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.

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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

Student Research

Internships

Career Paths

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

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

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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.

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

Read about the work of faculty and students in the forensic science major program.

November 16, 2023

Saint Paul house finds new life as Hamline crime scene lab

Hamline University is breathing new life (and plenty of simulated death) into a house on Holton Street in St. Paul. The Hamline-owned property was repurposed this fall semester to be a lab for Dr. Jamie Spaulding’s Crime Scene and Death Investigation course.

September 25, 2023