Nov 21, 2024

2021-2022 Academic Catalog

2021-2022 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Forensic Science, Biology Concentration, BS

The Department of Justice Studies ’ Forensic Science program at SJSU offers Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees in Forensic Chemistry , Forensic Biology, and Digital Evidence for students with a career interest in crime lab work. Students in the forensic science major take basic and advanced biology, chemistry, and physics courses to build a strong foundation in the sciences, and complement these with coursework in forensic science applications. The curricula of each major concentration meet the American Academy of Forensic Sciences Forensic Education Program Accreditation standards.

Program Learning Outcomes

Summary of Degree Units

University Graduation Requirements	41
Major Preparation	40
Major Requirements	35
University Electives	1-4
Total	120

Program Roadmaps

The 4-Year Roadmap is available online. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Degrees (ADT) Pathways are also available online.

Major-Specific Graduation Requirements

All courses required in the major, including all electives, must be completed with a grade of C or better. This includes all courses in the following sections: Major Preparation and the Major Requirements.

Prerequisite Requirements

Enrollment in any chemistry course requires that the prerequisite courses be passed with a grade of “C or better” (C- not accepted). Exceptions may be made only with instructor consent or if not explicitly stated in the course description. Refer to the SJSU Course Catalog for specific information regarding course prerequisites.

University Requirements

Students must satisfy all of the major and Undergraduate University Graduation Requirements , which includes unit, GPA, and residency requirements as well as the below identified General Education , American Institutions, Graduation Writing Assessment and Physical Education requirements. Courses that meet Undergraduate University Graduation Requirements are noted with an area designation (see Course Abbreviations ).

Core Lower Division General Education (24 units)

Of the 39 units required by the university, 15 units may be satisfied by coursework outlined below. Courses that meet GE Areas A1, A2, A3 or B4 must be passed with a “C-” or better to meet the requirement. Consult with a major advisor for details.

Note: Students who have completed the ADT Transfer degree (under SB 1440) for this major will have completed all lower division GE requirements (except for 1 course in GE Area C and 1 course in GE Area D) and should follow the 60 unit guarantee roadmap (which include the missing GE in Area C and D). Meet with an advisor prior to registering for your first semester for the 60 unit roadmap or specific questions.

Upper Division General Education (9 units)

Of the 9 units required by the university, 0 unit may be satisfied by coursework outlined below. Consult with a major advisor for details.

American Institutions (6 units)

Complete one 6 unit sequence of American Institutions (US123) courses, which also satisfies GE Area D. Students may also satisfy the American Institutions Requirement with other courses, but these may not satisfy other GE areas.

The American Studies (AMS 1A /AMS 1B ; 12 units) and Humanities Honors (HUM 1A /HUM 1B /HUM 2A /HUM 2B ; 24 units) sequences satisfy the American Institutions Requirement and additional GE Areas (see the course description for details).

Consult with a major advisor to select the appropriate sequence.

Physical Education (2 units)

All SJSU undergraduate students, regardless of major, have an opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills in physical activities. To accommodate students’ needs and interests, the university offers a diverse selection of activity courses .

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement

At SJSU, students must pass both the SJSU Writing Skills Test (WST) and a 100W course. Exceptions to the GWAR may be found at Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) .

A grade of C or better (C- not accepted) is required to meet graduation requirement.

Major Preparation (40 units)

CHEM 1A - General Chemistry 5 unit(s) (B1+B3)
CHEM 1B - General Chemistry 5 unit(s) (B1+B3)
CHEM 55 - Quantitative Analysis 2 unit(s)
CHEM 55L - Quantitative Analysis Laboratory 2 unit(s)
CHEM 112A - Organic Chemistry 3 unit(s)
CHEM 112B - Organic Chemistry 3 unit(s)
CHEM 113A - Organic Chemistry Lab 2 unit(s)
MATH 30 - Calculus I 3 unit(s) (B4)
PHYS 2A - Fundamentals of Physics 4 unit(s) (B1+B3)
PHYS 2B - Fundamentals of Physics 4 unit(s) (B1+B3)
STAT 95 - Elementary Statistics 3 unit(s) (B4)

Complete One Course From:

