Summer Scholar Programs

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Forensic Investigation (6 Semester Credit Hours)

UM’s own CSI!

Discover life as a forensic anthropologist! Work with law enforcement special agents, DNA specialists, forensic pathologists, profilers, and ballistic specialists to learn the method and process for answering the hidden reasons behind an individual’s death. 

Recover and interpret past events through archaeological material - examine human skeletal remains. Discover the investigation, identification, analysis, and recovery of human skeletal remains as an application of a scientific process to serve the law.


This exciting program will introduce you to the 206 bones of the human skeleton, a necessary step enabling you to determine sex, age, stature, ancestry, time of death, and ultimately provide the scientific evidence needed to assist law enforcement in their investigation of death and identity of human remains.

You will:

  • Perform an archaeological recovery of skeletal evidence. 
  • Observe the process of examination and analysis at the medical examiner’s office (coordinated by the special agent in charge of the investigation). 
  • Identify the body, then notify families waiting for their lost and missing loved ones. 
  • Follow all recovered, related evidence to crime scene investigation labs for identification and analysis (DNA identification and ballistics analysis).  
  • Watch the special agent utilize the combined physical evidence and forensic profiler to determine the identity and arrest of the alleged perpetrator(s). 


Possible Field Trips: Visits to the Dade County Courthouse.

Courses*

APY100 - Forensic Investigation (3)

APY200 - Introduction to Forensic Anthropology (3)

*Course name, number, and credits awarded are subject to change.

Prerequisite(s)

 Biology and one other lab science