Crime Scene Investigation Program

All students must meet the foreign language admission requirement. In addition, applicants must meet one of the following:

1. AA degree from a Florida public college - This will satisfy the General Education requirements and must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 2.00 on a 4.00 scale.
2. Transfer students from a regionally accredited postsecondary institution - These students must have sixty or more semester hours of transferable credit, to include six hours of freshman English composition and six hours of mathematics/statistics. Transfer students must have a minimum of a 2.0 GPA. These students must complete the Florida State University General Education requirements while enrolled in this program.
3. Current students at FSU (either campus) - These students must have fifty-two (52) or more semester hours of credit, to include six hours of freshman English composition and six hours of mathematics/statistics. Students must have a minimum of a 2.00 GPA. These students must complete the General Education requirements while enrolled in this program.
4. Students admitted to the Crime Scene Investigation major must earn a "C–" or better in core courses CCJ 3024, CJE 3762, CJE 3762L, CCJ 4744, and CCJ 3071, and maintain a GPA of 2.0 in all courses required for the major. A student who has accumulated four or more unsatisfactory grades, (D+. D, D–, F U, IE) in public safety, criminology and criminal justice courses taken for college credit at Florida State University or elsewhere, whether repeated or not, may not be permitted to continue, be readmitted, or be allowed to graduate with a degree in Public Safety and Security.

There are no prerequisites courses for this major.

Core Courses for Crime Scene Investigation Majors: (13 hours)
Students must earn a “C minus” or better in each course:

• CCJ 3024 (3) The Criminal Justice System (Fall, Spring)
• CJE 3762 (3) Forensic Science in Investigation (Fall, Spring)
• CJE 3762L (1) Forensic Science in Investigation Lab (Fall, Spring)
• CCJ 4744 (3) Evidential Reasoning for Research & Investigation (Fall)
• CCJ 3071 (3) Computer Applications for Public Safety and Security (Fall)

Major Required Courses for Crime Scene Investigation Majors: (23 hours)
Students must earn a "C minus" or better in each course:

• CJE 4611 (3) Criminal Investigation: Theory & Practice (Fall)
• CJE 4615 (3) Conduct of Investigation (Spring) [Prerequisite CCJ 4611]
• CJE 4655 (1) Crime & Accident Scene Imaging & Reconstruction (Spring) [Pre or Co-requisite CJE 3762 & CJE 3762L]
• CJE 4655L (2) Crime & Accident Scene Imaging & Reconstruction Lab (Summer) [Prerequisite CJE 4655]
• CJE 4135 (2) Impression and Pattern Evidence (Spring) [Pre or Co-requisite CJE 3762 & CJE 3762L]
• CJE 4135L (2) Impression and Pattern Evidence Lab (Summer) [Prerequisite CJE 4135]
• CJE 4241 (1) Trace & Digital Evidence (Spring) [Pre or Co-requisite CJE 3762 and CJE 3762L]
• CJE 4241L (2) Trace & Digital Evidence Lab (Summer) [Prerequisite CJE 4241]
• CJE 3648 (3) Crime Scene Professionalism (Fall)
• CJE 4638 (2) Forensic Death Investigation (Spring) [Pre or Co-requisite CJE 3762 and CJE 3762L]
• CJE 4638L (2) Forensic Death Investigation Lab (Summer) [Prerequisite CJE 4638]

All CSI labs (with the exception of Forensic Science in Investigation Lab, CJE 3762L) are offered only face to face during the summer semester and take place in one week.  Dates are published by the start of spring so that students can plan accordingly.  Labs are held on Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Panama City Campus.  This means you get full Lab course credit in one week. Two labs will be offered each summer. Hands on experience using the techniques and equipment is vital and requires training.

The International Association for Identification has approved the FSU CSI degree program hands-on labs to count toward required certification hours or continuing education hours. Students will receive a certificate upon completion of the labs. https://www.theiai.org/ 

Additional Required PSS Elective Courses: (21 hours)
Students must earn a "C minus" or better in each course:

