Law Enforcement Programs

Forensic/Crime Scene Investigation Certificate

In the 21st Century, the public has come to expect crime scene investigation to be thorough, detailed, and comprehensive in scope. The expertise of the forensic crime scene investigator is of paramount importance to the successful conduct of serious criminal investigations. Rowan-Cabarrus Community College has committed to providing the necessary training opportunities to enhance the knowledge, skill, and abilities to program participants. This certificate program will address a variety of investigative techniques, including the recovery of skeletal remains; interpretation of insect activity at the crime scene; processing techniques for latent evidence, including tire and foot impressions; photography techniques; forensic genealogy, forensic anthropology, blood spatter interpretation; and much, much more. The ultimate goal of this program is to develop the highest level of proficiency possible for the program participant.

This certificate program has a list of core courses which are supplemented by elective courses listed below. Credit for elective hours may also be given for other courses that meet certain criteria. The determination for acceptance of other elective courses will be made on a case by case basis.

*Since some of the core and elective courses are accepted in both Homicide/Death Investigation Certificate and Forensics/Crime Scene Certificate programs, attendees can use the credit hours from those classes toward both certificates if they choose.

Forensic/Crime Scene Investigation Certificate flyer

Classes

This certificate has a core course (denoted by an asterisk *) and will require students to choose from the block of elective training classes to achieve the remaining hours required for the certificate.

Required Core Courses

  • Forensic Anthropology (8 Hrs.)
  • Death and Homicide Investigation (40 Hrs.)
  • Forensic Genealogy (8 Hrs.)
  • Crime Scene Photography (16 Hrs.)
  • Buried Bodies and Skeletal Remains* (16 Hrs.)
    (*Prerequisite is Forensic Anthropology)
  • Crime Scene Investigation (24 Hrs.)
  • Suicide Investigation (16 Hrs.)
  • Blood, Bullets and More (24 Hrs.)
  • Using Alternate Light Sources at Crime Scene (8 Hrs.)
  • Evaluating Tool marks, Footprints, and Tire Tracks (8 Hrs.)
  • Forensics for Solving Homicides (16 Hrs.)

Elective Courses

  • Advanced Interviewing: The Concept of Persuasion (Blackboard Online Class) (16 Hrs.)
  • Violent Crime Profiling- Behavioral Aspects of Crime Scene Reconstruction (8 Hrs.)
  • Death & Crime Scene Management for 1st Responders (8 Hrs.)
  • Cold Case Investigation (16 Hrs.)

More Information

To register and for complete course descriptions, class locations & times, and instructor bios, visit our training calendar. For any questions, please send an email to LEtrain@rccc.edu.