Developing an effective partnership between ‘persons having specialized knowledge’ and those involved in legal deliberations

Abstract

Forensic science programs in higher education in the United States, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels have traditionally been located in departments and colleges of universities offering degrees in the natural and physical sciences, although some programs can be found in social science departments such as criminal justice. Many of these programs are isolated within a specific academic department and this isolation can limit the depth and breadth of knowledge and skills obtained by students. Forensic science is truly an interdisciplinary field of study including specialities in pathology, engineering, odontology, toxicology, entomology, anthropology, psychiatry, psychology, biology, chemistry, computer science, and criminal justice. Isolating forensic science programs within one academic department can limit the options available to students seeking careers in forensic science and weakens the diversity of the pool of job candidates for forensic laboratories. This paper describes a new interdisciplinary approach at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) Forensic Science Institute (FSI) to educate future forensic science professionals. The FSI maintains that the new UCO Forensic Science academic program, in particular with its interdisciplinary dimension, is unmatched in excellence, design, or vision by any forensic science academic program in the United States. After approximately 30 years, UCO has ceased to offer a stand-alone Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in forensic science. The forensic science baccalaureate academic program, formerly housed in the Department of Chemistry, now resides in the Forensic Science Institute, and hasmorphed into a new and unique, to the authors' knowledge, configuration in which forensic science can only be taken as the companion in a dualmajor or dual degree program. Expected couplings with forensic science are chemistry, biology, anthropology, engineering, physics, psychology, computer science, criminal justice, accounting, and art, although others can be envisioned. The forensic science Master of Science (MS) degree program has similarly transitioned to the FSI and is now a research-and-thesis-oriented degree. The MS program will similarly take advantage of the broad array of academic as well as applieddisciplines atUCO tobecome the first truly interdisciplinary Master's Degree program at the University of Central Oklahoma.