louis University has a major in investigative medical sciences.
Syracuse U. and Chatham College are considering forensic science minors
while the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and Hilbert College
already have these minor programs. There are graduate programs at UC Davis,
Duquesne, and the U. of North Texas Health Science Center. Two books I can
also recommend for those considering forensic science are "Dead Men Do Tell
Tales" by Maples and Browning, which is nonfiction, and the novel "The Body
Farm" by Patricia Cornwell who writes crime novels with a female chief
medical examiner as the main character.