Forensic Science master’s programs receive top rankings

By Meredith Frameli

Intelligent.com ranked FIU's Master of Science (MS) in Forensic Science as the best on-campus program in the U.S., the best in Florida, and in the top-three programs nationwide. The online Professional Science Master’s in Forensic Science (PSM-FS) earned the number one seat for online degree programs.

Intelligent, which uses unbiased research to help students make informed decisions about higher education programs, evaluated 171 on-campus university and college Master’s in Forensic Science programs and 145 online programs for flexibility, faculty, course strength, cost and reputation.

FIU’s MS in Forensic Science is an interdisciplinary program that graduates forensic scientists for careers in local, state and national laboratories, and serves as preparation for doctoral instruction in several disciplines. The program is accredited by the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC), a committee of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) and is designed to meet the requirements of the DNA Advisory Board for DNA analysts in the Technical Leader position.

The PSM-FS is an innovative program that combines a cutting-edge online curriculum in forensic science with coursework in management designed to provide professional development opportunities. Additionally, students complete one week-long summer workshop on the FIU campus, and an internship at a professional laboratory. This program is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

Both degrees are academic programs of FIU's International Forensic Research Institute.

“We’re proud to be recognized for the outstanding work done by our professors to make these degree programs competitive on all fronts – on campus, and online,” said DeEtta Mills, the institute's director. “The foundation of research at FIU provides students with an experience they can’t get anywhere else.”

IFRI houses state-of-the-art equipment for use in forensic research, including the Forensic DNA Profiling facility, Forensic Analytical Toxicology facility and Trace Evidence Analysis facility. Additional support is provided by FIU’s Advanced Mass Spectrometry Facility and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

In addition to the MS in Forensic Science and PSM-FS, FIU offers a combined MS in Forensic Science/Ph.D. in Biology Pathway and Ph.D. in Chemistry – Forensic Track. Learn more about these programs here.