Universities with Forensic Entomology Programs

Purdue University Department of Entomology, based in Lafayette, Ind., offers a minor in forensics at the undergraduate level. Students in the program take courses such as Introduction to Forensic Science and Criminalistics, and choose electives from courses like Introduction to Insect Behavior, Forensic Entomology and Taphonomy (the study of decaying organizations and their fossilization process), and Forensic Digital Evidence. A total of 10 credits in forensic entomology courses are required and an additional 9 elective credits need to be completed to obtain this minor degree.

University of California, Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology offers a bachelor’s of science degree in entomology. (Nematology is the study of roundworms for those who are wondering). After students have completed their core coursework, they can complete a minor in one of five concentration areas, including forensic entomology. Students in this minor complete 22 credit hours, taking a forensic entomology class, a biological science and Evolution and Ecology or a similar class.

Texas A&M University, in College Station, Texas, has a Forensic & Investigative Sciences Program available at the undergraduate level that gives students the option to pursue a science or pre-law emphasis. The program is offered through the university’s Department of Entomology. Within the science emphasis, students take classes such as the Science of Forensic Entomology, Forensic Soil Science, and Applied Forensic Entomology. A seminar course, professional internship, directed studies, special topics and research are also part of the degree and help round out a student’s learning experiences. An Aggie Forensic and Investigative Sciences Organization is also available to undergraduate and graduate students and features an autopsy trip every semester.

University of Nebraska, students can complete a master’s of science degree in entomology that includes insect education, natural history and components of forensic and medical entomology. The program is available completely online and gives students the option to complete coursework that is relevant to their career and applicable to their profession. Of the many elective options available in this 36-credit program are classes specifically geared toward the forensic sciences such as Insect Toxicology, Bloodstains as Evidence and Forensic Entomology.

University of Huddersfield, in West Yorkshire, while it is in the United Kingdom, does offer a master’s of science degree in forensic entomology. This one-year full-time program includes six different learning modules in the forensic sciences. The forensic entomology module enables students to learn about postmortem interval estimations (PMIs) and postmortem transfer identification. A research project also needs to be completed and requires 50 days of laboratory work. A limited number of spaces are available and applicants should have an honors degree in a science field or related area.

Methodology

This list of universities with forensic entomology programs provides a launching point for students interested in gaining more specific skills in the field. It is not meant to be exhaustive, and there are many additional schools that offer a specific forensic entomology class or courses, but few that provide concentrations, minors, or much less full degrees. Students who are interested in overseas experiences or studying outside of the United States may be able to find additional opportunities for full degrees and graduate-level options, but in the U.S. may find choices somewhat limited unless they seek research and other educational opportunities.