CHEM 130A - Biochemistry 4 unit(s)
CHEM 135 - General Biochemistry 4 unit(s)

Major Requirements (39 units)

Core Courses (32 units)

BIOL 30 - Principles of Biology I 4 unit(s) (B2+B3)
BIOL 31 - Principles of Biology II 4 unit(s) (B2+B3)
BIOL 115 - General Genetics 4 unit(s)
FS 11 - Survey of Forensic Science 3 unit(s)
FS 161 - Crime Scene Investigation 3 unit(s)
FS 162 - Forensic Science Applications 3 unit(s)
FS 167 - Forensic Molecular Biology 5 unit(s)
JS 100W - Writing Workshop 3 unit(s) (Z) OR FS 100W - Forensic Science Writing Workshop (Z)

Complete One Course From:

FS 169 - FS Senior Sem : Studies in Contemporary FS Issues 3 unit(s)
JS 189 - Senior Seminar: Contemporary Problems 3 unit(s)

Practical Requirement (3 units)

JS 181 - Internship: Justice Studies 1-6 unit(s) (3 units required)

Major Electives(1-4 units)

Complete 4 units from the following. Other electives may be substituted with advisor approval

ANTH 157 - Forensic Anthropology 3 unit(s)
BIOL 116 - Molecular Genetics 4 unit(s)
BIOL 117 - Human Genetics 3 unit(s)
BIOL 118 - Evolutionary Genetics 4 unit(s)
BIOL 123A - Bioinformatics I 3 unit(s)
BIOL 123B - Bioinformatics II 3 unit(s)
BIOL 124 - Systems Physiology 3 unit(s)
BIOL 125 - Systems Physiology Laboratory 2 unit(s)
BIOL 135B - Eukaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology II 3 unit(s) (R)
BIOL 135L - Molecular Cell Biology Lab 3 unit(s)
BIOL 137 - Introduction to Principles of Toxicology 3 unit(s)
BIOL 145 - Advanced Undergraduate Biology Seminar 1-3 unit(s)
BIOL 145L - Advanced Undergraduate Biology Lab 1-2 unit(s)
BIOL 165 - Advanced Human Anatomy 4 unit(s)
CHEM 120S - Chemical Safety Seminar 1 unit(s)
FS 160 - Special Topics in Forensic Science 1-5 unit(s)
FS 163 - Fingerprint Science 3 unit(s)
FS 164 - Crime Scene and Evidence Photography 3 unit(s)
FS 165 - Forensic Biometrics 3 unit(s)
FS 166 - Forensic Chemistry 3 unit(s)
FS 168 - Fluorescent Applications in Molecular Biology and Forensic Science 3 unit(s)
FS 106 - Forensic Entomology 3 unit(s)
FS 173 - Death Scene Investigation 3 unit(s)
JS 143 - Criminal Evidence and Procedure 3 unit(s)
JS 171 - Human Rights and Justice 3 unit(s) (V)
JS 180 - Individual Studies 1-3 unit(s)
JS 181 - Internship: Justice Studies 1-6 unit(s)
JS 185 - Special Topics in Law and Justice 3 unit(s)
MATH 31 - Calculus II 4 unit(s) (B4)
MICR 101 - General Microbiology 5 unit(s)
PHIL 133 - Ethics in Science 3 unit(s) (V)
PHIL 160 - Philosophy of Science 3 unit(s) (R)
PSYC 110 - Adult Psychopathology 3 unit(s)
PSYC 129 - Neuroscience 3 unit(s)
PSYC 153 - Psychology in the Courtroom 3 unit(s)

About

Forensic Science, Biology Concentration, BS

University Requirements

Core Lower Division General Education (24 units)

Upper Division General Education (9 units)

American Institutions (6 units)

African American Studies (6 units)

Asian American Studies (6 units)

Chicana and Chicano Studies (6 units)

U.S. History and Government (6 units)

Physical Education (2 units)

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement

Major Preparation (40 units)

Complete One Course From:

Major Requirements (39 units)

Core Courses (32 units)

Complete One Course From:

Practical Requirement (3 units)

Major Electives(1-4 units)

Total Units Required (120 units)