Texas A&M Forensics students earn credits toward college degree & forensics certificate

Ten students from the Texas A&M University Forensic and Investigative Sciences program completed a weeklong Crime Scene Investigation course held this month at the Texas Forensic Science Academy (TFSA) located at Riverside Campus. The unique program is a collaboration between Texas A&M and TEEX that allows students to earn 2 semester hours of credit for completing of the course, delivered by the TEEX Public Safety & Security division.

One Texas A&M student, Meaghan Pimsler, also earned her Forensic Technician Certificate, awarded to students who complete both the 40-hour Crime Scene Investigation course and the Latent Print Processing course, scheduled for May delivery.

During the Crime Scene Investigation course last week, the students learned information, techniques, and methodologies for conducting investigations ranging from general crime scene investigations to death investigations. On Thursday, they tested their knowledge on a mock crime scene set up in TEEX Prop Houses at Riverside.

“It was a different perspective to be given a blank slate and having to think of everything on your own and figure it out,” said Kortney Parchman. “It kind of gave me the idea of what I will be doing in the future.”

According to TEEX Training Manager Lee Santo, “This class gives these forensic science students some valuable hands-on experience in the law enforcement crime scene investigations field they otherwise might not receive.” For those intending to pursue a career in the forensic field, having this hands-on experience and credentialing from the TFSA is a great benefit, he added. In addition to the Forensic Technician Certificate, the TFSA offers certificates for Forensic Investigator I and Forensic Investigator II, Major Crimes Investigator and Property & Evidence Management.