Professor Jamie Spaulding and student in forensic science major

Forensic Science Majors

Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts Degree

Minnesota's only forensic science bachelor's degrees

 

Interested in crime scenes, untangling evidence, and investigating crimes?  Then Hamline's forensic science major—the only one of its kind in Minnesota—will propel you to a successful career in forensic science.

With our BA in Forensic Science (focused on investigative forensic science) or our BS in Forensic Science (focused on biology or chemistry), you'll gain practical, hands-on skills in our forensic laboratory to develop your strengths and make sure no piece of evidence goes unused.

You'll learn to pair investigative techniques and data analysis with critical thinking and verbal and written communication skills essential for the constantly evolving forensic science field and careers. Our graduates are renowned for their professional-level career skills and have applied their talents in law enforcement and cybersecurity. You may also be interested in learning about Hamline's criminology and criminal justice major.

Our expert faculty constantly expands your forensic science major offerings to integrate cutting-edge research into your courses, and we're committed to your training as a professional forensic expert. We ensure every student has the opportunity to translate classroom learning and mock casework into direct experience through internships at crime labs, research institutions, and more.

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Hamline staged crime scene

Hamline's Crime Scene House, where forensic science majors use real evidence to get hands-on practice solving crimes

Forensic science bachelor's degrees and minor info

Forensic science major—forensic biology (BS)

With this concentration, you’ll be prepared for positions in forensic labs as a DNA analyst or a biological scientist. You’ll also get excellent preparation for graduate work in biological disciplines.

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Forensic science major—forensic chemistry (BS)

Get prepared to work in forensic labs as a forensic drug chemist, arson and explosives analyst/investigator, forensic toxicologist, or trace evidence examiner. You’ll also get excellent preparation for graduate work in chemical disciplines.

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Forensic and investigative forensic science (BA)

Designed for those interested in criminal investigations without a specific focus on crime laboratory analysis, this degree provides you with a flexible and unique set of skills that can be applied in a variety of fields.

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Forensic and investigative science minor

Gain a broad-based understanding of the fundamentals of forensic science and an introduction to the technical and legal aspects of the field. Build an interdisciplinary toolkit that complements majors in criminology and criminal justice, legal studies, psychology, and other related majors.

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Real-world forensic experiences. Hands-on learning.

Hamline crime scene house
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Your real-world crime scene house

As you work toward your forensic science bachelor's degree, utilize your newfound skills and tools in Hamline’s Crime Scene House. You’ll get hands-on, real-world experience working to uncover proof and deduce what happened by examining staged crime scenes that use actual evidence.

Forensic science program details

Opportunities for student research

At Hamline, forensic science majors participate in research with faculty as early as their first year, something usually reserved for graduate students at other institutions. You'll design and conduct your own research project based on your individual interests and goals.

The list of possible research projects is as varied as our students. For example, picture yourself:

  • Collecting, analyzing and interpreting evidence and data for use in criminal investigations and court proceedings
  • Conducting research to address scientific underpinnings of forensic methodologies and the validity of methods being applied to criminal investigations, including chemometrics, environmental effects on DNA, feature occurrence in pattern evidence, and trace evidence examinations of tape
  • Investigating mock crime scenes on campus, preparing technical reports, and delivering mock testimony about your case
  • Engaging with working forensic scientists during internships to gain practical experience in crime labs and investigative agencies

Learn more about undergraduate research at Hamline 

Internships for forensic science majors

We make sure you leave Hamline with work experience in the field of forensic science on your resume—and the opportunities are endless. Whether you want to explore a career in a crime lab, law enforcement, analytical chemistry, or more, we have internship opportunities for you.

Past forensic science students' internships include:

  • Anoka County Sheriff's Office, investigations intern
  • Defense Forensic Science Center, research associate
  • Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office, medical examiner intern
  • Midwest Medical Examiner's Office, medical examiner intern
  • Mayo Clinic Medical Examiner’s Office, forensic pathology intern
  • Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Epstein-Rhodes Forensic Science Service intern
  • Ramsey County Sheriff's Department, Criminal Investigations Unit intern
  • Saint Paul Police Department, Forensic Services Unit intern
  • Tri County Regional Forensic Laboratory, latent fingerprint intern

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What can you do with a forensic science degree?

Our innovative courses and one-on-one mentoring by faculty will give you the tools to succeed in a variety of jobs, such as:

  • Crime scene analyst
  • Death investigator
  • DNA analyst
  • Evidence technician
  • Firearms examiner
  • Forensic drug chemist
  • Latent fingerprint examiner
  • Trace evidence examiner

And you can explore careers in many different fields, such as:

  • Analytical chemistry
  • Cybersecurity
  • Environmental forensics
  • Laboratory quality assurance
  • Law enforcement

Night of “the call”

Part of being a forensic science student at Hamline is knowing that one fall night you'll get the call — a middle-of-the-night phone call summoning you to a (staged) crime scene, where you'll work with your fellow students to solve a homicide. Do you have what it takes?

Scenes from the crime scene house
Observing the victim

Initial observations are made on the position and state of the victim.

footprints are analyzed at Hamline's Crime Scene House
Analyzing footprints

Footprints are measured and photographed.

Hamline crime scene house, forensic studies major analyzing victim
A second victim

Inside the house, a second victim is identified and analyzed for clues.

Forensic Science at Hamline University
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Invaluable hands-on forensic science experiences

Hear from Indigo Rowland '24, who shares her experience as a student in the program and how Hamline's forensic science program successfully prepares students for careers in forensic science with realistic staged crime scenes.

Carissa Rootes

It was amazing to explore all the different disciplines and find out what I like, what I don't like. Once I started doing fingerprints and firearms, I realized how cool it was to do the comparisons. When you're able to make that match of one fingerprint to another, it's satisfying to be able to do it with confidence.

Carissa Rootes '21, chemistry and forensic science certificate; forensic scientist at Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in Saint Paul, MN
Read Carissa's story

Forensic science in the news

After Hours Crime Scene 2024
November 25, 2024

Forensic science students investigate staged homicide

Forensic science students were called out near midnight to investigate two staged homicides as part of Dr. Jamie Spaulding’s Crime Scene and Death investigation course.

Read more

Decode a crime scene with Hamline's forensic science program

forensics microscope
forensics slides
forensics shot from above
forensics dusting for fingerprints
forensics evidence
forensics examining evidence
forensics shot from overhead

Take your next step today

Interested in forensic science? We’d love to send you information, including more on academics and student life at Hamline.

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