Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences:
Forensic Science Option

This interdisciplinary option allows students to prepare for careers in forensic science (including entrance into graduate or professional programs in forensic science and related areas). Prospective students should be aware that employers in forensic science typically require employees to meet personal suitability requirements (e.g., honesty, integrity, and scientific objectivity). Background checks and drug tests similar to those required for law enforcement officers are likely to be a condition of employment.

To earn a Bachelor of Sciences in Biomedical Sciences, all students must complete the General University Requirements for Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and the Biomedical Sciences Core Requirements.

In addition, students will complete at least 49 semester credit hours of course work in the Forensic Science Option (listed below). Thirty-five to thirty-six semester credit hours are required courses; the other thirteen to fourteen hours are electives. The current Undergraduate Catalog contains a description of the Biomedical Sciences Program and a list of Biomedical Sciences Course Descriptions. A list of required courses and electives is also found in the Sample Schedule for Forensic Science Students. A student (in consultation with his or her Faculty Mentor and Academic Advisor) selects appropriate electives to personalize the Blank Forensic Science Degree Plan.

Students in this option must take a standardized assessment test during their senior year, prior to graduation.

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Important Note: Laboratory Safety Seminar (SMTE 0091) is a co-requisite course for all courses in the Department of Life Sciences that have a laboratory component.

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Forensic Science Option—Required Courses (35-36 SCH):

Course #	Course Title	SCH
BIMS 2200	Professional Skills	2
BIMS 3103	Essentials Laboratory for Forensic Science	1
BIMS 3202	Essentials for Applied Laboratory Sciences	2
BIMS 3320	Survey of Forensic Science	3
BIMS 3325	Professional Practice in Forensic Science	3
CHEM 3418	Instrumental Analysis	4
CRIJ 4312	Law and Evidence	3
CRIJ 4313	Criminal Procedure	3
CRIJ 4340	Criminal Investigation	3
Statistics Choice (choose one)		3-4
MATH 1442	Statistics for Life	(4)
MATH 3342	Applied Probability and Statistics	(3)
MATH 2413	Calculus I (hours included in University Core)	(4)
PHYS 2425	University Physics I*	4
PHYS 2426	University Physics II*	4

*Although PHYS 2425-2426 is preferred, PHYS 1401-1402 (General Physics I-II) will also fulfill this requirement.

Forensic Science Option—Electives (choose 13-14 SCH):

Elective courses allow the student to begin to specialize in an emphasis area such as forensic biology (mainly biology and biomedical sciences courses) or forensic chemistry (mainly chemistry courses). Students must take at least one of the courses below that are marked with an asterisk (*). A student’s degree plan may include a maximum of six hours of internship, research, or independent study (e.g., BIMS 4395, BIMS 4396, or BIOL 4350). With approval from the faculty mentor and academic advisor, a student may also count up to 12 semester credit hours of elective courses that are not on this list.

Course #	Course Title	SCH
BIMS 3401	Pathophysiology	4
BIMS 3403*	Molecular Biology*	4
BIMS 4295	Biomedical Practicum	2
BIMS 4325	Clinical Chemistry I	3
BIMS 4326	Clinical Chemistry II	3
BIMS 4327	Introduction to Toxicology	3
BIMS 4333	Medical Entomology	3
BIMS 4396	Directed Independent Study	1-3
BIMS 4406	Immunology	4
BIMS 4410	Histology	4
BIMS 4590	Selected Topics (with approval of faculty mentor)	1-5
BIOL 2472	Principles of Botany	4
BIOL 3410*	Cell Biology*	4
BIOL 3425	Functional Anatomy	4
BIOL 3430	Physiology	4
BIOL 4340	Genomics, Proteomics, and Bioinformatics	3
BIOL 4350	Research and Design	1-3
BIOL 4407	Biology of the Fungi	4
BIOL 4433	Parasitology	4
BIOL 4435	Biological Microtechniques	4
CHEM 3417*	Quantitative Analysis*	4
CHEM 4320	Drugs, Toxins, and Natural Products Chemistry	3
CHEM 4401*	Biochemistry I*	4
CHEM 4402	Biochemistry II	4
CHEM 4407*	Advanced Inorganic Chemistry*	4
CHEM 4409	Advanced Instrumental Analysis	4
CHEM 4420	Physical Biochemistry	4
CHEM 4423*	Physical Chemistry I*	4
CHEM 4424	Physical Chemistry II	4
ENGL 3301	Principles of Professional and Report Writing	3
ENTC 2403	Statics & Dynamics	4
MATH 2414*	Calculus II*	4
	Up to 12 SCH of unlisted electives (with faculty mentor's approval)

For help designing a personal degree plan and scheduling courses, a student should contact his or her Faculty Mentor and Academic Advisor. Verbal descriptions of these and other courses are found in the Current University Catalog. Many courses are not offered each semester; some are offered once every year or once every two years. To make long-term plans, a student should consult the Two-Year Schedule to determine when and how often a course in the sciences will be taught.