Crime Scene Investigation: Public Safety and Security

College: Applied Studies
Degree: BS
Specialized Admission: No

Description of Major

*Please Note: Face-to-face/in-person instruction of this program is ONLY available at the Panama City, FL campus. However, it is available via Online/Distance Learning to all FSU students. Contact the College of Applied Studies for specifics.*

A degree in Public Safety and Security: Crime Scene Investigation offers a variety of employment opportunities in local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and public and private crime labs. Career prospects in the field include crime scene investigator, crime scene analysts, forensic science technician, crime laboratory assistant, autopsy technician, death investigator, property and evidence personnel, criminalist and more.

Prerequisite Coursework

There are no specific required prerequisite courses for this major.

Admission Requirements for Crime Scene Investigations Major
All students must meet the University-wide baccalaureate degree requirements summarized in the “Undergraduate Degree Requirements” chapter of this General Bulletin. In order to enroll in the College of Applied Studies, an undergraduate must be certified by the Division of Undergraduate Studies or be a transfer student with fifty-two or more semester hours of accepted credit with a 2.0 GPA. World language completion (or exemption) is also required. Under certain circumstances, students may be admitted without these, but will be required to complete both while enrolled in the program in addition to other program requirements. These students must complete the General Education requirements while enrolled in this program.

In addition, there are alternative criteria for admission to the program:

1. Completion of an AA degree from a Florida public college with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. The AA degree shall include the completion of the Florida State general education requirements.

2. Transfer students from a regionally accredited postsecondary institution. These students must have sixty (60) or more semester hours of transferable credit, to include six hours of freshman English composition and six hours of mathematics/statistics. Transfer students must have a minimum of a 2.00 GPA. These students must have completed 36 hours of general education coursework to include (6) hours Quantitative & Logic, (6) hours English Composition, (3) hours Social Science, (3) hours History, (3) hours Humanities & Cultural Practice, (3) hours Ethics, (6) hours Natural Sciences and (6) hours Additional Approved General Education coursework.

Transcripts for students entering with more than the specified hours for the AA will be evaluated for whether any of the hours are applicable to the degree. Hours applicable will be subtracted from the nominal sixty (AA or transfer) required to a maximum of fifteen hours of underclass hours. Transcripts for transfer students will be evaluated in a similar fashion and some upper-level hours may be accepted to a maximum of thirty hours because the last thirty hours must be taken at FSU. Hours not applicable to the Public Safety and Security degree will not be transferred to avoid a possibility of a student incurring an excess hours charge.

3. Current students at FSU (either campus) - These students must have fifty-two (52) or more semester hours of credit, to include six hours of freshman English composition and six hours of mathematics/statistics. Students must have a minimum of a 2.00 GPA. These students must complete the General Education requirements while enrolled in this program.

Note: Students admitted to the Crime Scene Investigation major must earn a "C minus" or better in core courses CCJ 3024, CJE 3762, CJE 3762L, CCJ 4744, and CCJ 3071, and maintain a GPA of 2.00 in all courses required for the major. A student who has accumulated four or more unsatisfactory grades, (D+, D, D–, F, U, IE) in public safety, criminology and criminal justice courses taken for college credit at Florida State University or elsewhere, whether repeated or not, may not be permitted to continue in, change major to, be readmitted, or be allowed to graduate with a degree in Public Safety and Security.

Requirements

Core Courses for Crime Scene Investigation Majors: (13 hours)
Students must earn a “C minus” or better in each course:

CCJ 3024 (3) The Criminal Justice System
CJE 3762 (3) Forensic Science in Investigation
CJE 3762L (1) Forensic Science in Investigation Lab
CCJ 4744 (3) Evidential Reasoning for Research & Investigation
CCJ 3071 (3) Computer Applications in Criminal Justice

Major Required Courses for Crime Scene Investigation Majors: (23 hours)
Students must earn a "C minus" or better in each course:

CJE 4611 (3) Criminal Investigation: Theory & Practice
CJE 4615 (3) Conduct of Investigation [Prerequisite CCJ 4611]
CJE 4655 (1) Crime & Accident Scene Imaging & Reconstruction [Prerequisites CJE3762 and CJE3762L]
CJE 4655L (2) Crime & Accident Scene Imaging & Reconstruction Lab (SUMMER ONLY) [Prerequisite CJE 4655]
CJE 4135 (2) Impression and Pattern Evidence [Prerequisite CJE 3762 and CJE 3762L]
CJE 4135L (2) Impression and Pattern Evidence Lab (SUMMER ONLY) [Prerequisite CJE 4135]
CJE 4241 (1) Trace & Biometric Evidence [Prerequisite CJE 3762 and CJE 3762L]
CJE 4241L (2) Trace & Biometric Evidence Lab (SUMMER ONLY) [Prerequisite CJE 4241]
CJE 3648 (3) Crime Scene Professionalism
CJE 4638 (2) Forensic Death Investigation [Prerequisite CJE 3762 and CJE 3762L]
CJE 4638L (2) Forensic Death Investigation Lab (SUMMER ONLY) [Prerequisite CJE 4638]