• CCJ 3032 (3) Crime in Media (Fall, Spring and Summer)
• CCJ 3484 (3) Ethics in Policing and Intelligence (Fall)
• CCJ 3651 (3) Drugs and Crime (Summer)
• CCJ 3678 (3) Policing Diversity: Race, Gender, Religion and Crime (Spring)
• CCJ 4710 (3) Applied Probability for Research & Investigation (Spring) [Prerequisite CCJ 4744]
• CJC 3311 (3) Corrections: Practices and Perspectives (Spring)
• CJE 3280 (3) Women on all Sides of the Law (TBD)
• CJE 3450 (3) Bias Awareness in Public Safety and Security (TBD)
• CJE 3612 (3) Interview and Interrogation (Fall and Spring)
• CJE 3617(3) Cold Case Investigations [Prerequisites CJE 3762 and CJE 4611]
• CJE 3652 (3) Forensics in the Crime Lab (Fall and Spring)
• CJE 3652L (1) Lab for Forensics in the Crime Lab (Fall and Spring)
• CJE 3703 (3) Black & White: Disparities in the Criminal Justice System (TBD)
• CJE 4220 (3) Introduction to Forensic Entomology (Fall)
• CJE 4410 (3) Community Policing (Summer)
• CJE 4764 Underwater Crime Scene Methodology (3); pre reqs ISC 3062 Intro to Underwater Investigation (3); ISC 3063 Scientific Underwater Investigation (3) 
• CJE 4765  Underwater Crime Scene Investigation (3); pre reqs ISC 3062 Intro to Underwater Investigation (3); ISC 3063 - Scientific Underwater Investigation (3);  CJE 4764 Underwater Crime Scene Methodology (3)
• CJJ 3013 (3) Youth Culture and Crime (Spring)
• CJL 3133 (3) Evidence & Criminal Procedure (Summer)

Capstone Internship CJE 4710: (3-15 hours).
This course focuses on the integration of knowledge, skills, and capabilities learned in the program through a capstone experiential learning (internship) project working with an approved Public Safety and Security agency or guided research. Offered every semester. This class is typically done in the last semester of your program. Students are encouraged to review the PS&S Capstone Internship webpage for additional information.

Honors in the Major – CCJ 4970 (3hrs)

FSU developed the Honors in the Major (HITM) program to encourage students to explore their major disciplines in greater depth by completing a research or creative project, and the program is open to all qualified undergraduate FSU students. Students must be formally admitted to a Public Safety & Security major (ex. Crime Scene Investigation, Law Enforcement Operations or Law Enforcement Intelligence), have a minimum 3.20 FSU and Cumulative GPA and have at least 60 completed college credit hours, with at least 12 graded hrs taken at FSU.

Once they have completed and successfully defended their project, students will graduate "with honors" in their major, a distinction that is announced during commencement and designated on the graduate's official transcript (not the diploma). CCJ 4970 may also count as an upper division writing (UDW) requirement and Formative Experience (FE) requirement for graduation.

We encourage interested students to explore the HITM website to learn more about admission to the program, program requirements, funding opportunities. Students who intend to apply to Honors in the Major Program must complete their application, submit it through the online portal, and receive email notification they have been approved to begin the program before they can add HITM credit hours (CCJ 4970) to their schedule.

Computer Competency Requirement:
Met with a grade of C minus or better in core course of CCJ 3071 Computer Applications for Public Safety and Security .

Oral Communication Competency Requirement:
May be met with SPC 1608 Public Speaking (GCSC).

There are also several courses offered at FSU PC that will meet this requirement. Acceptable substitutes may include, but are not limited to:

• Verified successful participation in a forensic or debate team in community college, or college; or
• Passing with a “C minus“ or higher a course in public speaking in another college or university (including community college).

Foreign Language Requirement:
Can be satisfied by having two sequential units of the same foreign language in high school, or two semesters of the same foreign language in college or documented equivalent proficiency.

Minimum Program Requirements - Summary
Total Hrs. Required 120
General Education 36
Major Coursework 66
Minor Coursework 0
Computer Skills 3
Oral Communication Competency 0-3
Other Coursework 0
Electives to bring total hours to 120

*All courses are not offered each semester. All course offerings are contingent on available funding, available instructors, and sufficient student demand.*

Mapping Mapping is FSU’s academic advising and monitoring system. Academic progress is monitored each Fall and Spring semester to ensure that students are on course to earn their degree in a timely fashion. All students should review the Academic Map for their major with their academic advisor to ensure they stay on track and eligible to remain eligible for their major.

Remarks

In addition to the requirements outlined above, each student must complete all University-wide requirements for graduation. These requirements include:

1. General Education requirements: Transfer students with an AA degree from a Florida community college have automatically met the General Education requirements.
2. Multicultural requirement: Students transferring with 60 or more hours must complete one multicultural course. Other students must complete two multicultural courses. Courses taken at a previous institution may be used to satisfy this requirement.
3. FSU residency requirement: Each student’s last 30 hours must be in residence at FSU.
4. Total hours requirements: A minimum of 120 hours is required for graduation. At least 45 hours must be completed at the 3000-4000 level.