Course Content and Outcome Guide for CJA 215
- Date:
- 18-AUG-2009
- Posted by:
- Curriculum Office
- Course Number:
- CJA 215
- Course Title:
- Forensic Sci & Criminalistics
- Credit Hours:
- 3
- Lecture hours:
- 30
- Lecture/Lab hours:
- 0
- Lab hours:
- 0
- Special Fee:
Course Description
Forensic Science and Criminalistics Explores how scientific principles help in crime detection and solution. Familiarizes students with analysis of fingerprints, DNA, body fluids, and other evidence that may be contained at a crime scene. Prerequisites: WR 121.Addendum to Course Description
This course provides a broad survey of forensic science applications in criminal investigations. Those areas of sciences that are applicable to crime scene investigations will be covered: geology, biology, chemistry, physics, serology.
Information will be provided on recognizing evidence, how evidence is classed by its value
(class vs. individual), how evidence is submitted to a crime lab to ensure its integrity, and what tests the evidence undergoes in the lab. Students will practice evidence recognition and processing skills, detail-oriented skills by observing and identifying evidence through magnifying glasses, public speaking skills by explaining their processes and results to others, and observation and writing skills by describing a mock death scene and evidence.
This course is designed primarily for those interested in criminal justice as a career and/or desire to learn more about the scientific investigative process. It is required for the Associate°s Degree in Criminal Justice at Portland Community College. Course work will include textbook reading, worksheets on the textbook reading, practical demonstration exercises, lecture/group discussions, videos, student presentations, guest speakers, instantaneous quizzes, and pre-announced multiple choice, true/false, and short essay examinations.
Intended Outcomes for the course
- Recognize and collect crime scene evidence
- Analyze evidence using scientific reasoning
- Properly sketch a crime scene
Outcome Assessment Strategies
Examinations, practical exercises.
Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)
This course will address topics including, but not limited to:
- Definition and scope of Forensic Science
- History of Forensic Science
- Crime Lab Capabilities
- Crime Scene searching, analyzing, processing, sketching
- Legal considerations at crime scenes
- Definition of physical evidence
- Comparison and identification of physical evidence
- Class vs. individual evidence
- Metric measurement
- Glass, soil, hairs, fibers, and paint evidence
- Fingerprint evidence recognition, methods, and processing
- Toxicology
- Ballistics, tool marks, shoe-sole impressions
- Blood evidence, DNA and other areas of Forensic Serology