Additional Required PSS Elective Courses: (21 hours)
Students must earn a "C minus" or better in each course:

CCJ 4710 (3) Applied Probability for Research & Investigation [Prerequisite CCJ 4744]
CCJ 3678 (3) Policing Diversity: Race, Gender, Religion and Crime
CJE 3612 (3) Interview and Interrogation
CJC 3311 (3) Corrections: Practices and Perspectives
CJJ 3013 (3) Youth Culture and Crime
CCJ 3651 (3) Drugs and Crime
CJE 4410 (3) Community Policing
CCJ 3032 (3) Crime in Media
CCJ 3484 (3) Ethics in Policing and Intelligence
CJE 4220 (3) Introduction to Forensic Entomology
CJE 3652 (3) Forensic Science in the Crime Lab
CJE 3652L (1) Lab for Forensic Science in the Crime Lab
CJE 3703 (3) Black and White: Disparities in the Criminal Justice System
CJE 3450 (3) Bias Awareness in Public Safety and Security
CJE 3280 (3) Women on all Sides of the Law
CJE 4764 (3) Underwater Crime Scene Methodology
CJE 4765 (3) Underwater Crime Scene Investigation
CJE 3617(3) Cold Case Investigations [Prerequisites: CJE3762, CJE3762L, and CJE4611]

Capstone CJE 4710: (3-15 hours). Offered every semester.
This class is typically done in the last semester of your program.

Digital Literacy: (3 hours)
This requirement is met with a final grade of C minus or better in CCJ 3071 Computer Applications in Criminal Justice.

Oral Communication Competency Requirement: (0-3 hours)
Met with a grade of C minus or better in CJE3612 Interview and Interrogation or with SPC 1608 Public Speaking (GCSC).

There are also several courses offered at FSU PC that will meet this requirement. Acceptable substitutes may include, but are not limited to:
• Verified successful participation in a forensic or debate team in community college, or college; or
• Passing with a “C minus“ or higher a course in public speaking in another college or university (including community college}.

Foreign Language Requirement: Can be satisfied by having two sequential units of the same foreign language in high school, or two semesters of the same foreign language in college or documented equivalent proficiency.

Minimum Program Requirements - Summary
Total Hrs. Required 120
General Education 36
Major Coursework 66
Minor Coursework 0
Digital Literacy 3
Oral Communication Competency 0-3
Other Coursework 0
Electives to bring total hours to 120

*All courses are not offered each semester. All course offerings are contingent on available funding, available instructors, and sufficient student demand.*

Advising

Dana Smith (Distance Learning students)
Address: College of Applied Studies Office Building 111 Panama City, FL 32405-1099
Phone: (850) 770-2266
Email: dsmith@pc.fsu.edu

Faculty

Charla Skinner Perdue
Address: Holley Building, Office A111-F Panama City, FL 32405-1099
Phone: (850) 770-2207
Fax: (850) 770-2082
Email: cperdue@pc.fsu.edu

Banyon Pelham
Address: Holley Building, Office A111-E Panama City, FL 32405-1099
Phone: (850) 770-2201
Email:bpelham@pc.fsu.edu

Academic Coordinator

Angie Sexton
Address: College of Applied Studies Office Building 108 Panama City, FL 32405-1099
Phone: (850) 770-2178
Email: asexton@pc.fsu.edu

Mapping
Mapping is FSU’s academic advising and monitoring system. Academic progress is monitored each Fall and Spring semester to ensure that students are on course to earn their degree in a timely fashion. Transfer students must meet mapping guidelines to be accepted into their majors.

Remarks
In addition to the requirements outlined above, each student must complete all University-wide requirements for graduation. These requirements include:
1. General Education requirements: Transfer students with an AA degree from a Florida community college have automatically met the General Education requirements.
2. Multicultural requirement: Students transferring with 60 or more hours must complete one multicultural course. Other students must complete two multicultural courses. Courses taken at a previous institution may be used to satisfy this requirement.
3. FSU residency requirement: Each student’s last 30 hours must be in residence at FSU.
4.Total hours requirements: A minimum of 120 hours is required for graduation. At least 45 hours must be completed at the 3000-4000 level.

Employment Information
Salary Information: For more information go to: National Association of Colleges and Employers (www.naceweb.org) or the Occupational Outlook Handbook (www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm) provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Representative Job Titles Related to this Major: Career prospects in the field include: crime scene investigator, crime scene analysts, forensic science technician, crime laboratory assistant, autopsy technician, death investigator, property and evidence personnel, and criminalist.

Representative Employers: A degree in Public Safety and Security: Crime Scene Investigation offers a variety of employment opportunities in local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, as well as governmental and private crime laboratories.