OSU-CHS | Forensic Sciences

Oklahoma State University
Center for Health Sciences

Master of Science

The M.S. in Forensic Sciences offers a Research and Thesis program that prepares students for teaching, specialization, or research in the forensic sciences. Participants may pursue advanced studies and research in one of four areas:

forensic biology/DNA

forensic pathology¹

forensic psychology²

forensic toxicology

The M.S. has accreditation from the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in forensic biology and forensic toxicology, the only areas that FEPAC accredits. See Resources at www.AAFS.org for more information.

Participants complete 39 hours of coursework, including six hours of research. A thesis must be written and defended as the culmination of the research project. M.S. students must take a comprehensive examination.

With most core requirements offered completely online, full-time M.S. students may delay relocation to the Tulsa area until after the second semester. M.S. students should count on spending two or three semesters on campus for research and advanced studies.

Candidates for the M.S. research degree must take a two-part comprehensive examination as a requirement for graduation. The successful candidate must achieve a satisfactory score on the examination, as determined by the student’s faculty advisory committee.

M.S. Research and Thesis Program
Core Courses
29 core credit hours required (exceptions noted)

Course #	Course Title	Semester Credit Hours
FRNS 5000	Supervised Forensic Research Project (completed in 1-6 hour segments)	6
FRNS 5013	Survey of Forensic Sciences	3*
FRNS 5063	Scientific (Research) Writing and Presentation	3*
FRNS 5073	Quality Assurance in Forensic Science³	3*
FRNS 5413	Forensic Pathology and Medicine⁴	3*
FRNS 5613	Criminalistics and Evidence Analysis	3*
FRNS 5622	Advanced Criminalistics (lab component)	2
FRNS 5653	Scientific Evidence	3*
STAT 5013	Statistics for Experimenters I also on campus in Stillwater or at OSU-Tulsa	3*

M.S. Research Electives
10 elective credit hours required, as designated for specialty, with advisor approval

Course #	Course Title	Semester Credit Hours
FRNS 5083	Ethics in Forensic Leadership	3*
FRNS 5213	Molecular Biology	3*
FRNS 5242	Population Genetics	2
FRNS 5282	Methods in Forensic Biology and Forensic Toxicology	2
FRNS 5413	Forensic Pathology and Medicine4	3*
FRNS 5513	Forensic Bioscience	3*
FRNS 5523	Forensic Toxicology	3*
FRNS 5533	Drug Toxicity	3*
FRNS 5653	Scientific Evidence	3*
FRNS 5713	Forensic Psychology	3*
FRNS 5723	Advanced Forensic Psychology	3*
FRNS 5913	Forensic Accounting and Fraud Investigation	3*
FRNS 6010	Forensic Specialization (advanced options, including internships, in specialty)	1-3
FRNS 6043	Forensic Management and Organizational Development	3*
BIOM 5013	Medical Biostatistics (substitutes for STAT 5013, with advisor’s permission)	3
BIOM 6543	Neurochemical Toxicology	3
HCA 5023	Human Resources in Health Care and Public Administration	3*
SOC 5573	Seminar on Victimology (Stillwater campus)	3
SOC 5990	Criminal Behavior Analysis (Stillwater campus)	3

¹	The M.S. degree is not a path toward becoming a forensic pathologist, which requires a medical degree.
²	A career as a forensic psychologist requires a Ph.D. Any applicant wishing to become a psychologist should check with the intended doctoral program to coordinate plans for M.S. degree.
³	FRNS 5713 Forensic Psychology replaces this course in the forensic psychology track.
⁴	FRNS 5413 is replaced by FRNS 5723 in the forensic psychology track and is not required for the forensic biology/DNA track, although it serves as an elective option.
*	Web Course: Extra fee involved.