Medicolegal Death Investigation Certificate

Contact:

Michael Sponsler, sponsler@syr.edu
Professor of Chemistry, Director of Curricular Programs for the Forensic and National Security Sciences Institute at Syracuse University
1-014 Center Sci & Tech
315-443-4880

Faculty:

Kathleen Corrado, Brian Ehret, Robert Stoppacher, Jonathan Adelman, James Crill, Ulrich Englich, James Hewett, Michael Marciano, Robert Silver, James T. Spencer, Michael B. Sponsler, Corri Zoli

Program Description:

The Certificate in Medicolegal Death Investigation is a 12-credit program intended primarily for students who have a career interest in death investigation. The Certificate serves as an indication that the student has had a concentration of courses in this field and is ready to embark on this career path.

Admission:

The primary criterion for admission into this program will be employment in a position that potentially impacts the investigations in death cases, requiring the knowledge that this program offers.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Define the field of forensic science and describe how it overlaps with their particular interests

2. Describe the relationship and interplay between forensic science and the legal system

3. Appreciate the importance of ethical standards and describe the means through which such standards are upheld in forensic science

4. Demonstrate how crime scenes are processed, how chain of custody is preserved and documented, and how medicolegal death investigators and crime scene investigators work together

5. Explain the duties of a medicolegal death investigator

Requirements

I. Required Courses - 6 Credits Required

II. Electives - 6 Credits Required

FSC 332 - Intro to Forensic Anthropology
FSC 434 - Anatomy & Physiology for Forensic Medicine
FSC 435 - Medicolegal Death Investigation I
FSC 436 - Medicolegal Death Investigation II
FSC 453 - Forensic Toxicology
FSC 462 - Forensic Entomology
FSC 463 - Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
FSC 467 - Forensic Photography
FSC 468 - Crime Scene Investigation
FSC 470 - Experience Credit (Internship in a medical examiner’s office, related to forensic pathology and/or medicolegal death investigation)
ANT 433 - Human Osteology

Transfer Credit

Maximum of 3 credits

Part-time Study

May be pursued

Degree

Certificate in Medicolegal Death Investigation