Forensic Science Theory

Masters Degree in Criminal Justice

CJ 684

Breyer State University

Instructor: John M. Landry, M.S.

SYLLABUS

COURSE OVERVIEW: Welcome to Forensic Psychology, a Master's Level course in the curriculum for the Degree, Master of Criminal Justice. I am pleased to instruct you in this course, which will be a foundational course for the remainder of your studies in the master's program.

This is an exciting course, a course that explores the vast boundaries of various psychological theories involving crime and crime causation due to mental illness and thought processes of the perpetrator.

I know you will enjoy this course. Please learn as much as you can as you progress through it, as it assists in laying down a solid foundation for the rest of the curriculum.

TIME FRAME: This is a four-semester hour course. This course is allotted 10 weeks of time. You must complete all of the requirements for the course successfully by the end of the 10-week period. The first day of week one will begin the day that you register for the course, or the day which you notify me that your textbooks have arrived and you are ready to begin your studies. Please be cognizant of the time frame. It is rare that extensions of time are permitted, unless you have good justification. Upon successful completion of this course, you will be awarded four semester hours of credit.

TEXTBOOKS: There is one (1) required textbook for this course.

Book 1: Criminalistics, An introduction to Forensic Science, Eighth Edition. Richard Saferstein. Pearson/Prentice Hall Publishers, 2004. ISBN # 132216558.

Both of these texts may be found at your local bookstore. Your local bookstore most often will order them as a special order for you. Or, you may purchase all of your books online from:

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» Additional Student Resources at StudyTactics

EXAMINATIONS: There are two examinations for this course, a mid-term exam and a final exam. Both exams are based on information found in your textbook.

The mid-term examination must be taken by the end of the 5th week in the course.

The final examination must be taken by the end of the 10th week in the course.

Both exams are programmed and are located in the classroom for this course. The examinations are "open book" objective type. You will have one (1) day to complete your exam, once you access it from the classroom. To access the exam, you must send me an email and request to have access to the exam. Upon registration, you will receive your email address. I will then program your access in. You will receive an email back from me telling you that you are now authorized to go ahead and to access your exam. To access, you will come into the classroom, click on testing, and click on the exam you are taking. You will need your User ID and PASS WORD to access the exam. The exam will appear on your screen. Once you access the exam, you have 24 hours to submit your answers. The program provides me the exact date and time that you accessed the exam. The program also notifies me of the exact date and time that you submitted your answers. Thus, the program is timing you. When you are ready, go back into the classroom and click in your responses and then click submit. Shortly, you will receive the exam in your email box with your computed score. You will also know what questions, if any, that you missed, and what the correct answer is. I also receive a copy of your exam and your score.

GRADING: The grading scale for this course is as follows:

90-100%    = A
80-89%      = B
70-79%      = C
Below 70% = Fail

COMMUNICATION: You are encouraged to communicate with me. I am available as a teacher, coach, and mentor to assist you in meeting your goals for this course. Normally, communication is through email. From time to time, depending on how many students are enrolled in this course at a particular time, we may have some scheduled group chats. You will receive more detailed information at the time such chat sessions are scheduled. Please keep my email address handy so that you can contact me whenever necessary. If at any time during this course you change your email address, please be sure to notify me right away.

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS: There are no written assignments for this course. There is a considerable amount of reading involved in this course, and I would prefer you spend your time with the books learning the material.

ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR: I, Lieutenant John M. Landry, M.S., B.L.S., A.A.S. (retired), currently teach graduate courses at Breyer State University, and am fulltime faculty at another college. I hold a Masters in Criminal Justice Administration, a Bachelor of Liberal Studies, and an Associate of Applied Science degree. I am a retired law enforcement lieutenant with a state agency here in Florida , and have extensive law enforcement experience. I enjoy reading, practicing martial arts and spending time with my family. I am currently pursuing a PhD in education through online instruction.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

1). Understand the Breath and Scope of Forensic Science.
2). Evaluate and Process the Crime Scene.
3). Learn methods of Gathering and Preserving Physical Evidence.
4). Understand Narcotics and Illegal Drugs.
5). Understand Forensic Toxicology.
6). Understand Methods of Investigating Arsons and Fire Related Offenses.
7). Understand the Analysis and Effectiveness of DNA Evidence Gathering.
8). Learn the Usefulness of Fingerprint Collection and Analysis.
9). Understand Forensic Firearm examination.
10). Understand Forensic Document examination.

ASSIGNMENTS: This course has no assignments other than reading the text and preparing for the exams.

INFORMATION: If you have any questions regarding this program, you may contact the instructor at adm@breyerstate.com.

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