Forensic Biology Major

FORENSIC BIOLOGY MAJOR.  The major in forensic biology is a program within the Department of Biological and Allied Health Sciences. The program is a cohort of courses specifically designed to meet the needs of forensic crime laboratories in the field of forensic biology and follows the recommendations of the Forensic Education Program Accreditation Commission. Student graduating from Ohio Northern University with a major in Forensic Biology have been exposed to the direct application of science relevant to the field of forensic biology including the emerging field of forensic serology and analysis of DNA at the nuclear and mitochondrial levels. The coursework teaches students the actual procedures utilized in the modern forensic laboratory. These approaches, plus productive internships, enable the department to produce graduates prepared for the forensic and biomedical laboratory or graduate programs in the forensic sciences.

The major has two goals: to provide students with a solid foundation in the forensic sciences through a core of four forensic biology courses and to provide a focused and coherent study in the practice of the scientific techniques used to analyze physical evidence found at the scene of a crime with five upper-level forensic courses.  For additional information on this major, contact the program coordinator Dr. Dennis De Luca at 419-772-2331 or by email at d-deluca@onu.edu.

DEGREE OFFERED
Bachelor of Science with a major in Forensic Biology

10 laboratory classrooms
11 Independent Research Laboratories
Animal vivarium facilities
Physiological measurements laboratory
Cadaver dissection laboratory
ONU Metzger Field Station in eastern Ohio
"Animal Body Farm"

EQUIPMENT
High voltage electrophoresis
Automated fingerprint index system (AFIS) workstations
Fingerprint fume hoods
ABI 30 Genetic Analyzer
ABI Thermocyclers
Polarizing microscopes
Mitochondrial DNA detection systems
Comparison microscope systems
Luminometers
Liquid chromatopgraphy-mass spectrometer
Toxo Lab Drug Detection System

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Midwestern Association of Forensic Scientists
American Academy of Forensic Sciences
Beta Beta Beta
Biology Student Association

INTERNSHIP PLACEMENT SITES
Federal and state forensic laboratories
Regional forensic crime laboratories
Private forensic laboratories

EMPLOYERS
University biomedical research centers
Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratories (AFDIL)
Private forensic testing laboratories
Contract research organizations